ferment

Where does the word "ferment" come from? It comes from Latin fervere, and was adopted directly into English (1300s).

Ferment’s story begins in Latin: fervere meant “to boil, to seethe.” The root of 'fervent' and 'fervour'. It reached English by 1300s as ferment. Settled as the English word for the chemical breakdown caused by microorganisms. Today, ferment means to undergo a chemical breakdown caused by bacteria, yeast, or other microorganisms.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient fervere "to boil, to seethe", the root of 'fervent' and 'fervour'.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1300s ferment "to undergo chemical breakdown caused by bacteria or yeast", settled as the English word for the chemical breakdown caused by microorganisms.