petrify

the word 'petrify' has a literal geological origin, directly meaning 'to turn into stone'. it entered english in the late 16th century from the french 'pétrifier', which itself derives from latin 'petra' (stone, rock), a borrowing from greek. the greek 'petra' is of uncertain deeper origin, though it may be pre-greek. the figurative sense of 'to paralyze with fear or astonishment' emerged shortly after, drawing a vivid analogy between the immobility of stone and a state of frozen terror. thus, the modern abstract meaning retains the powerful logic of its stony root: to be petrified is to be made as still and hard as rock.

Structure: petr (rock/stone) + ify (verb suffix: to make) petr: from greek 'petra' (rock, stone). serves as the root conveying the core meaning of stone. ify: from latin '-ificare', a verb-forming suffix meaning 'to make' or 'to cause to become'.