Etherifying

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Causing a sensation or effect resembling the qualities of ether; producing a volatile or anesthetic influence; inducing a dreamy, intangible, or otherworldly state
2. Generating an experience or atmosphere similar to the properties of ether as a solvent or anesthetic; creating a light, airy, or intangible feeling; evoking a sense of ethereal or spiritual dissociation
3. Exhibiting traits that mimic the characteristics of ether, such as volatility or insubstantiality; imparting an anesthetic or numbing effect; fostering a delicate, intangible, or surreal mood or perception

Etymology: Ether has a surprisingly long road to its current sense. In ancient Greek, "aithēr" was the bright upper air, the clear sky that the gods breathed, set apart from the murkier air below. Latin borrowed it as "aether," and English took the word as "ether" for that heavenly substance and, later, for the volatile liquid used as an anesthetic. Its modern chemical use reflects the sweetness and quickness with which that liquid evaporates. "Etherify" is a plain English formation: "ether" plus the suffix "-ify," which came into English through Old French from Latin "-ificare," meaning "to make or cause to be." Middle English had "-ifien," and the suffix became a productive tool for building verbs meaning "to turn into" or "to make like." To etherify something is to make it behave like ether, which is why the word carries senses of volatility, numbness, and a dreamlike, insubstantial quality.