Where does “fertilizer” come from?
Fertilizer comes from English fertilize, from French fertiliser, from the French suffix -iser, from Latin -āre, from Latin -ārius, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰer-.
fertilizer (English): A natural substance that is used to make the...
Definitions
- A natural substance that is used to make the...
Ancestry of “fertilizer”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | fertilize | To make more fertile by adding nutrients to it;... |
| 2 | French | fertiliser | to fertilize |
| 3 | French | -iser | -ise/-ize |
| 4 | Old French | -iser | -ize |
| 5 | Latin | -izo | Used to form verbs from nouns and adjectives |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -ίζειν | present active infinitive of -ίζω; -ize |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | -ίζω | Used to form verbs from nouns, adjectives and... |
| 8 | Proto-Hellenic | -íďďō | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -idyéti | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 12 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |