Lapidification
/ˌlæpɪdɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/noun
The process of turning into stone or becoming stony.
Did you know?Lapidification is built from Latin lapis, “stone,” the same root behind words for stonework and, indirectly, the idea of something being made hard, fixed, and unyielding.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂lep-
“A proposed ancient root associated with stone or rock, reflected in Latin lapis.”
Latin
Latin
lapis
“Stone, rock, or a stone used as a monument or boundary marker.”
Latin
Latin
-ficare
“To make or cause to become.”
Late Latin
Latin
lapidificare
“To turn into stone; to petrify.”
Middle French
French
lapidification
“The act or process of hardening into stone.”
Modern English
English
lapidification
“The process of becoming stone or stone-like.”
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