English
enforce
Enforce comes from Old French enforcier ‘to fortify’, from Late Latin fortis ‘strong’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerǵʰ- ‘to rise, high, hill’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰerǵʰ-‘to rise, high, hill’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*forktis‘strong, powerful’reconstructed
- Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEforctis
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEfortis‘strong’
- Late Latin, derivedc. 200–600 CEinfortiāre
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400enforcier‘to fortify’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500enforcen
- Englishearliest quotation 1470–1485enforce
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰerǵʰ-‘to rise, high, hill’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*forktis‘strong, powerful’reconstructed
- Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEforctis
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEfortis‘strong’
- Late Latin, derivedc. 200–600 CEinfortiāre
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400enforcier‘to fortify’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500enforcen
- Englishearliest quotation 1470–1485enforce
Earliest quotation: 1470–1485, (please specify the chapter): “I pray you enforce youreselff at that justis that…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰerǵʰ- ‘to rise, high, hill’
berry, borough, burgess, bourgeois, barrow, burglar, brie, burgh, brahmin, burg, brahmana, bergh, bourguignon, broch, borgo, 14 more
through Proto-Italic *forktis ‘strong, powerful’
through Old Latin forctis
fortress, fortitude, forte, fortification, fortify, fortis, 8 more
through Late Latin fortis ‘strong’
Today it means
verb To keep up, impose or bring into effect something, not necessarily by force.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰerǵʰ- / enforce