Gallify

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To provoke irritation or resentment in someone; to cause annoyance or mortification that leads to bitterness; to embitter or vex through offense or insult
2. To inflame feelings of anger or displeasure; to incite a sense of grievance or indignation; to make sour or aggravated in mood due to perceived disrespect
3. To stimulate acrimony or offense in an individual; to generate feelings of aggravation or exasperation; to foster bitterness by causing emotional hurt or indignation

Etymology: "Gallify" is a verb formed in English from "gall," the bitter fluid secreted by the liver. The word's history runs through the body: in Old English "galla" and in Latin "fel" the bile was named for its bitterness, and English extended "gall" to mean bitterness of spirit, rancour, and impudence, as in "gall" meaning brazen nerve. Adding the verb-forming suffix "-ify," which arrived in English from Old French and ultimately Latin "-ficare," produced a verb meaning to make someone bitter or irritated. The word is a transparent coinage rather than an ancient inheritance, and its exact first date and author are not something I can confirm. Its formation follows the familiar pattern of verbs such as "mollify" and "stupefy," where "-ify" turns a noun or adjective into an action of making something so.