English
harmonize
Harmonize comes from French harmoniser ‘to harmonize’, from Ancient Greek ἁρμονία ‘a fitting together, joint’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂er-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂er-‘to join, fit, fix together’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCE*ἁρμωνreconstructed
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἁρμονία‘a fitting together, joint’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEharmonia‘harmony, concordance of sounds’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentharmonie‘harmony’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentharmoniser‘to harmonize’
- Englishearliest quotation 1911harmonize
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂er-‘to join, fit, fix together’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCE*ἁρμωνreconstructed
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἁρμονία‘a fitting together, joint’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEharmonia‘harmony, concordance of sounds’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentharmonie‘harmony’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentharmoniser‘to harmonize’
- Englishearliest quotation 1911harmonize
Earliest quotation: 1911, James George Frazer, The Golden Bough: “This explanation of the clan totem harmonizes with the…”
Equivalent to harmony + -ize
Proto-Indo-European *h₂er- ‘to join, fit, fix together’
…
Ancient Greek ἁρμονία ‘joint, union, agreement, concord of sounds’
Latin harmonia ‘harmony, concordance of sounds’
Old French harmonie
Middle English armonye
English harmony
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂er- ‘to join, fit, fix together’
order, ready, rate, reason, art, article, army, artist, ratio, ordinary, arm, alarm, coordinate, coordination, arthritis, subordinate, articulate, armor, anarchy, ornament, ordination, arithmetic, ornate, inertia, aristocratic, inert, artisan, adorn, ordinate, articulation, ordinator, armament, ordinal, rta, rime, ordain, philharmonic, artifice, armadillo, ordo, 80 more
Today it means
verb To be in harmonious agreement.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂er- / harmonize