strengthen
Meaning
To become stronger or make something stronger.
To make something more effective or more likely to succeed.
Structure
Usage
Regular exercise will strengthen your muscles.
The new evidence strengthened the prosecutor's case.
The company aims to strengthen its position in the Asian market.
Etymology
The word 'strengthen' is a transparent English formation built upon the noun 'strength'. The core noun 'strength' itself originates from the Old English adjective 'strang' (strong), which has Proto-Germanic roots strangaz, likely connected to the idea of being tight or tense. The addition of the '-en' suffix, a productive verb-forming element in English from Old English '-nian', directly converts the state or quality of being strong into the action of making strong. Thus, the word's logic is perfectly clear: it literally means "to make or become characterized by strength."
Analysis
'strength' is from Old English 'strengþu, strengþ', meaning "power, force, bodily power." The '-en' suffix is a Germanic verb-forming suffix meaning "to make or become."