English
vivify
Vivify comes from Old French vivifier ‘to vivify’, from Latin vīvus ‘alive, living’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷeyh₃- ‘to live’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷeyh₃-‘to live’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷih₃wós‘alive, living’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*gʷīwos‘alive, living’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvīvus‘alive, living’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEvivificō‘to vivify’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400vivifier‘to vivify’
- Englishearliest quotation 1852vivify
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷeyh₃-‘to live’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷih₃wós‘alive, living’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*gʷīwos‘alive, living’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvīvus‘alive, living’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEvivificō‘to vivify’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400vivifier‘to vivify’
- Englishearliest quotation 1852vivify
Earliest quotation: 1852, Herman Melville: “She seemed molded from fire and air, and vivified…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *gʷeyh₃- ‘to live’
biology, kidney, hygiene, vitamin, viable, zodiac, vitality, revive, anaerobic, quicken, quicksilver, quickness, biogenesis, wyvern, 56 more
through Proto-Indo-European *gʷih₃wós ‘alive, living’
quick, couch, vital, vivid, vivacious, convivial, vivacity, 32 more
through Latin vīvus ‘alive, living’
Today it means
verb To bring to life; to enliven.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gʷeyh₃- / vivify