Etymograph

English

interfection

Interfection comes from Latin interfectiō ‘killing, murder (act of)’, from interficiō ‘to kill, destroy, assassinate, slay’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁k-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁k-1reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰh₁kyéti1reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*θakjō1reconstructed
  4. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fakjō1‘to make’reconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfaciō2‘do, make’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEinterficiō3‘to kill, destroy, assassinate, slay’
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEinterfectiō4‘killing, murder (act of)’
  8. Englishtodayinterfection4

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin facio
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Latin interficio
  3. 3 Wiktionary, Latin interfectio
  4. 4 Wiktionary, English interfection

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁k-Wiktionary, Latin facioreconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰh₁kyétiWiktionary, Latin facioreconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*θakjōWiktionary, Latin facioreconstructed
  4. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fakjōWiktionary, Latin facio‘to make’reconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfaciōWiktionary, Latin interficio‘do, make’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEinterficiōWiktionary, Latin interfectio‘to kill, destroy, assassinate, slay’
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEinterfectiōWiktionary, English interfection‘killing, murder (act of)’
  8. EnglishtodayinterfectionWiktionary, English interfection

Linked words

through Proto-Italic *θakjō

effectively, effectiveness, ineffective, affectionate, imperfection, putrefaction, 62 more

through Proto-Italic *fakjō ‘to make’

factor, effective, difficulty, manufacture, faction, facet, affection, perfection, imperfect, affective, deface, defector, effector, defection, affectation, confectionary, 68 more

through Latin faciō ‘do, make’

face, fact, difficult, profit, feature, facility, effect, perfect, faculty, affair, efficient, sacrifice, affect, facial, deficit, facilitate, feat, efficacy, infection, facade, superficial, fetish, defect, deficient, facsimile, counterfeit, hacienda, infect, maleficent, facies, efficacious, difficile, beautify, parfait, aficionado, confit, beneficent, refectory, confection, 84 more

Today it means

noun The act of murder or killing.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “interfection”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Latin facio, Latin interficio, Latin interfectio. 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- / interfection

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