'ammonification' originates from the Latin word 'ammoniāre,' where 'ammon-' referred to 'ammonia' and '-fication' meant 'the process of making or becoming.'

'ammoniāre' transformed into the French word 'ammonification,' and eventually became the modern English word 'ammonification.'

Initially, it meant 'the process of making ammonia,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.