Fertilize
/ˈfɜːr.tə.laɪz/noun
To make soil or land more productive, or to cause an egg or seed to develop.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Latin *fertilis*, meaning “fruitful” or “productive,” from the same Indo-European root behind *bear* and *birth*—so fertilize is literally about making life *carry* life.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bher-
“to carry, bear, bring”
Latin
Latin
ferre
“to bear, carry, bring forth”
Latin
Latin
fertilis
“fruitful, productive”
Late Latin
Latin
fertilizare
“to make fruitful”
Late Middle English
English
fertilisen
“to make fertile or fruitful”
Modern English
English
fertilize
“to make soil, land, or living cells more productive or capable of development”