diffuse

Where does the word "diffuse" come from? It comes from Latin fundere, passing through Latin before entering English (1400s).

Diffuse’s story begins in Latin: fundere meant “to pour.” To pour, combined with dis- (apart). Within Latin, it grew into diffundere by ancient. To pour in different directions, to spread out, from dis- and fundere, with irregular past participle diffusus. It reached English by 1400s as diffuse. Settled as the English word for spreading something over a wide area. Today, diffuse means to spread out over a wide area, becoming less concentrated.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient fundere "to pour", to pour, combined with dis- (apart).
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient diffundere "to pour in different directions, to spread out", to pour in different directions, to spread out, from dis- and fundere, with irregular past participle diffusus.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1400s diffuse "to spread something over a wide area", settled as the English word for spreading something over a wide area.