affix

Where does the word "affix" come from? It comes from Latin figere, passing through Latin before entering English (1500s).

Affix’s story begins in Latin: figere meant “to fix, to fasten.” To fix, to fasten, combined with ad- (to). Within Latin, it grew into affigere by ancient. To fasten to, from ad- and figere. It reached English by 1500s as affix. Settled as the English word for attaching something to something else. Today, affix means to attach or fasten something to another thing, or a prefix or suffix added to a word.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient figere "to fix, to fasten", to fix, to fasten, combined with ad- (to).
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient affigere "to fasten to", to fasten to, from ad- and figere.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1500s affix "to attach something to something else", settled as the English word for attaching something to something else.