Conjugation
/ˌkɒn.dʒəˈɡeɪ.ʃən/noun
The inflection of verbs according to tense, person, number, mood, or voice; also, the act of joining together.
Did you know?It comes from Latin *coniugare*, “to yoke together,” from *iugum* meaning “yoke,” the same ancient root behind words for joining, pairing, and even marital union.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*yugóm
“a yoke; something that binds two things together”
Latin
Latin
iugum
“a yoke, a joining beam”
Latin
Latin
coniugāre
“to yoke together; to join in marriage”
Old French
Old French
conjugacion
“a joining together; grammatical inflection”
Middle English
English
conjugacioun
“a joining together; the inflection of verbs”
Modern English
English
conjugation
“the inflection of verbs; a joining or pairing”