English
classify
Classify comes from French classifier ‘to classify’, from Latin classis ‘any one of the five divisions into which…’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kelh₁- ‘to call, shout’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kelh₁-‘to call, shout’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*klh₁-d⁽ʰ⁾-ti-‘a call’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*klāssisreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEclassis‘any one of the five divisions into which Servius Tullius divided the Roman citizenry’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentclasse‘class, type, group’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentclassifier‘to classify’
- Englishtodayclassify
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kelh₁-‘to call, shout’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*klh₁-d⁽ʰ⁾-ti-‘a call’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*klāssisreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEclassis‘any one of the five divisions into which Servius Tullius divided the Roman citizenry’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentclasse‘class, type, group’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentclassifier‘to classify’
- Englishtodayclassify
Equivalent to class + -ify
Proto-Indo-European *kelh₁- ‘to call’
Latin classis ‘a class or division of the people’
Middle French classe
English class
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *kelh₁- ‘to call, shout’
low, hell, clear, claim, calendar, haul, reconciliation, declare, claire, clarity, reconcile, proclamation, clarification, reclamation, squeal, exclamation, clarinet, irreconcilable, clarion, claret, clamour, clamor, conciliar, ecclesiastic, ecclesial, 38 more
Today it means
verb to identify by or divide into classes; to categorize
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *kelh₁- / classify