Etymology Dictionary

FACT,  a deed, reality.  (L.)   Formerly used like mod. E. deed; Shak. Macb. iii. 6. 10; cf. 'fact of arms,' Milton, P. L. ii. 124.—Lat. factum, a thing done; neut. of factus, pp. of facere, to do.   Extended from base fa-, to put, place.—✔DHA, to put, do; whence also E. do; cf. Skt. dhá, to put.   See Curtius, i. 315.   Der. fact-or, Cymb. i. 6. 188, from Lat. factor, an agent; fact-or-ship, fact-or-age, fact-or-y, fact-or-i-al; also fact-ion, q.v.; also fact-it-i-ous, q.v., feasible, q.v., feature, q.v.   Doublet, feat, q.v.   ¶ From the same root we have not only fac-ile, fac-ulty, fac-totum, fash-ion, feat-ure, but a host of other words, e.g. af-fair, af-fect, arti-fice, com-fit, con-fect, counter-feit, de-feat, de-fect, dif-fic-ult, ef-fect, for-feit, in-fect, manu-fact-ure, of-fice, per-fect, pro-fic-ient, re-fect-ion, sacri-fice, suf-fice, sur-feit, &c.