Translation
to infect, to contaminate
Word origin
From Latin inficere ('to dip into, to stain, to taint'), through its past participle infectus. Inficere is in- ('into') plus facere ('to make, to do'), so the original image is dyeing rather than disease.
- Origin
- Latin
- Root
- inficere
- English cognates
- infect, infection, disinfect
Examples
.
The water of the river infected many people.
, .
He infected his sister, because he did not stay at home.
, .
The doctor explained how one infects other people.
One Esperanto verb covers ground English splits in two: is used of people catching things from each other and of water, food or a wound being contaminated, where English switches to "contaminate". is perfectly ordinary.
Now the seam that is not there, because learners always ask. Infekt- is a single root. It is not in- plus a root fekt-, and it has nothing whatever to do with feki, which is the blunt verb for going to the lavatory. The similarity is an accident of spelling and stops there. The Latin behind is facere, "to make", the same verb that gave Esperanto fari; the Latin behind is faex, dregs. Two different words that happen to start with the same three letters.
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infekti: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Esperanto word "infekti" (to infect, to contaminate): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 36.