Inflection
/ɪnˈflɛk.ʃən/noun
A change in the form of a word to show grammatical features such as tense, number, or case.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Latin *flectere*, “to bend,” the same ancient root behind *flex*, *reflect*, and *deflect*—so grammar was imagined as a kind of bending force.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰleg- / *plek-
“To bend, fold, or twist”
Latin
Latin
flectere
“To bend”
Late Latin
Latin
īnflexiō
“A bending; in grammar, a change in word form”
Old French
Old French
inflexion
“A bending; a grammatical change in form”
Middle English
English
inflexioun
“A bending; variation of a word’s form”
Modern English
English
inflection
“A grammatical change in the form of a word”
Explore more surprising origins