'adjugate' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'adjugare,' where 'ad-' meant 'toward' and 'jugare' meant 'to join.'

'adjugare' transformed into the English word 'adjugate' through the influence of mathematical terminology.

Initially, it meant 'to join or connect,' but over time it evolved into its current mathematical meaning of 'transposing the cofactor matrix.'