English
agonize
Agonize comes from French agoniser ‘to be dying (slowly)’, from Ancient Greek ἀγωνίζομαι ‘to fight, contend’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ- ‘to drive’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eǵ-‘to drive’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂éǵeti‘to be driving’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*ágō‘to lead, to guide’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEᾰ̓́γωắgō‘to lead’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀγών‘a contest, competition’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀγωνίζομαιagōnízomai‘to fight, contend’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEagonizare
- Frenchc. 1600–presentagoniser‘to be dying (slowly)’
- Englishearliest quotation 1733agonize
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eǵ-‘to drive’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂éǵeti‘to be driving’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*ágō‘to lead, to guide’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEᾰ̓́γωắgō‘to lead’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀγών‘a contest, competition’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀγωνίζομαιagōnízomai‘to fight, contend’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEagonizare
- Frenchc. 1600–presentagoniser‘to be dying (slowly)’
- Englishearliest quotation 1733agonize
Earliest quotation: 1733, Alexander Pope, An Essay on Man. […]: “His Touch, if tremblingly alive all o’er, / To…”
Equivalent to agon + -ize
Proto-Indo-European *h₂ger- ‘to gather’
Proto-Hellenic *agéřřō ‘to collect, to gather’
Ancient Greek ἀγείρω ‘to collect, gather’
Ancient Greek ἀγών ‘contest’
Latin agōn ‘a contest’
English agon
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ- ‘to drive’
suggest, register, reaction, actively, essay, transaction, acre, gesture, radioactive, digest, inactive, congestion, belligerent, agrarian, retroactive, unambiguous, hyperactivity, progesterone, ingest, gestation, reagent, agitate, ambiguously, samaj, agger, gerund, gestion, 132 more
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti ‘to be driving’
act, action, active, activity, actual, agency, actor, agent, agenda, activate, ambiguous, squat, ambiguity, assay, agile, agility, agitation, radium, actuator, cogent, axiomatic, actuation, inexact, exigent, actuate, 114 more
through Proto-Hellenic *ágō ‘to lead, to guide’
strategy, axiom, stratagem, glucagon, 25 more
through Ancient Greek ἀγών ‘a contest, competition’
through Ancient Greek ἀγωνίζομαι ‘to fight, contend’
Today it means
verb To writhe with agony; to suffer violent anguish.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ- / agonize