affection
UK: əˈfekʃn | US: əˈfekʃn
n. a gentle feeling of fondness or liking
n. the action or process of affecting or being affected
n. (archaic) a disease or ailment
affection = af<toward> + fect<make, do> + ion<noun suffix>
- af (variant of "ad," meaning "toward" in Latin)
- fect (from Latin "facere," meaning "to make" or "to do")
- ion (noun-forming suffix indicating action or state)
Etymology Origin:
The word "affection" traces back to Latin affectionem (nominative affectio), derived from afficere ("to influence" or "to act upon"), itself from ad- ("toward") + facere ("to make"). Originally, it referred to the act of influencing or being influenced, later narrowing to emotional influence (fondness) and, in older usage, physical influence (disease). The shift from action to emotion reflects how external actions (like care) internalize as feelings.
She showed great affection for her pet cat.
His affection for classical music grew over time.
The mother’s affection was evident in her warm smile.
In medieval texts, "affection" sometimes referred to bodily ailments.
Their friendship deepened into mutual affection.