inflect

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

Inflect’s story begins in Latin: flectere meant “to bend.” To bend, combined with in- (into). Within Latin, it grew into inflectere by ancient. To bend in, to modulate, from in- and flectere. It reached English by 1500s as inflect. Settled as the English word for changing the pitch of one's voice, or a word's form. Today, inflect means to change the tone or pitch of one's voice, or to change the form of a word grammatically.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient flectere "to bend", to bend, combined with in- (into).
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient inflectere "to bend in, to modulate", to bend in, to modulate, from in- and flectere.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1500s inflect "to change the pitch of one's voice, or a word's grammatical form", settled as the English word for changing the pitch of one's voice, or a word's form.