Where does “infest” come from?
Infest comes from Middle English infesten, from Old French infester, from Latin infesto, derived from the adjective infestus meaning hostile, which traces back through Latin infendo and fendo to Proto-Indo-European roots gʷʰen- and bʰon-.
infest (English): To inhabit a place in unpleasantly large numbers;...
Definitions
- To inhabit a place in unpleasantly large numbers;...
Ancestry of “infest”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | infesten | — |
| 2 | Old French | infester | to infest |
| 3 | Latin | īnfestō | to vex repeatedly, trouble, harass, molest also used of adverse physical effects, circumstances, Fortune |
| 4 | Latin | infestus | unsafe, dangerous; hostile, aggressive;... |
| 5 | Latin | infendo | strike |
| 6 | Latin | fendo | I hit; I thrust |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷʰen- | to strike, slay, kill |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰon- | — |