Domesticate
/dəˈmɛstɪkeɪt/noun
To adapt an animal or plant to live with or be useful to humans, or to make something less wild and more controlled.
Did you know?Its deepest root is tied to the Proto-Indo-European idea of a “house” or “building,” showing how language often turns control into a home.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dem-
“to build, house, or construct”
Latin
Latin
domus
“house, home”
Late Latin
Latin
domesticare
“to tame, make fit for the house”
Middle French
Old French
domestiquer
“to tame, civilize”
16th Century
English
domesticate
“to tame or bring under human control”
Modern English
English
domesticate
“to adapt an organism or habit to human life or control”