mortify

The story

1. Latin · derived frommors“death”
2. Late Latin · derived frommortificō“cause death”
3. Middle French · derived frommortifier
4. Anglo-Norman · derived frommortifier
5. English todaymortify

From Anglo-Norman mortifier, Middle French mortifier, from Late Latin mortificō (“cause death”), from Latin mors (“death”) + -ficō (“-fy”).

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 15th c. To discipline (one's body, appetites etc.) by suppressing desires; to practise abstinence on.
• from 17th c. To injure the dignity of; to embarrass; to humiliate.
• 14th–17th c. To kill.
• 14th–18th c. To reduce the potency of; to nullify; to deaden, neutralize.
• 15th–18th c. To kill off (living tissue etc.); to make necrotic.