{"id":725,"date":"2016-07-29T20:58:48","date_gmt":"2016-07-30T00:58:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/greeklatinroots\/?post_type=chapter&p=725"},"modified":"2016-11-30T13:30:07","modified_gmt":"2016-11-30T18:30:07","slug":"%c2%a767-interesting-words","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/greeklatinroots\/chapter\/%c2%a767-interesting-words\/","title":{"raw":"\u00a767. Interesting Words","rendered":"\u00a767. Interesting Words"},"content":{"raw":"

You will need a little help in becoming acquainted with the verbs capere<\/b> (\u201ctake\u201d) and facere <\/b>(\u201cmake,\u201d \u201cdo\u201d). You can remember their perfect participles by caption, captor, capture, <\/i>and fact,<\/i> faction, factor, manufacture <\/i>(\u201cmaking by hand\u201d). <\/i>When prefixes are added, phonetic changes produce forms like concept, deception, exception, perception, interceptor, receptive, contr<\/i>aceptive; <\/i>and affect, effect\u2014<\/i>don\u2019t confuse those two in English\u2014defect, infection, prefecture, perfection. <\/i>The perfect<\/i> (\u201ccompleted\u201d) tense in grammar is a doublet of that cold confection<\/i> known as a parfait<\/i> (it must be \u201cthoroughly made\u201d). The present bases of capere<\/b> and facere<\/b> appear in recipient<\/i>, incipient<\/i>, efficient<\/i>, and sufficient<\/i>. There are many interesting derivatives from these two verbs that have been disguised by transmission through French. Observe, for instance, all the English verbs ending in -ceive<\/i> that are semantic parallels to nouns ending in -ception<\/i>. Deceit<\/i> and receipt<\/i> are closely akin to deception<\/i> and reception<\/i>\u2014and note their inconsistency in spelling. The word recipe<\/i> is a Latin command, meaning \u201cTake it!\u201d\u2014or maybe \u201cTake it back,\u201d if you don\u2019t admire the cook.[footnote] The pharmaceutical symbol of a letter R with a cross on the downstroke is the medieval druggist\u2019s abbreviation for recipe<\/strong>, the command to take a prescription.[\/footnote] There are English synonyms like receiver<\/i> and receptor<\/i>, where one word comes from French and the other from Latin. The English nouns fact<\/i> and feat<\/i> are doublets; each is a \u201cthing done,\u201d in French a fait accompli<\/i>. Similarly, defe<\/i>ct<\/i> and defeat<\/i> are both derived from defectus<\/b>. A surfeit<\/i> is something \u201coverdone\u201d (< *superfactum<\/b>).<\/p>\r\n

Almost all the derivatives from jacere<\/b> (\u201cthrow\u201d) contain Latin prefixes: think of abject, eject, interject, project, reject, <\/i>and subject. <\/i>For practical purposes, -ject<\/b> is the only base you need to remember.<\/p>\r\n

With such obvious derivatives as audience, audition, auditor, auditory, and auditorium, <\/i>the verb audire<\/b>, auditus<\/b> is not likely to cause any problem. The audio<\/i> portion of our television set does for the ears what the video<\/i> does for the eyes. Those of us who find television the ideal soporific <\/i>(\u201csleep-maker\u201d) may especially appreciate the dormio<\/i> virtues of tv entertainment, whenever we are feeling somnolent<\/i>.<\/p>\r\n

The verb salire<\/b>, saltus<\/b> has some interesting English derivatives: in its root form, salire<\/b> is related to words ranging from salmon<\/i> to Sault<\/i> Sainte Marie. As we\u2019ll see in Chapter 12,\u00a0\u00a780<\/a>, the present participle salient<\/i> means \u201cleaping\u201d; a salient<\/i> fact is one that comes jumping out to hit you. Something res<\/i>ilient<\/i> comes \u201cleaping back\u201d (resilire<\/b>, resultus<\/b>), with an obvious result<\/i>. To insult<\/i> is to jump upon someone\u2014etymologically, at least. To exult<\/i> is to leap out. There was an ancient circus rider called a desultor<\/b>, who \u201cleapt down\u201d from horse to horse; hence desultory<\/i> (\u201cleaping about\u201d). English somersault<\/i> is derived from supra<\/b> (\u201cabove\u201d) and saltus<\/b>, probably through Spanish. Assail,<\/i> assailant,<\/i> and assault<\/i> have come from ad<\/b> and saltus<\/b>, by French transmission.<\/p>\r\nBecause sentire<\/b> is a general verb of \u201cfeeling,\u201d it can be applied to any of the five senses<\/i>. A sentient<\/i> being (more correctly pronounced \u201csen-shunt\u201d than \u201csen-tee-ent\u201d) is one who has feeling. Sentimental<\/i> and sensational<\/i> are related words. A strong divergence of opinion may cause dissension<\/i> (\u201cfeeling apart\u201d), whereas a convergence of belief is consensus <\/i>(\u201cfeeling together\u201d)\u2014a pure Latin word that is often misspelled in English, because it is confused with the unrelated noun census <\/i>(\u201ca reckoning\u201d).\r\n

A 1st conjugation verb not included on Table 9.1 is s<\/b>pirare<\/b>, spiratus<\/b> (\u201cbreathe\u201d), which is obviously related to the noun spiritus<\/b> (\u201cbreath\u201d). Aspire<\/i> (< ad-spirare<\/b>[footnote] The Latin prefix ad-<\/strong> will normally lose its -d-<\/strong> before the combination of initial s-<\/strong> and a consonant stop. Compare ascribere<\/strong> (< ad-scribere<\/strong>), E ascribe<\/em>, ascription<\/em>, and aspicere<\/strong> (< ad-spicere<\/strong>), E aspect<\/em>.[\/footnote] ) is \u201cto breathe towards\u201d\u2014to desire eagerly\u2014a verb that gave rise to the noun aspiration<\/i>. In phonetics, the letter H is described as an \u201caspirate<\/i>.\u201d To conspire<\/i> is \u201cto breathe together,\u201d and to expire<\/i> (ex-spirare<\/b>) is to exhale (ex-halare<\/b>) one\u2019s last breath. It should be easy enough to work out the etymological meanings of inspiration, perspiration, <\/i>and respiration<\/i>.<\/p>\r\n

If you recall our exercise with cedere<\/b> and currere<\/b> in \u00a765<\/a>, you can perform similar feats <\/i>of wizardry with the important verb venire <\/b>(\u201ccome\u201d). These forms will get you started: advent, circumvene, circumvention, convene, convent, convention, contravene, <\/i>event, intervene, prevention, subvention<\/i>. Another basic verb of motion is gradi<\/b>, gressus<\/b>. What is the difference, if any, between a congress<\/i> and a convention<\/i>? Between a regression<\/i> and a recession<\/i>? Would you consider them both retrograde<\/i>? Is a digression<\/i> likely to be discursive<\/i>? And why is an egress<\/i> not the opposite of an invention<\/i>? (It is the same as an exit<\/i>, which comes from an irregular verb of motion that we haven\u2019t met.)<\/p>\r\n

These reflections suggest both the advantages and shortcomings of knowing Latin etymologies. Once you even partially realize the etymological history of complex English words, your control over their use will be enormously improved. On the other hand, it would be a mistake to think that knowing an etymological meaning will provide a guaranteed understanding of any English word. Occasionally it may be actually misleading to know what an English word should<\/i> mean, from the Latin point of view. In most cases, however, the verb root and the prefix, when considered together, will present a correct general image of the word. It will then be necessary to learn its precise connotations and typical usage by observing it in a good spoken or written context.<\/p>\r\n

There are no formal EXERCISES<\/strong><\/b> included with this chapter. Spend any available time studying the four tables of verb vocabulary, along with the earlier chart of prefixes.<\/p>","rendered":"

You will need a little help in becoming acquainted with the verbs capere<\/b> (\u201ctake\u201d) and facere <\/b>(\u201cmake,\u201d \u201cdo\u201d). You can remember their perfect participles by caption, captor, capture, <\/i>and fact,<\/i> faction, factor, manufacture <\/i>(\u201cmaking by hand\u201d). <\/i>When prefixes are added, phonetic changes produce forms like concept, deception, exception, perception, interceptor, receptive, contr<\/i>aceptive; <\/i>and affect, effect\u2014<\/i>don\u2019t confuse those two in English\u2014defect, infection, prefecture, perfection. <\/i>The perfect<\/i> (\u201ccompleted\u201d) tense in grammar is a doublet of that cold confection<\/i> known as a parfait<\/i> (it must be \u201cthoroughly made\u201d). The present bases of capere<\/b> and facere<\/b> appear in recipient<\/i>, incipient<\/i>, efficient<\/i>, and sufficient<\/i>. There are many interesting derivatives from these two verbs that have been disguised by transmission through French. Observe, for instance, all the English verbs ending in -ceive<\/i> that are semantic parallels to nouns ending in -ception<\/i>. Deceit<\/i> and receipt<\/i> are closely akin to deception<\/i> and reception<\/i>\u2014and note their inconsistency in spelling. The word recipe<\/i> is a Latin command, meaning \u201cTake it!\u201d\u2014or maybe \u201cTake it back,\u201d if you don\u2019t admire the cook.[1]<\/sup><\/a> There are English synonyms like receiver<\/i> and receptor<\/i>, where one word comes from French and the other from Latin. The English nouns fact<\/i> and feat<\/i> are doublets; each is a \u201cthing done,\u201d in French a fait accompli<\/i>. Similarly, defe<\/i>ct<\/i> and defeat<\/i> are both derived from defectus<\/b>. A surfeit<\/i> is something \u201coverdone\u201d (< *superfactum<\/b>).<\/p>\n

Almost all the derivatives from jacere<\/b> (\u201cthrow\u201d) contain Latin prefixes: think of abject, eject, interject, project, reject, <\/i>and subject. <\/i>For practical purposes, -ject<\/b> is the only base you need to remember.<\/p>\n

With such obvious derivatives as audience, audition, auditor, auditory, and auditorium, <\/i>the verb audire<\/b>, auditus<\/b> is not likely to cause any problem. The audio<\/i> portion of our television set does for the ears what the video<\/i> does for the eyes. Those of us who find television the ideal soporific <\/i>(\u201csleep-maker\u201d) may especially appreciate the dormio<\/i> virtues of tv entertainment, whenever we are feeling somnolent<\/i>.<\/p>\n

The verb salire<\/b>, saltus<\/b> has some interesting English derivatives: in its root form, salire<\/b> is related to words ranging from salmon<\/i> to Sault<\/i> Sainte Marie. As we\u2019ll see in Chapter 12,\u00a0\u00a780<\/a>, the present participle salient<\/i> means \u201cleaping\u201d; a salient<\/i> fact is one that comes jumping out to hit you. Something res<\/i>ilient<\/i> comes \u201cleaping back\u201d (resilire<\/b>, resultus<\/b>), with an obvious result<\/i>. To insult<\/i> is to jump upon someone\u2014etymologically, at least. To exult<\/i> is to leap out. There was an ancient circus rider called a desultor<\/b>, who \u201cleapt down\u201d from horse to horse; hence desultory<\/i> (\u201cleaping about\u201d). English somersault<\/i> is derived from supra<\/b> (\u201cabove\u201d) and saltus<\/b>, probably through Spanish. Assail,<\/i> assailant,<\/i> and assault<\/i> have come from ad<\/b> and saltus<\/b>, by French transmission.<\/p>\n

Because sentire<\/b> is a general verb of \u201cfeeling,\u201d it can be applied to any of the five senses<\/i>. A sentient<\/i> being (more correctly pronounced \u201csen-shunt\u201d than \u201csen-tee-ent\u201d) is one who has feeling. Sentimental<\/i> and sensational<\/i> are related words. A strong divergence of opinion may cause dissension<\/i> (\u201cfeeling apart\u201d), whereas a convergence of belief is consensus <\/i>(\u201cfeeling together\u201d)\u2014a pure Latin word that is often misspelled in English, because it is confused with the unrelated noun census <\/i>(\u201ca reckoning\u201d).<\/p>\n

A 1st conjugation verb not included on Table 9.1 is s<\/b>pirare<\/b>, spiratus<\/b> (\u201cbreathe\u201d), which is obviously related to the noun spiritus<\/b> (\u201cbreath\u201d). Aspire<\/i> (< ad-spirare<\/b>[2]<\/sup><\/a> ) is \u201cto breathe towards\u201d\u2014to desire eagerly\u2014a verb that gave rise to the noun aspiration<\/i>. In phonetics, the letter H is described as an \u201caspirate<\/i>.\u201d To conspire<\/i> is \u201cto breathe together,\u201d and to expire<\/i> (ex-spirare<\/b>) is to exhale (ex-halare<\/b>) one\u2019s last breath. It should be easy enough to work out the etymological meanings of inspiration, perspiration, <\/i>and respiration<\/i>.<\/p>\n

If you recall our exercise with cedere<\/b> and currere<\/b> in \u00a765<\/a>, you can perform similar feats <\/i>of wizardry with the important verb venire <\/b>(\u201ccome\u201d). These forms will get you started: advent, circumvene, circumvention, convene, convent, convention, contravene, <\/i>event, intervene, prevention, subvention<\/i>. Another basic verb of motion is gradi<\/b>, gressus<\/b>. What is the difference, if any, between a congress<\/i> and a convention<\/i>? Between a regression<\/i> and a recession<\/i>? Would you consider them both retrograde<\/i>? Is a digression<\/i> likely to be discursive<\/i>? And why is an egress<\/i> not the opposite of an invention<\/i>? (It is the same as an exit<\/i>, which comes from an irregular verb of motion that we haven\u2019t met.)<\/p>\n

These reflections suggest both the advantages and shortcomings of knowing Latin etymologies. Once you even partially realize the etymological history of complex English words, your control over their use will be enormously improved. On the other hand, it would be a mistake to think that knowing an etymological meaning will provide a guaranteed understanding of any English word. Occasionally it may be actually misleading to know what an English word should<\/i> mean, from the Latin point of view. In most cases, however, the verb root and the prefix, when considered together, will present a correct general image of the word. It will then be necessary to learn its precise connotations and typical usage by observing it in a good spoken or written context.<\/p>\n

There are no formal EXERCISES<\/strong><\/b> included with this chapter. Spend any available time studying the four tables of verb vocabulary, along with the earlier chart of prefixes.<\/p>\n

  1. The pharmaceutical symbol of a letter R with a cross on the downstroke is the medieval druggist\u2019s abbreviation for recipe<\/strong>, the command to take a prescription. ↵<\/a><\/li>
  2. The Latin prefix ad-<\/strong> will normally lose its -d-<\/strong> before the combination of initial s-<\/strong> and a consonant stop. Compare ascribere<\/strong> (< ad-scribere<\/strong>), E ascribe<\/em>, ascription<\/em>, and aspicere<\/strong> (< ad-spicere<\/strong>), E aspect<\/em>. ↵<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/div>","protected":false},"author":20,"menu_order":7,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"Chapter 9: The Latin Verb System","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[52],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-725","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry","chapter-type-numberless"],"part":585,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/greeklatinroots\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/725","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/greeklatinroots\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/greeklatinroots\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/greeklatinroots\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/greeklatinroots\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/725\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1888,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/greeklatinroots\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/725\/revisions\/1888"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/greeklatinroots\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/585"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/greeklatinroots\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/725\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/greeklatinroots\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=725"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/greeklatinroots\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=725"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/greeklatinroots\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=725"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/greeklatinroots\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=725"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}