cultivate

Meaning

Verb

• To grow plants, notably crops.
• To nurture; to foster; to tend.
• To turn or stir soil in preparation for planting.

Origin

• From Medieval Latin cultivātus, perfect passive participle of cultivō, from cultīvus, from Latin cultus, perfect passive participle of colō, which comes from earlier *quelō, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷel-. Cognates include Ancient Greek πέλω and Sanskrit चरति. The same Proto-Indo-European root also gave Latin inquilinus and anculus.