Etymograph

English

mechanicalize

Mechanicalize comes from Latin mēchanicus ‘mechanic’, and goes back to Ancient Greek μηχανή ‘contrivance, machine, device, gear’.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμηχανή1mēkhanḗ‘contrivance, machine, device, gear’
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμηχανικός1mēkhanikós‘of or pertaining to machines, mechanical’
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmēchanicus1‘mechanic’
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400mecanique1
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500mechanic1
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500mechanical1
  7. English1500–presentmechanical1
  8. Englishtodaymechanicalize1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English mechanicalize

Earlier history uncertain. See Wiktionary.

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμηχανήWiktionary, English mechanicalizemēkhanḗ‘contrivance, machine, device, gear’
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμηχανικόςWiktionary, English mechanicalizemēkhanikós‘of or pertaining to machines, mechanical’
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmēchanicusWiktionary, English mechanicalize‘mechanic’
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400mecaniqueWiktionary, English mechanicalize
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500mechanicWiktionary, English mechanicalize
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500mechanicalWiktionary, English mechanicalize
  7. English1500–presentmechanicalWiktionary, English mechanicalize
  8. EnglishtodaymechanicalizeWiktionary, English mechanicalize

A compound of mechanical + -ize

Ancient Greek μηχανή ‘contrivance, machine, device, gear’

…

Latin mēchanicus ‘mechanic’

Old French mecanique

Middle English mechanic

Middle English mechanical

English mechanical

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *megʰ- ‘to be able’

may, might, main, yay, magician, dismay, mower, mage, magus, yayo, 79 more

through Ancient Greek μηχανή ‘contrivance, machine, device, gear’

machinist, 57 more

through Latin mēchanicus ‘mechanic’

biomechanics, 57 more

through English mechanical

biomechanical, 34 more

Today it means

verb To make mechanical; to mechanize.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “mechanicalize”. 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 / Ancient Greek μηχανή / mechanicalize