PREFIXES

1. for-

ROOTS

1. tangere [Latin] -tact-

a latin verb meaning "to touch" as in:

 

con.tact: the act or state of touching; a touching or meeting, as of two things or people.

in.tact: not altered, broken, or impaired; remaining uninjured, sound, or whole; untouched; unblemished: The vase remained intact despite rough handling.

[1150–1200; < L t!ctus sense of touch, equiv. to tag-, var. s. of tangere to touch + -tus suffix of v. action]

SUFFIXES

1. -let [Latin]

a diminutive suffix attached to nouns (booklet; piglet; ringlet), and, by extraction from bracelet, a suffix denoting a band, piece of jewelry, or article of clothing worn on the part of the body specified by the noun (anklet; wristlet). As in: booklet, bullet(ball + -let), cloudlet, droplet, eyelet, hamlet(home + -let), leaflet, medalet, sparklet

[ME -let, -lette < MF -elet, equiv. to -el (< L -!le, neut. of -!lis -AL1 (cf. BRACELET) or < L -ellus dim. suffix; cf. -ELLE, CHAPLET) + -et -ET]

WORD EXAMPLES

1. catastrophe: 

   [1570–80; < Gk katastroph£ an overturning, akin to katastréphein to overturn. See CATA-, STROPHE]

2. compute:

   [1375–1425 for earlier sense; 1580–90 for def. 6; (v.) < L comput!re, equiv. to com- COM- + put!re to think; (n.) late ME < MF < LL computus calculation, number, n. deriv. of comput!re; cf. PUTATIVE, COUNT1]

3. acrobat: (acro- height, tip end, extremities of the body)

   [1815–25; < F acrobate < Gk akróbatos walking on tiptoe, equiv. to akro- ACRO- + -batos, verbal adj. of ba#nein to go; F word may be recoinage, or etymological reading of the Gk word]

4. innocent:

   [1150–1200; ME < L innocent- (s. of innoc"ns) harmless, equiv. to in- IN-3 + noc"ns prp. of noc"re to harm; see -ENT; cf. NOXIOUS]

5. comprehend:

   [1350–1400; ME comprehenden < L comprehendere, equiv. to com- COM- + prehendere to grasp; see PREHENSILE]

6. section:

   [1550–60; < L secti$n- (s. of secti$) a cutting, equiv. to sect(us) (ptp. of sec!re to cut; see SAW1) + -i$n- -ION]

7. anthology:

   a book or other collection of selected writings by various authors, usually in the same literary form, of the same period, or on the same subject: an anthology of Elizabethan drama; an anthology of modern philosophy.

   [1630–40; < L anthologia < Gk: collection of poems, lit., gathering of flowers, equiv. to anthológ(os) flower-gathering (antho- ANTHO- + -logos, adj. deriv. of légein to pick up, collect) + -ia -IA]

QUOTES & OTHERS

• To acquire knowledge, one must study, but to acquire wisdom, one must observe - Marilyn vos Savant, author

• A couplet from Nomad Soul

Before a warrior comes his sword;

There is no thought but a poet's word.

 

No matter how great a fighter you are, to fight great, you should have an excellent sword.

No matter how great you think, to be deemed great, you should have excellent language control.

• mens sana in corpore sano

Latin for "a sound mind in a sound body"

• LUCIFER word of the week (-fer to bear, to bring | as in offer)

1. a proud, rebellious archangel, identified with Satan, who fell from heaven
2. the planet Venus when appearing as the morning star

[bef. 1000; ME, OE < L: morning star, lit., light-bringing, equiv. to l%ci- (s. of l%x) light + -fer -FER]

WHAT'S NEXT?

1. Interesting Word Etymologies
2. Mythology and Etymology
3. Edgar Allan Poe - Annabel Lee
4. Shakespearean English - To The Extremes