English
factor
Factor comes from Middle English factour, from Anglo-Norman factour and Latin factor ‘doer, maker’, from faciō ‘to do, make’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁k-reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰh₁kyétireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fakjō‘to make’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfaciō‘to do, make’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfactor‘doer, maker’perfect passive participle of faciō
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400factour
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1589–1590factor
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*fakjō‘to make’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfaciō‘to do, make’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfactor‘doer, maker’perfect passive participle of faciō
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400factour
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1589–1590factor
Earliest quotation: c. 1589–1590, Christopher Marlowe, The Famous Tragedy of the Rich Iew of Malta. […]: “My factor sends me word, a merchant's fled /…”
Linked words
through Proto-Italic *θakjō
effectively, effectiveness, ineffective, affectionate, imperfection, 63 more
through Proto-Italic *fakjō ‘to make’
effective, difficulty, perfection, interface, affection, imperfect, affective, defection, facet, affectation, confectionary, defector, effector, deface, putrefaction, 68 more
through Latin faciō ‘do, make’
difficult, perfect, face, feature, effect, profit, efficient, affect, facility, infection, sacrifice, affair, deficit, feat, faculty, facilitate, facial, fetish, superficial, manufacture, efficacy, defect, counterfeit, deficient, faction, infect, facade, maleficent, façade, facsimile, hacienda, aficionado, beautify, difficile, efficacious, confection, confit, parfait, beneficent, facies, 85 more
Today it means
noun A doer, maker; a person who does things for another person or organization.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁k- / factor