Where does “pétrification” come from?
pétrification (French) comes from French pétrifier, from French -ifier, from Latin -ficō, from Latin -ficus, from Proto-Italic -fakos — -making, -producing.
pétrification (French): petrification, petrifaction
Definitions
- petrification, petrifaction
Ancestry of “pétrification”, step by step
pétrification traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via French pétrifier
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | pétrifier | to petrify; to petrify, to paralyze |
| 2 | French | -ifier | -ify |
| 3 | Latin | -ficō | forms factitive, causative, or other verbs from the roots of nouns and adjectives; -ify |
| 4 | Latin | -ficus | Forms adjectives that denote bringing or making |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | -fakos | -making, -producing |
via Middle French pétrifier
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | pétrifier | — |
| 2 | Medieval Latin | petrificāre | — |
| 3 | Latin | petra | stone, rock |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | πέτρα | rock formation: cliff, ledge, cave, ridge; stone |