No está establecida con certeza la etimología de la palabra latina effigĭes de la que deriva la castellana (Real Academia Española (2014), «efigie», Diccionario de la lengua española (23.ª edición), Madrid: Espasa). En esta fuente se indica de ex (sacar, echar afuera) y fingere (fingir). Más extensamente, en esta otra, se limita la antigüedad de la palabra inglesa effigy a la década de 1530: "image of a person," from Middle French effigie (13c.), from Latin effigies "copy or imitation of something, likeness," from or related to effingere "mold, fashion, portray," from ex- "out" (see ex-) + fingere "to form, shape" (see fiction). The Latin word was regarded as plural and the -s was lopped off by 18c. Specifically associated with burning, hanging, etc., at least since 1670s.
