*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of deify

From French déifier, from Latin deificāre, from deus (“god”). By surface analysis, deity + -ify.

1 source sectionExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
verb

To make into a god. · To regard as being like a deity; to treat as worthy of worship; to exalt.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From French déifier, from Latin deificāre, from deus (“god”). By surface analysis, deity + -ify.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Root classification mention*dyew-ine-pro
  • Unspecified derivation mentiondéifierfr
  • Unspecified derivation mentiondeificārela
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*dyew-"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "uder",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fr",
        "3": "déifier"
      },
      "expansion": "French déifier"
    },
    {
      "name": "uder",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "deificāre"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin deificāre"
    },
    {
      "name": "surface analysis",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "deity",
        "3": "-ify"
      },
      "expansion": "By surface analysis, deity + -ify"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "déifier",
      "déifier#French"
    ],
    [
      "deificāre",
      "deificare#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "deus",
      "deus#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "deity",
      "deity#English"
    ],
    [
      "-ify",
      "-ify#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To make into a god.",
        "To regard as being like a deity; to treat as worthy of worship; to exalt."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ],
      "recordId": "3678bea3c289cf7fe1a0bbd8ee24eac9fd35b4c0a1653fe2eb64db62dc548963",
      "rawRecordSha256": "b9a72b3d0d81c18f5a25d4ac546d3214563687ac5fedd62644009b24e5f51148",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 347534
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for deify →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-ZGVpZnk