'hybridize' originates from the Latin word 'hybrida,' which referred to the offspring of a tame sow and a wild boar.

'hybrida' transformed into the English word 'hybrid' in the 17th century, and eventually led to the formation of the verb 'hybridize' in the 19th century.

Initially, it meant 'to produce a hybrid,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.