affect

Where does the word "affect" come from? It comes from Latin afficere, and was adopted directly into English (1400s).

Affect’s story begins in Latin: afficere meant “to do something to, to influence.” To do something to, to influence, from ad- (to) and facere (to do, make). It reached English by 1400s as affect. First recorded before 1425 in an English translation of the French surgeon Guy de Chauliac's Latin surgical manual. Today, affect means to have an influence on or produce a change in someone or something.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient afficere "to do something to, to influence", to do something to, to influence, from ad- (to) and facere (to do, make).
2. Stage 2 · English · 1400s affect "to have an influence on someone or something", first recorded before 1425 in an English translation of the French surgeon Guy de Chauliac's Latin surgical manual.