803: Verbal Suffixes in Widen and Strengthen (-en day 4) Feb 18, 2017
The derivatives of the word 'wide', by chance, take on forms that are systematic but quite rare in in English, such as the nominal '-th' suffix in 'width', which you can see more of in the link below. Not only that, but it also takes an '-(e)n' suffix, as in 'widen' which turns this term into a verb. More specifically, the '-en' suffix is used to transform adjectives into verbs that demonstrate development or amplification. This ending is also employed in order to make a verb from a noun, such as 'strengthen' that derives from 'strength' and not the adjectival form 'strong', though also not the etymologically related noun, 'string' which referred to loading a bow with an arrow. Unlike the other '-en' suffixes, this comes from the Old English '-nian' that developed over time; in fact, the verb 'to man' in Old English was 'mannian' from 'mann', but it no longer uses a verbal suffix.