baptize comes from Old French baptiser, from Late Latin baptizare, from Ancient Greek baptizein ('to dip, immerse'), from baptein ('to dip'). The path is chiefly one of transmission: an older form is taken into English, with the word's shape and meaning carried through the language names and forms preserved in the history. In modern use, the verb sense is "to admit to Christianity by ceremonial sprinkling or immersion in water", which keeps the etymology connected to the word's present dictionary value rather than treating it as a merely historical label. The wider word family includes related English forms such as baptism, baptist, baptismal, baptistery and derivatives such as baptizer, baptized, baptizing, showing how the same base continues to support neighboring English vocabulary. The principal historical forms in the chain include Late Latin baptizare, Ancient Greek baptizein, Ancient Greek baptein, which anchor the explanation in named linguistic material.