Etymograph

English

infect

Infect comes from Latin infectus, from inficiō ‘dye, taint’, and ultimately from 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 perform, do’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinficiō‘dye, taint’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinfectusperfect passive participle of inficiō
  8. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600infect
  9. Englishearliest quotation c. 1602same form

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 perform, do’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinficiō‘dye, taint’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinfectusperfect passive participle of inficiō
  8. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600infect
  9. Englishearliest quotation c. 1602same form

Earliest quotation: c. 1602, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida: “And in the imitation of these twain, / Who,…”

Linked words

through Proto-Italic *θakjō

affectionate, imperfection, putrefaction, 64 more

through Proto-Italic *fakjō ‘to make’

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

through Latin faciō ‘to perform, do’

face, fact, difficult, profit, feature, facility, perfect, efficient, effective, faculty, affair, effect, sacrifice, facial, deficit, facilitate, affect, feat, efficacy, superficial, facade, fetish, deficient, counterfeit, facsimile, defect, façade, hacienda, maleficent, aficionado, efficacious, beautify, parfait, facies, difficile, beneficent, confit, confection, refectory, 86 more

Today it means

verb To bring (the body or part of it) into contact with a substance that causes illness (a pathogen), so that the pathogen begins to act on the body; (of a pathogen) to come into contact with (a body or body part) and begin to act on it.

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

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

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