Etymology Map
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Galvanize

3 stages from Italian to English.

Today it means to shock or excite into action; to coat iron with zinc

Where does the word "galvanize" come from? It comes from Italian Galvani, passing through French before entering English (1800s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
Galvani
Italian · 1791
"a family name"
Luigi Galvani of Bologna reported in 1791 that dissected frogs' legs twitched when touched with two different metals, which he took for 'animal electricity'
2
Stage 2 of 3
galvaniser
French · 1837
"to zinc-coat"
the Paris engineer Stanislas Sorel patented coating iron with zinc in 1837, 'galvanising' it against rust
3
Stage 3 of 3
galvanize
English · 1800s
"to shock into action"
in 1803 Galvani's nephew Giovanni Aldini made the corpse of executed murderer George Forster twitch in London; hence 'galvanise' as 'to jolt into action'
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Galvanize’s story begins in Italian: Galvani meant “a family name.” Luigi Galvani of Bologna reported in 1791 that dissected frogs' legs twitched when touched with two different metals, which he took for 'animal electricity'. By 1837, the word had taken hold in French as galvaniser. The Paris engineer Stanislas Sorel patented coating iron with zinc in 1837, 'galvanising' it against rust. It reached English by 1800s as galvanize. In 1803 Galvani's nephew Giovanni Aldini made the corpse of executed murderer George Forster twitch in London; hence 'galvanise' as 'to jolt into action'. Today, galvanize means to shock or excite into action; to coat iron with zinc.