fixed
/fɪkst/
adjective
Origin
Latin
fixus — fastened, attached
Overview
Meaning Now
- fastened securely; not subject to change or fluctuation
- determined or established by convention or rule
Literal older meaning
made firm or attached
Language path
Latin → Old French → English
Earliest form
fix
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The word stems from the Latin 'figere', which is the ancestor of many words related to piercing or fastening, including the anatomical term 'fibula' (a pin or brooch).
Evolution
- Latin
figere
“to fasten, fix”
Original verb form
- Latin
fixus
“fastened”
Past participle
- Middle English
fixe
“fastened, steady”
Borrowed from Old French
- Early Modern English
fixed
“fastened, immobile”
Regularized past participle
Connections
Word parts
fix
root
to fasten
ed
suffix
past participle marker
Related across languages
French
fixe
fixed, steady
Spanish
fijo
fixed
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.