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My professor used the word authentification in a lecture. I have always used authentication. Is it a real word or is authentication the correct term?

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2 Answers

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Authentication is the correct term. The word authentification is likely just a misspeech, though interestingly enough it is a valid French word, from authentifier, to authenticate.

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Authentification is a French word. After a bit on research on its origin, it would seem that the word is actually composed of three parts :

  • authentique (authentic)
  • fic → faire (to do)
  • ation → action

Source: http://fr.wiktionary.org/wiki/authentification

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Actually "faire" doesn't explain the "c" in there - I would guess that this came from the "c" in Latin "facere". Also your use of "action" (which comes from "agere" + "-io" suffix) is kind of misleading, I'd say it's actually the "-io" suffix at work on a form of "facere", nothing to do with the verb at root in "action". – asveikau Oct 8 '12 at 6:06
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and the 'c' is a remnant of Latin's c in the verb facio (I do), facere, feci, factum from which faire derives. – Merk Oct 8 '12 at 6:07

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