Etymograph

English

efficacious

Efficacious comes from Latin efficiō ‘to make out, work out’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁k-.

  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 make, construct, fashion, frame, build, erect’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEefficiō‘to make out, work out’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEefficāx
  8. Old Frenchc. 842–1400efficacieux
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1669efficacious

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  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 make, construct, fashion, frame, build, erect’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEefficiō‘to make out, work out’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEefficāx
  8. Old Frenchc. 842–1400efficacieux
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1669efficacious

Earliest quotation: 1669, London: Printed by T. N. for John Martyn […]: “For, that the ordure, which continually gathers on the…”

Formed from -acious

Linked words

through Proto-Italic *θakjō

affectionate, imperfection, putrefaction, 64 more

through Proto-Italic *fakjō ‘to make’

factor, effectively, interface, difficulty, perfection, manufacture, effectiveness, affection, faction, imperfect, ineffective, facet, affective, defection, defector, confectionary, affectation, deface, 67 more

through Latin faciō ‘to make, construct, fashion, frame, build, erect’

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

through Latin efficiō ‘to make out, work out’

effect, efficient, 19 more

Today it means

adj Effective; possessing efficacy.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁k- / efficacious

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