English
federalize
Federalize comes from French fédéral, from Latin foedus ‘treaty, compact, alliance, truce, league’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeydʰ- ‘to trust’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeydʰ-‘to trust’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeydʰós‘faithful, trustworthy’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*feiðos‘faithful, reliable’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfoedus‘treaty, compact, alliance, truce, league’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentfédéral
- English1500–presentfederal
- Englishearliest quotation 2025federalize
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeydʰ-‘to trust’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeydʰós‘faithful, trustworthy’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*feiðos‘faithful, reliable’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfoedus‘treaty, compact, alliance, truce, league’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentfédéral
- English1500–presentfederal
- Englishearliest quotation 2025federalize
Earliest quotation: 2025, Anna Mulrine Grobe: “If the president invokes the Insurrection Act [of 1807],…”
A compound of federal + -ize
Proto-Indo-European *bʰeydʰ- ‘to trust’
Proto-Indo-European *bʰeydʰ-os
Proto-Italic *feiðos ‘faithful’
Latin foedus ‘treaty’
French fédéral
English federal
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰeydʰ- ‘to trust’
confidence, confident, abide, affidavit, defiance, fidelity, fiduciary, confidant, bode, confide, foi, infidel, bide, fealty, diffident, perfidy, 26 more
through Proto-Italic *feiðos ‘faithful, reliable’
through Latin foedus ‘treaty, compact, alliance, truce, league’
Today it means
verb To unite into a federation.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰeydʰ- / federalize