augment

The word 'augment' entered English in the late Middle English period, borrowed from Old French augmenter, which itself derives from Late Latin augmentare, meaning 'to increase'. This Latin verb is a frequentative form of augēre ('to increase'), a root of immense productivity. The core concept of growth and increase associated with augēre can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European root h₂ewg-, which meant 'to increase' or 'to strengthen'. This ancient root is the ultimate source for a diverse family of English words related to growth and authority, including 'author', 'auxiliary', and 'wax' (in the sense 'to grow'). Thus, the modern verb 'augment' carries forward this fundamental idea of making something greater through addition.

Structure: aug (increase) + ment (noun suffix) 'aug' is from Latin augēre, meaning 'to increase'. 'ment' is a Latin suffix (-mentum) used to form nouns indicating an action or resulting state, which in English verbs often denotes the action itself.