Etymograph

English

affect

Affect comes from Middle English affecten, from Latin affectō, frequentative of afficiō ‘to act upon, influence’, from ad- + faciō ‘to do’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁-‘to put, do’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁k-reconstructed
  3. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰh₁kyétireconstructed
  4. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fakjō‘to make’reconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfaciōas facere‘to do, make’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEafficiō‘to cause to experience; to treat’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEaffectō‘to strive after, pursue’
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500affecten
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1649affect

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁-‘to put, do’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁k-reconstructed
  3. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰh₁kyétireconstructed
  4. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fakjō‘to make’reconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfaciōas facere‘to do, make’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEafficiō‘to cause to experience; to treat’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEaffectō‘to strive after, pursue’
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500affecten
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1649affect

Earliest quotation: 1649, John Milton, London: […] Matthew Simmons: “men whom they thought best affected to religion and…”

Equivalent to af- + affectus

Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd ‘near, at’

Proto-Italic *ad ‘toward, to, on, up to, for’

Latin ad ‘to, towards’

English af-

Linked words

through Proto-Italic *θakjō

imperfection, putrefaction, 67 more

through Proto-Italic *fakjō ‘to make’

factor, difficulty, interface, effectively, manufacture, faction, effectiveness, perfection, facet, ineffective, imperfect, defection, deface, defector, effector, confectionary, 69 more

through Latin faciō ‘to make, do’

face, fact, difficult, profit, feature, facility, perfect, faculty, sacrifice, efficient, effective, facial, deficit, effect, facilitate, affair, infection, feat, superficial, efficacy, facade, fetish, deficient, counterfeit, facsimile, defect, façade, hacienda, maleficent, infect, beautify, parfait, facies, aficionado, efficacious, confit, difficile, beneficent, confection, refectory, 85 more

Another origin of affect

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁k-reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰh₁kyétireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*θakjōreconstructed
  4. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*fakjō‘to make’reconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfaciō‘to do, make’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEafficiōas afficere, frequentative‘to act upon, influence’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEaffectāre‘to strive after, aim to do, pursue, imitate with dissimulation, feign’
  8. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400affecter‘strive after’
  9. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500affecten
  10. Englishtodayaffect

Another origin of affect

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁k-reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰh₁kyétireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*θakjōreconstructed
  4. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*fakjō‘to make’reconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfaciō‘to do, make’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEafficiōas afficere‘to act upon, influence’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEaffectus‘a state of mind or body produced by some (external) influence, especially sympathy or love’
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500affect
  9. Englishtodaysame form

Today it means

verb To influence or alter.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- / affect

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