Deafen
/ˈdɛfən/noun
To make someone unable to hear, or to become unable to hear.
Did you know?Deafen is an old English formation from deaf, and its history shows how language can turn a bodily state into an action: not just being unable to hear, but being made that way.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dheubh-
“to be confused, bewildered, or lacking clear perception”
Old English
OE
dēaf
“deaf; unable to hear”
Old English
OE
dēafian
“to make deaf; to become deaf”
Middle English
ME
defen / deafen
“to make deaf; to stun by noise”
Modern English
English
deafen
“to cause deafness or make temporarily unable to hear”