Where does “strengthen” come from?
Strengthen derives from Middle English strengthenen, formed by combining Middle English strengthen with the Middle English verbal suffix -en, which developed from Old English -en, ultimately tracing to Proto-Germanic jainaz and Proto-Indo-European roots.
strengthen (English): To make strong or stronger; to add strength to;...
Definitions
- To make strong or stronger; to add strength to;...
Ancestry of “strengthen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | strengthenen | — |
| 2 | Middle English | strengthen | to strengthen, fortify; to empower, to augment;... |
| 3 | Middle English | -en | Denotes the past participle form when attached to... |
| 4 | Old English | -en | mæġþ + API → mæġden; cocc + API → cycen, cicen;... |
| 5 | Old Norse | -inn | Used to create adjectives from nouns, meaning... |
| 6 | Proto-Norse | -īna- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | -īnaz | -en |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHnos | Creates adjectives of materials |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -no- | adjectival suffix |