Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “enhancement” come from?

Enhancement comes from Middle English enhauncen, from Old French enhancer, ultimately derived from Latin -mentum, a suffix from mens meaning mind, rooted in Proto-Indo-European men-.

enhancement (English): Improvement; The degree to which the image of a...

Definitions

  1. Improvement; The degree to which the image of a...

Ancestry of “enhancement”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishenhanceTo lift, raise up; To augment or make something...
2Middle EnglishenhauncenTo lift, heighten, or raise up; To better or...
3Old FrenchenhaucierTo elevate; To enhance
4Vulgar Latininaltiarepresent active infinitive of *inaltiō;...
5Latinaltushigh, tall; deep; profound
6Proto-Italicaltos—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eltós—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂él-—

Words derived from “enhancement”

  • hyperenhancement
  • nonenhancement
  • immunoenhancement
  • inhancement
  • neuroenhancement
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂él- →