Saccharify
/ˈsækərɪfaɪ/noun
To convert a substance into sugar or a sugar-containing product.
Did you know?The root behind saccharify traveled from South Asian sugar terminology through Greek and Latin before becoming a technical English verb.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
śarkarā
“Sugar or crystalline gravel; the source of the international sugar word-family.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
sákkharon
“Sugar, borrowed into Greek through long-distance trade.”
Late Antiquity
Latin
saccharum
“Sugar; the Latinized form that carried the term into European scholarly vocabulary.”
17th–18th Century
French
saccharifier
“To convert into sugar, formed from sacchar- “sugar” plus -ifier “to make.””
19th Century
English
saccharify
“To convert starch or another substance into sugar, especially in chemistry and brewing.”
Modern English
English
saccharify
“To transform a material into sugar or a sugar-containing product.”
Explore more surprising origins