petrify

The story

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromπέτρα“rock”
2. Latin · derived frompetra“rock”
3. Medieval Latin · derived frompetrificāre
4. Middle French · derived frompétrifier
5. English todaypetrify

From Middle French pétrifier, from Medieval Latin petrificāre, from Latin petra (“rock”), from Ancient Greek πέτρα (pétra, “rock”) + -ficāre, from facere (“do, make”), equivalent to petro- + -ify.

Words from the same roots