Etymograph

English

difficult

Difficult comes from Middle English difficult, back-formed from difficulte, perhaps via Old French from Latin difficultās, from difficilis ‘hard to do’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁k-1reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰh₁kyéti1reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fakjō1‘to make’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfaciō1‘to do’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfacilis1‘easy’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdifficilis2‘hard to do, difficult’
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdifficul3
  8. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdifficultās4‘difficulty’uncertain
  9. Old Frenchc. 842–1400difficulté5uncertain
  10. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500difficulte6‘difficulty’
  11. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500difficult3‘difficult’
  12. Englishearliest quotation 1749difficult3

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin difficilis
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Latin difficultas
  3. 3 Wiktionary, English difficult
  4. 4 Wiktionary, Middle English difficulte
  5. 5 Wiktionary, Middle French difficulté
  6. 6 Wiktionary, Middle English difficult
  7. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones: “I hope, madam,” said Jones, “my charming Lady Bellaston…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁k-Wiktionary, Latin difficilisreconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰh₁kyétiWiktionary, Latin difficilisreconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fakjōWiktionary, Latin difficilis‘to make’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfaciōWiktionary, Latin difficilis‘to do’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfacilisWiktionary, Latin difficilis‘easy’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdifficilisWiktionary, Latin difficultas‘hard to do, difficult’
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdifficulWiktionary, English difficult
  8. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdifficultāsWiktionary, Middle English difficulte‘difficulty’uncertain
  9. Old Frenchc. 842–1400difficultéWiktionary, Middle French difficultéuncertain
  10. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500difficulteWiktionary, Middle English difficult‘difficulty’
  11. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500difficultWiktionary, English difficult‘difficult’
  12. Englishearliest quotation 1749difficultWiktionary, English difficult. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones: “I hope, madam,” said Jones, “my charming Lady Bellaston…”

The story

Replaced native Middle English earveþ (‘difficult, hard’), from Old English earfoþe (‘difficult, laborious, full of hardship’), cognate to German Arbeit (‘work’).

Full etymology on Wiktionary

Linked words

through Proto-Italic *θakjō

effectively, effectiveness, ineffective, affectionate, imperfection, putrefaction, 64 more

through Proto-Italic *fakjō ‘to make’

effective, factor, interface, perfection, manufacture, faction, affection, imperfect, facet, defection, affective, defector, effector, deface, confectionary, affectation, 70 more

through Latin faciō ‘to make, construct, fashion, frame, build, erect’

face, fact, perfect, effect, feature, profit, affect, infection, affair, facial, feat, efficient, sacrifice, deficit, defect, fetish, facade, counterfeit, infect, superficial, efficacy, deficient, facsimile, hacienda, confection, parfait, maleficent, facies, beautify, refectory, aficionado, efficacious, confit, beneficent, 86 more

through Latin facilis ‘easy’

facility, facilitate, faculty, facile, 3 more

Today it means

adj Hard, not easy, requiring much effort.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “difficult”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Latin difficilis, Latin difficultas, Middle English difficulte, Middle French difficulté, Middle English difficult. 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- / difficult

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