crystallize

The story

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromκρύσταλλος
2. Latin · derived fromcrystallus
3. English todaycrystallize

From crystal + -ize. The double l reflects the classical stem found in its etyma, Latin crystallus and Ancient Greek κρύσταλλος (krústallos), rather than the simplified spelling of the English base noun. Compare Hellenistic Greek κρυσταλλίζειν (krustallízein, “to shine like crystal”), post‐classical Latin crystallizare (“to change into crystal”), and French cristalliser.

Words from the same roots