Word Origin & History. vivify 1590s, from O.Fr. vivifier (12c.), from L.L. vivificare make alive, restore to life, from vivificus enlivening, from L. vivus alive (see vivid) + root of facere to make (see factitious). Vivificate in same sense is recorded from early 15c.
BORN BIG High-birthweight newborns, such as this 4-day-old 19-pound baby (center) born to a diabetic mother, face health risks into adulthood.
In May 2011, California celebrated the arrival of another large infant, Matthew Anthony Maldanado, who weighed 14 pounds, 3.8 ounces when he was born in Salinas, Calif. However both Matthew and Andrew pale in comparison to the world's heaviest baby. Born to mother Anna Bates in 1879, that infant reportedly weighed 23 pounds, 12 ounces at birth, according to Guinness World Records. Sadly, the child died 11 hours later. Correction: A previous version of this story indicated that Andrew Jacob Cervantez was the biggest baby in the nation.