Sicken
/ˈsɪkən/noun
To cause someone to become ill, nauseated, or deeply disgusted.
Did you know?The suffix “-en” is an old Germanic causative or inchoative ending, turning an adjective into a verb meaning “to become” or “to make become.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
Proto-Germanic
*seukaz
“Sick, ill; the reconstructed Germanic ancestor of the word family.”
Old English
Old English
sēoc
“Sick, diseased, physically unwell.”
Middle English
Middle English
sik
“Ill or diseased; the spelling and vowel gradually moved toward modern “sick.””
14th Century
English
siken
“To make sick or become sick, formed from “sik” with the causative or inchoative suffix “-en.””
Modern English
English
sicken
“To cause illness, nausea, or intense disgust.”