English
argufy
Argufy comes from Latin arguō ‘to clarify, to make plain’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEarguō‘to clarify, to make plain’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400arguer
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500arguen
- English1500–presentargue
- Englishearliest quotation 1698argufy
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEarguō‘to clarify, to make plain’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400arguer
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500arguen
- English1500–presentargue
- Englishearliest quotation 1698argufy
Earliest quotation: 1698, Edward Ward, A Trip to Jamaica: “[…] this Lubberly Whelp here says I talk like…”
A compound of argue + -fy
Latin arguō ‘to make clear, prove, accuse’
Old French arguer ‘to argue’
Middle English arguen ‘to argue’
English argue
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂erǵ- ‘white, shining’
through Proto-Italic *argus
argumentative, argumentation, 28 more
through Latin arguō ‘to clarify, to make plain’
through Middle English arguen
through English argue
Today it means
verb To argue without any aim; to dispute; to disagree.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin arguō / argufy