inflect
|in-flect|
C1
/ɪnˈflɛkt/
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Etymology
Etymology Information
'inflect' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'inflectere,' where 'in-' meant 'into' and 'flectere' meant 'to bend.'
Historical Evolution
'inflectere' transformed into the Old French word 'inflecter,' and eventually became the modern English word 'inflect' through Middle English.
Meaning Changes
Initially, it meant 'to bend or curve,' but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'to change the form of a word or vary the pitch of the voice.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
to change the form of a word to express a different grammatical function or attribute, such as tense, mood, voice, aspect, person, number, gender, or case.
In English, verbs are inflected to indicate tense.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/05/25 00:27