Meaning

noun the conscious subjective aspect of feeling or emotion

verb have an effect upon

verb act physically on; have an effect upon

originFrom Middle English affecten, from Anglo-Norman affecter (“strive after”), Middle French affecter (“feign”), and their source, Latin affectāre (“to strive after, aim to do, pursue, imitate with dissimulation, feign”), frequentative of afficere (“to act upon, influence”) (see Etymology 1, above).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0