English
affectation
Affectation comes from Latin affectō ‘to feign’, from afficiō ‘to cause someone to experience something’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁k-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁k-1reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰh₁kyéti1reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*θakjō1reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fakjō1‘to make’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfaciō1‘to make, construct, fashion, frame, build, erect’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEafficiō1‘to cause someone to experience something’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEaffectō1‘to feign’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEaffectātiōnem1
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600affectation1
- Englishearliest quotation 1600affectation1
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, English affectation
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1600, Cynthias Reuels, or The Fountayne of Selfe-Loue. […]: “The grace diuineſt Mercvrie hath done me, / In…”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁k-Wiktionary, English affectationreconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰh₁kyétiWiktionary, English affectationreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*θakjōWiktionary, English affectationreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fakjōWiktionary, English affectation‘to make’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfaciōWiktionary, English affectation‘to make, construct, fashion, frame, build, erect’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEafficiōWiktionary, English affectation‘to cause someone to experience something’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEaffectōWiktionary, English affectation‘to feign’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEaffectātiōnemWiktionary, English affectation
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600affectationWiktionary, English affectation
- Englishearliest quotation 1600affectationWiktionary, English affectation. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1600, Cynthias Reuels, or The Fountayne of Selfe-Loue. […]: “The grace diuineſt Mercvrie hath done me, / In…”
Equivalent to affect + -ation
Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- ‘to put, do’
…
Latin faciō ‘to do, make’
Latin afficiō ‘to cause to experience; to treat’
Latin affectō ‘to strive after, pursue’
Middle English affecten
English affect
Linked words
through Proto-Italic *θakjō
effectively, effectiveness, ineffective, imperfection, putrefaction, 65 more
through Proto-Italic *fakjō ‘to make’
factor, effective, difficulty, interface, manufacture, perfection, faction, facet, imperfect, deface, defector, defection, effector, confectionary, 70 more
through Latin faciō ‘to make, construct, fashion, frame, build, erect’
face, fact, difficult, perfect, profit, facility, feature, effect, faculty, sacrifice, efficient, facial, deficit, affair, facilitate, feat, superficial, efficacy, infection, facade, deficient, counterfeit, fetish, defect, facsimile, infect, hacienda, maleficent, parfait, facies, beautify, efficacious, difficile, beneficent, confit, refectory, confection, 84 more
through Latin afficiō ‘to cause someone to experience something’
Today it means
noun An attempt to assume or exhibit what is not natural or real; false display; artificial show.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “affectation”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁k- / affectation