Where does “mystify” come from?
Mystify comes from French mystifier, formed from Latin -ficare (meaning to make or do) derived from Latin facio (to make or do), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dʰeh₁- (to put or place).
mystify (English): To thoroughly confuse, befuddle, or bewilder
Definitions
- To thoroughly confuse, befuddle, or bewilder
Ancestry of “mystify”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | mystifier | to mystify, fool |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | μυστικός | secret, mystic |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | μύστης | one who has been initiated, initiate |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | μυέω | I initiate |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -έω | Used to form verbs from nouns, adjectives and... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -éyeti | Forms causative imperfective verbs from roots;... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -yeti | Creates transitive imperfective verbs from roots |