English
difficulty
Difficulty comes from Latin difficultas ‘difficulty, distress, trouble, hardship’, from facilis ‘easy’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁k-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁k-reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰh₁kyétireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*θakjōreconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*fakjō‘to make’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfaciō‘to make, construct, fashion, frame, build, erect’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfacilis‘easy’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdifficilis‘difficult, troublesome’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdifficultas‘difficulty, distress, trouble, hardship’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600difficulte
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘Objection, obstruction’
- Englishearliest quotation 1860difficulty
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁k-reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰh₁kyétireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*θakjōreconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*fakjō‘to make’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfaciō‘to make, construct, fashion, frame, build, erect’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfacilis‘easy’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdifficilis‘difficult, troublesome’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdifficultas‘difficulty, distress, trouble, hardship’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600difficulte
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘Objection, obstruction’
- Englishearliest quotation 1860difficulty
Earliest quotation: 1860, Photographic news for amateur photograph: “The difficulties of photoheliography consist principally in the rapidity…”
The story
Also analysable as difficult + -y, though the adjective is historically a backformation from the noun.
Linked words
through Proto-Italic *θakjō
effectively, effectiveness, ineffective, affectionate, imperfection, putrefaction, 65 more
through Proto-Italic *fakjō ‘to make’
effective, factor, interface, perfection, manufacture, faction, affection, imperfect, facet, defection, affective, defector, effector, deface, confectionary, affectation, 71 more
through Latin faciō ‘to make, construct, fashion, frame, build, erect’
face, fact, perfect, effect, feature, profit, affect, infection, affair, facial, efficient, feat, sacrifice, deficit, defect, fetish, facade, counterfeit, infect, superficial, efficacy, deficient, facsimile, façade, hacienda, maleficent, confection, parfait, facies, beautify, aficionado, refectory, efficacious, confit, beneficent, 87 more
through Latin facilis ‘easy’
Today it means
noun The state of being difficult, or hard to do.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁k- / difficulty