the word transfuse is a direct borrowing from latin transfundere, which is a compound of trans- (across) and fundere (to pour). the literal sense of "pouring across" was used in classical latin for transferring liquids from one vessel to another. this concrete meaning was adopted into medieval latin and later english medical terminology to specifically describe the transfer of blood. the semantic evolution is straightforward, moving from the general physical action of pouring a liquid across a space to the precise medical procedure of transferring blood or other fluids into a person's veins, and later metaphorically to the transfer of qualities or ideas.

Structure: trans (across) + fuse (pour) trans is a latin prefix meaning "across, through, beyond." fuse is from the latin root fundere, meaning "to pour, melt, cast."