Beatify
/biˈæt.ɪ.faɪ/noun
To declare someone blessed, especially in the Roman Catholic Church.
Did you know?Beatify comes through Church Latin from Latin *beatus* “blessed, happy,” ultimately from *beare* “to make happy, bless,” showing how words could function like official acts of spiritual elevation.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʷeh₂-
“to live, be alive”
Latin
Latin
beare
“to make happy, bless”
Latin
Latin
beatus
“blessed, happy, fortunate”
Late Latin
Latin
beatificare
“to make blessed”
Old French
Old French
beatifier
“to declare blessed”
Middle English
English
beatifi(en)
“to declare blessed”
Explore more surprising origins