Dear English vocabulary enthusiasts--
Welcome back to my discussion concerning a fine Latin roots adjective that gives rise to many English vocabulary words--the Latin root word medius: middle, in the middle, in half. Certainly of no mediocre importance in the rich history of word origins that gives rise to English vocabulary words, its importance as a Latin root word can be viewed in its immediate and unmitigated glory at this Greek and Latin root words venue by gongoozling (no lorgnette required) at the medius tree, where you will see related Greek and Latin roots (for a detailed history of word origin in regards to Greek and Latin root words, please visit my Introduction to Word Origin at http://www.wordempire.com/ ). The word list of English medius derivatives is quite extensive, and includes much GRE and SAT vocabulary, including SAT prep words and GRE prep words.
Before we continue on with the diabolical duo of Billy and Panfloss working in tandem to ensnare the gorgeous Morgan, let's review a few of the Latin roots that give rise to the English vocabulary words that we will be focusing on (much focus last time was paid upon English words that came from medius; this time more focus will be paid upon those subsidiary roots of medius itself):
Medius—middle, in the middle, in half {mezz}
Medialis—of the middle {medal}
Medianus—central {mean}
You will no doubt recall that in our last exciting rendition of Billy's somewhat middling attempts to impress Morgan, Panfloss, his mediator, suggested an exploratory trip to the Mediterranean Sea (that sea in the "middle" of the land, via the Latin root terra: land, earth) to discover his own roots, to divulge whether or not any of his ancestors had pinned medals (the word medal comes from a Latin coin which was valued at ‘half’ a denarius; a medal also looks like a coin) to their chests, to unearth a glorious past with which to woo the seemingly unwooable and superlatively non-mediocre Morgan! Deciding never to be mediocre himself ever again, that is, to never do anything "halfway" or non-superlatively "in the middle," he set off, full of immediacy, realizing that directness and not stopping "halfway" would serve him very nicely in his quest for the Questyng Beast of his past.
Wandering about day and night along the Prime Meridian (via the Latin meridianus: midday) of the city of Greenwich, he paused long enough in his despair on a dark rainy night, having found little with which to impress his beloved. Not knowing what to do, he suddenly heard, far off in the distance, a mezzo-soprano (in the "middle" of soprano and contralto) singing in the most haunting tones; led on by the eldritch intermezzo (short musical work "amongst the middle" of a more lengthy one) he entered a gorgeous medieval cathedral of immense proportions, and there, above, in the rarefied air of the clerestory, he saw a prismatic picture in stained glass of a mathematician with a sole word subscribed below: Fontagerus. Billy, beholding the iridiscent glow of the mathematician hard at work, gaped in astonishment again at his very own surname: Fontagerus. Was this the lost relative that would launch his amorous career? Was this the scholar who would bolster the mediocrity of his untoward claim upon Morgan's heart? At this moment of epiphanic wonderment, he was brusquely accosted by a somberly clad beadle, who urged him to leave the godly edifice and return the next day, as the music had now ceased.
The next day, as Billy was making his way toward the cathedral of Fontagerus, he saw, standing alone on the median strip that split a busy street in two, a lone tatterdemalion of suspect appearance who seemed to be disoriented. Billy, of a soft and middling temperament, kind to the core, leapt courageously to the aid of the tatterdemalion, and asked him "What, sire, is wrong?" Upon this kindly query, a smile radiated from the woman standing therein in rags, who immediately, seemingly restored, thanked Billy for his benevolence, and offered him a boon in repayment. Taking a wild shot in the dark, Billy asked if she knew of Fontagerus. The scholar, who had been posing as a medicant only so that people would leave her alone, said that she indeed did, and that she would tell Billy the story thereof:
Fontagerus, according to legend, had been a mathematician of no mean, or "middling" ability. It was rumored that he was able to take an incredible set of numbers and not only figure out the median (the number in the middle of them all), but also the mean (the average or central value of the numbers, or the sum of all the numbers divided by the number of numbers in the data set). It got to the point where Fontagerus, after doing so many of these statistical computations, was simply able to eyeball any number of numbers and miraculously derive their mean and median instantaneously, seemingly inspired from above, thus placing him smack dab in the "middle" of the academic milieu of his day (a milieu is etymologically ‘in the middle of a place'). The mathematical prowess of Fontagerus only continued to increase with age, and soon he was able to calculate the Golden Mean of any set of circumstances or phenomena, prefiguring the synthesis of apparent opposites that appears so lyrically in Herman Hesse's Magister Ludi. Thus could he find the harmonious "central" course in any disparate set of circumstances, and his counsel was thereby sought far and wide. This ability extended even to exegesis and the fusing of even seemingly incompatible opposites found in the greatest works of literature, including scripture (it is rumored that he was even able to solve the seemingly insoluble solution put forth in the Summa Theologica by St. Thomas Aquinas). The Tatterdemalion explicated to the enthused Billy that all the marginalia of the great Fontagerus were housed at the cathedral, although they were by and large illegible as they had been poorly preserved. Hence, sanctified and having undergone apohagiosis, or the turning into a saint, he was so honored by being placed in the clerestory of the Greenwich cathedral, immortalized in radiant glass.
What will Billy do with all this new information? Will Morgan be amazed by the revelation of this so scholarly ancestor of Billy's? Would Billy be able to explicate the importance of the mean, the median, and, most importantly, the Universal Golden Mean? Join Magister Brunner as he continues, in medias res (that is, in the "middle" of things, used usually to refer to a trope in epics in which the action begins chronologically in the "middle" of the story), the saga of Billy's immiddling European tour to discover his ancestry next week.
A striking Greek and Latin roots poster is available which contains this most non-mediocre Latin root, and numerous other Greek and Latin root words, based upon Word Empire III: Clarity, the most comprehensive Greek and Latin roots dictionary available. To discover a daily SAT vocabulary word and a Onceler word, please check out Magister Brunner's Greek and Latin roots word of the day, an entertaining and informative discussion on the wonders of word origin and the fun of the English language.
English Vocabulary via Greek and Latin Root Word Origins
- Magister Brunner
- I have long been fascinated by Greek and Roman mythology, and the Greek and Latin roots of English vocabulary words; their infusion within the English language respectively forms the core of cultural literacy and English vocabulary. Learning a vast array of English vocabulary words can help people write more powerfully, speak clearly and confidently, and read with a much deeper appreciation for great literature, not to mention perform well on college and graduate school entrance examinations, such as the SAT and GRE. Other than intense reading itself, there is no better way of learning and, most importantly, remembering English vocabulary words than by learning Greek and Latin root words. My own love for reading and subsequent keen interest in English vocabulary began with the B.A. (hon) degree in English I received from UW Madison, and continued with the M.A. in English I earned from the University of Virginia; I currently teach Latin and Greek and Roman mythology at Tandem Friends School in Charlottesville, VA, farm organically, am Executive Editor of Membean.com, and practice yoga and dhyana on a daily basis (qigong when clement!).
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
#1: medius: middle; in the middle; in half
A fine Latin roots adjective that gives rise to many English vocabulary words is the Latin root word medius: middle, in the middle, in half. Certainly of no mediocre importance in the rich history of word origins that give rise to English vocabulary words, its importance as a root word can be viewed in its immediate glory at this Greek and Latin root words venue by goggling at the medius tree, where you will see related Greek and Latin roots (for a detailed history of word origin in regards to root words, please visit my Introduction to Word Origin at www.wordempire.com). The word list of English medius derivatives is quite extensive, and includes much GRE and SAT vocabulary, including SAT prep words and GRE prep words.
You may or may not recall that Billy's last attempt to date Morgan had been somewhat of a downer, as she was not impressed by his mediocre, or ordinary (that is, "middling") knowledge of French cuisine. Certainly not overjoyed with his own mediocrity when it came to impressing Morgan, Billy decided to no longer be so medieval (pertaining to the "middle" ages, via the Latin root stem: aevum: age...a reason why medieval is sometimes spelled mediaeval) in his attempts to woo her. Not really knowing, however, what to do, since he viewed his personality to be only medium at best, he decided to employ an intermediary, or "go-between" (etymologically: one who is in the "middle among" two people, via the Latin preposition today acting as a prefix inter: among, between) to aid and abet his Cupidian efforts; he needed someone else to pin that medal (the word medal comes from a Latin coin which was valued at ‘half’ a denarius; a medal also looks like a coin) on his chest which would delight the brilliant, lambent orbs of his beloved. Being a medievalist himself, he thought of all the great literature of the Middle Ages that he had perused while in English graduate school; suddenly he realized that he needed a veritable Dr. Pangloss, or one who might quip that all was indeed for the best, too, in Billy's world, from which he could ineluctably conclude that Morgan would soon be in his arms (ah, you quidnuncy quibblers, who realize that Voltaire's great work Candide was not written during medieval times but rather in 1759, please recall that our protagonist is in the throes of untoward passion, thus addling his usually excellent memory, having slipped now towards merely mediocre recall). Ah, but what to do?
Indeed, what? Looking through the One Onceler Onyon one day, he found an add for Panfloss, a self-proclaimed modern-day panacea, or curer of all woes, and as Billy had nothing to lose as Morgan was paying him no attention whatsoever, he decided to call upon Panfloss in the hopes of employing him for the purposes of amorous mediation, to mediate upon his behalf with his love who stood so high upon the celestial pedestal. When Panfloss arrived later on that day, and explained her name (not, she claimed, based upon Dr. Pangloss at all, but rather because she was an expert at cleaning her teeth very well, which excited Billy to the point of distraction since here was someone who would not stand for mediocrity, thus contracting mediocariocrity) he hired her on the spot, enjoining her to take immediate (immediate attention requires ‘full,’ or etymologically ‘not halfway’ care ‘right away,’) action on his behalf in the quest for his Dulcinea (not realizing the irony of using a mediator to take immediate action; in the fogginess of love much intellect is lost, that is, he should have been aware that care mediated or ‘resolved’ through another in the ‘middle’ causes delay, not to mention financial distress, the mediation thus suspect).
And what did the sharp, toothy acumen of Panfloss suggest after meditating (from the Latin root: meditor, meditari, meditatus sum: to reflect upon, muse over, consider, ponder, think over: sometimes Greek and Latin roots can be confused with others of similar ilk, a misunderstanding that can easily be overleapt by actually knowing one's Greek and Latin roots) upon Billy's biliary condition, made so irrational now by this fey enchantment? Consulting a medium (one who acts as an intermediary, or middle person, between the physical and spiritual planes) herself, Panfloss, all in a fluster, burst into Billy's room and suggested, quite peremptorily, an exploratory trip to the Mediterranean Sea (that sea in the "middle" of the land, via the Latin root terra: land, earth) to discover his own roots, to divulge whether or not any of his ancestors had pinned medals to their chests, to unearth a glorious past with which to woo the Unwooable!
Billy was now in a state of discombobulation, a quandary of immoderate proportions. What will he do?
Or, rather, what would he not do?
To find out, stay tuned for the next exciting etymological entree, containing virtually edible word roots and root words.
A striking Greek and Latin roots poster is available which contains this most non-mediocre Latin root, and numerous other Greek and Latin root words, based upon Word Empire III: Clarity, the most comprehensive Greek and Latin roots dictionary available.
To discover a daily SAT vocabulary word and a Onceler word, please check out my Greek and Latin roots word of the day, an entertaining and informative discussion on the wonders of word origin and the fun of the English language.
You may or may not recall that Billy's last attempt to date Morgan had been somewhat of a downer, as she was not impressed by his mediocre, or ordinary (that is, "middling") knowledge of French cuisine. Certainly not overjoyed with his own mediocrity when it came to impressing Morgan, Billy decided to no longer be so medieval (pertaining to the "middle" ages, via the Latin root stem: aevum: age...a reason why medieval is sometimes spelled mediaeval) in his attempts to woo her. Not really knowing, however, what to do, since he viewed his personality to be only medium at best, he decided to employ an intermediary, or "go-between" (etymologically: one who is in the "middle among" two people, via the Latin preposition today acting as a prefix inter: among, between) to aid and abet his Cupidian efforts; he needed someone else to pin that medal (the word medal comes from a Latin coin which was valued at ‘half’ a denarius; a medal also looks like a coin) on his chest which would delight the brilliant, lambent orbs of his beloved. Being a medievalist himself, he thought of all the great literature of the Middle Ages that he had perused while in English graduate school; suddenly he realized that he needed a veritable Dr. Pangloss, or one who might quip that all was indeed for the best, too, in Billy's world, from which he could ineluctably conclude that Morgan would soon be in his arms (ah, you quidnuncy quibblers, who realize that Voltaire's great work Candide was not written during medieval times but rather in 1759, please recall that our protagonist is in the throes of untoward passion, thus addling his usually excellent memory, having slipped now towards merely mediocre recall). Ah, but what to do?
Indeed, what? Looking through the One Onceler Onyon one day, he found an add for Panfloss, a self-proclaimed modern-day panacea, or curer of all woes, and as Billy had nothing to lose as Morgan was paying him no attention whatsoever, he decided to call upon Panfloss in the hopes of employing him for the purposes of amorous mediation, to mediate upon his behalf with his love who stood so high upon the celestial pedestal. When Panfloss arrived later on that day, and explained her name (not, she claimed, based upon Dr. Pangloss at all, but rather because she was an expert at cleaning her teeth very well, which excited Billy to the point of distraction since here was someone who would not stand for mediocrity, thus contracting mediocariocrity) he hired her on the spot, enjoining her to take immediate (immediate attention requires ‘full,’ or etymologically ‘not halfway’ care ‘right away,’) action on his behalf in the quest for his Dulcinea (not realizing the irony of using a mediator to take immediate action; in the fogginess of love much intellect is lost, that is, he should have been aware that care mediated or ‘resolved’ through another in the ‘middle’ causes delay, not to mention financial distress, the mediation thus suspect).
And what did the sharp, toothy acumen of Panfloss suggest after meditating (from the Latin root: meditor, meditari, meditatus sum: to reflect upon, muse over, consider, ponder, think over: sometimes Greek and Latin roots can be confused with others of similar ilk, a misunderstanding that can easily be overleapt by actually knowing one's Greek and Latin roots) upon Billy's biliary condition, made so irrational now by this fey enchantment? Consulting a medium (one who acts as an intermediary, or middle person, between the physical and spiritual planes) herself, Panfloss, all in a fluster, burst into Billy's room and suggested, quite peremptorily, an exploratory trip to the Mediterranean Sea (that sea in the "middle" of the land, via the Latin root terra: land, earth) to discover his own roots, to divulge whether or not any of his ancestors had pinned medals to their chests, to unearth a glorious past with which to woo the Unwooable!
Billy was now in a state of discombobulation, a quandary of immoderate proportions. What will he do?
Or, rather, what would he not do?
To find out, stay tuned for the next exciting etymological entree, containing virtually edible word roots and root words.
A striking Greek and Latin roots poster is available which contains this most non-mediocre Latin root, and numerous other Greek and Latin root words, based upon Word Empire III: Clarity, the most comprehensive Greek and Latin roots dictionary available.
To discover a daily SAT vocabulary word and a Onceler word, please check out my Greek and Latin roots word of the day, an entertaining and informative discussion on the wonders of word origin and the fun of the English language.
Monday, October 13, 2008
#3: in: not; into; common Latin phrases
Up to this point I have been focusing primarily upon stems of English vocabulary words, those primary morphemes from Greek and Latin roots that form the core of English words. There are, however, also highly important affixes, such as prefixes and suffixes, that help to form the meaning of English words, and that can be helpful in ascertaining their precise meaning. My last post focused on the Latin root word in when it means "not;" here I continue with other spelling changes of "in" which mean "not," as well as "into" and the use of "in" in common Latin prepositional phrases.
You will recall that in my last post I discussed the spelling permutations of "in" as "il," "im," and "in;" the surfeit appear below:
ir: irrevocable: etymologically "not" able to be "called back;" irregular: "not" regular, or etymologically "not standard;" and irresistible "not" able to be resisted.
ig: ignoble: "not" noble; ignoramus: "not" knowing; ignominious: pertaining to having a "not" (good) name
"In" as a Latin root can also mean "into," a prefix which also contains orthographic permutations. Examples of this meaning appear below, which give rise to a fair number of English vocabulary words:
inflammable: able to burst "into" flame
incarnation: the act of coming "into" flesh
illumination: the act of bursting "into" light
incarceration: the act of putting "into" prison
imprison: putting "into" prison
encourage: act or process of putting heart "into" someone (from the Latin root cor, cordis: "heart").
As a last note for the heavy influence of the Latin root "in," note that numerous prepositional phrases have come over wholesale from Latin into English, for example:
in memoriam: the process, via commemoration, or putting someone or something "into memory."
in situ: "in" a place, that is, doing something "in situ" is doing it in the original position
in loco parentis: "in the place of a parent"
For more information on English vocabulary words deriving from Greek and Latin roots, check out the word origins dictionary on CD-ROM as described at www.wordempire.com, which not only contains a vast amount of SAT and GRE level vocabulary words, but also helps with teaching vocabulary and has a fine Greek and Latin roots library source page.
Stay tune for my next post, which will continue the enthralling saga of Billy and Morgan as they negotiate the thorny etymological thicket of the Latin root word medius: middle.
Please check out my Greek and Latin roots word of the day column: if you find this blog interesting, you will love that daily post (entitled: Word Wizardry by Logophilus).
You will recall that in my last post I discussed the spelling permutations of "in" as "il," "im," and "in;" the surfeit appear below:
ir: irrevocable: etymologically "not" able to be "called back;" irregular: "not" regular, or etymologically "not standard;" and irresistible "not" able to be resisted.
ig: ignoble: "not" noble; ignoramus: "not" knowing; ignominious: pertaining to having a "not" (good) name
"In" as a Latin root can also mean "into," a prefix which also contains orthographic permutations. Examples of this meaning appear below, which give rise to a fair number of English vocabulary words:
inflammable: able to burst "into" flame
incarnation: the act of coming "into" flesh
illumination: the act of bursting "into" light
incarceration: the act of putting "into" prison
imprison: putting "into" prison
encourage: act or process of putting heart "into" someone (from the Latin root cor, cordis: "heart").
As a last note for the heavy influence of the Latin root "in," note that numerous prepositional phrases have come over wholesale from Latin into English, for example:
in memoriam: the process, via commemoration, or putting someone or something "into memory."
in situ: "in" a place, that is, doing something "in situ" is doing it in the original position
in loco parentis: "in the place of a parent"
For more information on English vocabulary words deriving from Greek and Latin roots, check out the word origins dictionary on CD-ROM as described at www.wordempire.com, which not only contains a vast amount of SAT and GRE level vocabulary words, but also helps with teaching vocabulary and has a fine Greek and Latin roots library source page.
Stay tune for my next post, which will continue the enthralling saga of Billy and Morgan as they negotiate the thorny etymological thicket of the Latin root word medius: middle.
Please check out my Greek and Latin roots word of the day column: if you find this blog interesting, you will love that daily post (entitled: Word Wizardry by Logophilus).
Thursday, October 9, 2008
#2: in: not
Up to this point I have been focusing primarily upon stems of English vocabulary words, those primary morphemes from Greek and Latin roots that form the core of English words. There are, however, also highly important affixes, such as prefixes and suffixes, that help to form the meaning of English words, and that can be helpful in ascertaining their precise meaning. My last post focused on the Latin root word in when it means "in, on". To view in in its full prolific influence see this Greek and Latin root words page, and check out the importance in general of Greek and Latin roots as a whole. The Latin root in makes its presence felt in many words, where it disguises itself in multiple forms and contains multiple meanings (for a discussion of prefixes and their importance in the English language, see my introduction to word origin and etymology). Once, however, one pierces the tricky orthographic disguises of this prefix, it reveals itself in all its utility. One of the most useful meanings of "in" is "not;" this form also goes through many spelling changes:
il: illegal simply means "not legal." Note the clever changing of "n" to "l" before the main stem (from the Latin lex, legis: law)...it would be silly, of course, to have an English word "inlegal." Other words with "il" in them meaning "not" include: illiterate (etymologically "not lettered") and "illegible" (etymologically "not able to be read"). To check out roots like lex, legis: law, littera: letter of the alphabet, and lego, legere: to read, please see www.wordempire.com which fully discusses the primary roots of the English language; in fact, you can see a complete list of all the Greek and Latin root words here.
im: immortal (etymologically "of or pertaining to not (being susceptible, that is) to death": main stem here is Latin mors, mortis: death); immaculate (etymologically having "no spot", that is, being "spotless"); immovable (can you guess?); and immense (etymologically "without measure" or "not having measure," thus boundless in its size).
in: incalculable ("not" calculable); insatiable ("not" able to have "enough": from the Latin satis: enough); innocuous ("not harmful," from the Latin noceo, nocere: to harm) and invalid ("not" possessing "strength," hence void; from the Latin validus: strong)
In my next post I will discuss further permutations of in meaning "not," as well as some highly used Latin prepositional phrases, such as "in memoriam" that have filtered into everyday use in the English language.
Please check out my Greek and Latin roots word of the day column: if you find this blog interesting, you will love that daily post (entitled: Word Wizardry by Logophilus).
il: illegal simply means "not legal." Note the clever changing of "n" to "l" before the main stem (from the Latin lex, legis: law)...it would be silly, of course, to have an English word "inlegal." Other words with "il" in them meaning "not" include: illiterate (etymologically "not lettered") and "illegible" (etymologically "not able to be read"). To check out roots like lex, legis: law, littera: letter of the alphabet, and lego, legere: to read, please see www.wordempire.com which fully discusses the primary roots of the English language; in fact, you can see a complete list of all the Greek and Latin root words here.
im: immortal (etymologically "of or pertaining to not (being susceptible, that is) to death": main stem here is Latin mors, mortis: death); immaculate (etymologically having "no spot", that is, being "spotless"); immovable (can you guess?); and immense (etymologically "without measure" or "not having measure," thus boundless in its size).
in: incalculable ("not" calculable); insatiable ("not" able to have "enough": from the Latin satis: enough); innocuous ("not harmful," from the Latin noceo, nocere: to harm) and invalid ("not" possessing "strength," hence void; from the Latin validus: strong)
In my next post I will discuss further permutations of in meaning "not," as well as some highly used Latin prepositional phrases, such as "in memoriam" that have filtered into everyday use in the English language.
Please check out my Greek and Latin roots word of the day column: if you find this blog interesting, you will love that daily post (entitled: Word Wizardry by Logophilus).
Sunday, October 5, 2008
#1: In—in, on, not, into
Up to this point I have been focusing primarily upon stems of English vocabulary words, those primary morphemes from Greek and Latin roots that form the core of English words. There are, however, also highly important affixes, such as prefixes and suffixes, that help to form the meaning of English words, and that can be helpful in ascertaining their precise meaning. Today and for the next few posts I will focus on one of these important affixes, the prefix in. To view in full glory the prolific influence of one of the most important of Latin roots that gives the English language a much-utilized prefix, see this Greek and Latin root words page, and check out the importance in general of Greek and Latin roots as a whole.
The Latin root in makes its presence felt in many words, where it disguises itself in multiple forms and contains multiple meanings (for a discussion of prefixes and their importance in the English language, see my introduction to word origin and etymology). Once, however, one pierces the tricky orthographic disguises of this prefix, it reveals itself in all its utility. When "in" means "in or on" it can take the following forms:
il: as in "illusory" (of a "playing on" someone's mind in order to deceive him) and "illustrate" (to "brighten upon" a page, or "illumine (it) within"). Note that "in" will turn to "il" when placed before the primary stem of a word that begins with "l." There are not many English vocabulary words that contain this spelling change.
im: A prolific spelling for "in." Examples include: "imbibe," (drink "in"); immure (wall "in" or incarcerate); implicit (fold "in," that is, an "implicit" idea is one that is tacitly implied but not directly stated, hence it is etymologically "folded in" a given statement, not to be verbally revealed, but understood nevertheless); immanent (dwelling or remaining "in"; an "immanent" deity "dwells within" us); and imbroglio (a "stirring or mixing in," hence leading towards a confused or difficult situation or complex and intricate state of affairs). Can you see why "im" is used instead of "in" in the examples above? Check out www.wordempire.com for more fascinating word histories and more examples of "im"...what an important trip they are!
in: No spelling changes here, and what a wealth of words. Here are a few: influx (a flowing "in"); inculpate (to place the blame "on" someone); invasive (pertaining to a going "in" somewhere, usually when not wanted or desired); invoke (a calling "on" or "upon" someone, usually a deity or someone you really need help from); and induct (a leading "in," usually in terms of bringing someone "within" the auspices of an organization).
ir: "in" morphs to "ir" when the main stem of the English word begins with an "r," such as in the following two examples: irrigate (a conducting of water "on" a field or pasture) and irradiate (from the Latin root word "shine on").
en/em (thank you French): "In" can also cleverly appear as "en" or "em," again depending upon the spelling of the main root words they are preceding. Two examples of "en" include: "encapsulate" (or etymologically to put "in" a little box, hence "to summarize") and "entice" (to lead "on," or, originally, to set "on" fire). Two examples of "em" include: embrace (etymologically to put one's arms fully "on" someone) and emboss (to place a "knob on" something, such as a piece of paper, a "boss" being something presented in "relief" so it rises from a surface, like a door"knob" from a planar surface of a door; emboss can also mean to hide "in a thicket;" "boss" here coming from the Frankish "boscu," woods, from which we derive "ambuscade" and "ambush"--deeply, woods, after all, comprised of trees, rise in relief from the planar surface of the flat ground, hence in "relief"). By the bye, the word "emboss" can also mean "to foam at the mouth like an enraged or frenetic wild animal." No guesses here, guys, unless it were to imply that spittle flowing from a hungry maw is symbolic of eventual "relief" of hunger.
We are just beginning with this ubiquitous Latin root. The next Greek and Latin root words post will focus on the prefix in when it means "into" and "not," both very important distinctions when it comes to word origins, but simple once unraveled.
Magister Britannus
The Latin root in makes its presence felt in many words, where it disguises itself in multiple forms and contains multiple meanings (for a discussion of prefixes and their importance in the English language, see my introduction to word origin and etymology). Once, however, one pierces the tricky orthographic disguises of this prefix, it reveals itself in all its utility. When "in" means "in or on" it can take the following forms:
il: as in "illusory" (of a "playing on" someone's mind in order to deceive him) and "illustrate" (to "brighten upon" a page, or "illumine (it) within"). Note that "in" will turn to "il" when placed before the primary stem of a word that begins with "l." There are not many English vocabulary words that contain this spelling change.
im: A prolific spelling for "in." Examples include: "imbibe," (drink "in"); immure (wall "in" or incarcerate); implicit (fold "in," that is, an "implicit" idea is one that is tacitly implied but not directly stated, hence it is etymologically "folded in" a given statement, not to be verbally revealed, but understood nevertheless); immanent (dwelling or remaining "in"; an "immanent" deity "dwells within" us); and imbroglio (a "stirring or mixing in," hence leading towards a confused or difficult situation or complex and intricate state of affairs). Can you see why "im" is used instead of "in" in the examples above? Check out www.wordempire.com for more fascinating word histories and more examples of "im"...what an important trip they are!
in: No spelling changes here, and what a wealth of words. Here are a few: influx (a flowing "in"); inculpate (to place the blame "on" someone); invasive (pertaining to a going "in" somewhere, usually when not wanted or desired); invoke (a calling "on" or "upon" someone, usually a deity or someone you really need help from); and induct (a leading "in," usually in terms of bringing someone "within" the auspices of an organization).
ir: "in" morphs to "ir" when the main stem of the English word begins with an "r," such as in the following two examples: irrigate (a conducting of water "on" a field or pasture) and irradiate (from the Latin root word "shine on").
en/em (thank you French): "In" can also cleverly appear as "en" or "em," again depending upon the spelling of the main root words they are preceding. Two examples of "en" include: "encapsulate" (or etymologically to put "in" a little box, hence "to summarize") and "entice" (to lead "on," or, originally, to set "on" fire). Two examples of "em" include: embrace (etymologically to put one's arms fully "on" someone) and emboss (to place a "knob on" something, such as a piece of paper, a "boss" being something presented in "relief" so it rises from a surface, like a door"knob" from a planar surface of a door; emboss can also mean to hide "in a thicket;" "boss" here coming from the Frankish "boscu," woods, from which we derive "ambuscade" and "ambush"--deeply, woods, after all, comprised of trees, rise in relief from the planar surface of the flat ground, hence in "relief"). By the bye, the word "emboss" can also mean "to foam at the mouth like an enraged or frenetic wild animal." No guesses here, guys, unless it were to imply that spittle flowing from a hungry maw is symbolic of eventual "relief" of hunger.
We are just beginning with this ubiquitous Latin root. The next Greek and Latin root words post will focus on the prefix in when it means "into" and "not," both very important distinctions when it comes to word origins, but simple once unraveled.
Magister Britannus
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