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Origin and history of *aug-

*aug-(1)

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to increase." It might form all or part of: auction; augment; augmentative; augur; August; august; Augustus; author; authoritarian; authorize; auxiliary; auxin; eke (v.); inaugurate; nickname; waist; wax (v.1) "grow bigger or greater."

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit ojas- "strength," vaksayati "cause to grow;" Lithuanian augu, augti "to grow," aukštas "high, of superior rank;" Greek auxo "increase," auxein "to increase;" Gothic aukan "to grow, increase;" Latin augmentum "an increase, growth," augere "to increase, make big, enlarge, enrich;" Old English eacien "to increase," German wachsen, Gothic wahsjan "to grow, increase."

Entries linking to *aug-

auction(n.)

"public sale in which each bidder offers more than the previous bid," 1590s, from Latin auctionem (nominative auctio) "a sale by increasing bids, public sale," noun of action from past-participle stem of augere "to increase" (from PIE root *aug- (1) "to increase"). In northern England and Scotland, called a roup. In the U.S., something is sold at auction; in England, by auction.

augment(v.)

late 14c., "become more severe;" c. 1400, "to make larger; become larger," from Old French augmenter "increase, enhance" (14c.), from Late Latin augmentare "to increase," from Latin augmentum "an increase, growth," from augere "to increase, make big, enlarge, enrich" (from PIE root *aug- (1) "to increase"). Related: Augmented; augmenting. As a noun from early 15c.

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augmentative
"having power or quality of augmenting," c. 1500, from Old French augmentatif (14c.), from Late Latin augmentat-, stem of augmentare "to increase" (see augment). In grammar, "expressing augmentation or increase in the force of the idea conveyed," from 1640s. It is applied both to
augur
"ancient Romans functionary whose duty was to observe and interpret auspices, or reputed natural signs concerning future events," 1540s, from Latin augur, a religious official in ancient Rome, perhaps (de Vaan) originally meaning "an increase in crops enacted in ritual," in which
august
"inspiring reverence and admiration, solemnly grand," 1660s, from Latin augustus "venerable, majestic, magnificent, noble," perhaps originally "consecrated by the augurs, with favorable auguries" (see augur (n.)); or else [de Vaan] "that which is increased" (see augment)....eight
Bartholomew
One of the twelve Apostles, his festival is Aug. 24....
electrocute
The method first was used Aug. 6, 1890, in New York state, on William Kemmler, convicted of the murder of his common-law...
filbert
Frankish abbot, so called because the hazel nuts ripen near his feast day, Aug. 22 (Old Style)....
flivver
[Boston Globe, Feb. 20, 1910] A character in a comical column from The Philadelphia Inquirer of Aug. 16, 1909, says it is...
fact
1530s, "action, a thing performed, anything done, a deed," good or evil but in 16c.-17c. commonly "evil deed, crime;" from Latin factum "an event, occurrence, deed, achievement," in Medieval Latin also "state, condition, circumstance" (source also of Old French fait, Spanish hech
communion
late 14c., communioun, "participation in something; that which is common to all; union in religious worship, doctrine, or discipline," from Old French comunion "community, communion" (12c.), from Latin communionem (nominative communio) "fellowship, mutual participation, a sharing
keel
"lowest and principal timber of a ship or boat," mid-14c., probably from a Scandinavian source (compare Old Norse kjölr "keel," Danish kjøl, Swedish köl), which according to Watkins is from Proto-Germanic *gwele- (3) "to swallow" (see gullet). OED and Middle English Compendium sa

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