ossification n.

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "bone."

It forms all or part of: osseous; ossicle; ossuary; ossifrage; ossify; osteo-; osteology; osteopathy; ostracism; ostracize; oyster; periosteum.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit asthi, Hittite hashtai-, Greek osteon "bone," Greek ostrakon "oyster shell," Avestan ascu- "shinbone," Latin os (genitive ossis) "bone," osseus "bony, of bone," Welsh asgwrn, Armenian oskr, Albanian asht "bone."

word-forming element meaning "a making or causing," from Latin -ficationem (nominative -ficatio), forming nouns of action from verbs in -ficare (compare -fy), combining form of facere "to make," from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put."

1713, intransitive, "to harden like bone, become bone;" 1721, intransitive, "convert to bone;" a back-formation from ossification, or else modeled on French ossifier (18c.) and formed from Latin os (genitive ossis) "bone" (from PIE root *ost- "bone") + -fy. Figurative sense "become rigid and fixed" (of thought, customs, etc.) is by 1858. Related: Ossified; ossifying.