stratify
Meaning
to arrange or form into different layers or strata.
to divide people or things into different groups or levels, especially according to social status, income, or education.
Structure
Usage
over centuries, sediments carried by the river slowly stratify to form distinct rock layers.
sociologists study how economic systems can stratify society into different classes.
the data was stratified by age and gender before analysis to ensure accurate comparisons.
Etymology
the word 'stratify' originates from the modern latin term 'stratificare', which itself is built upon the latin noun 'stratum', meaning a layer or a covering. this noun derives from the verb 'sternere', to spread out or lay down, a concept with deep roots in proto-indo-European as sterh₃-, meaning to stretch or extend. the suffix '-ify', entering english via old french, provides the sense of 'to make'. thus, the literal construction 'to make into layers' perfectly captures the modern meanings, whether describing geological sedimentation or the sociological division of a population into hierarchical groups.
Analysis
strat (from latin 'stratum', meaning a layer or something spread out); ify (a verb-forming suffix from latin '-ificare', via old french '-ifier', meaning to make or cause to become).