Derivation of English Words.
Of course the Saxon forms the basis of our language in its essential parts, and is the source whence we derive the greater part of our ordinary and most emphatic words. Nevertheless, various other languages have been put under contribution, especially the French, Latin, and Greek. This will be evident from the following statement of derivations, which will show the unlearned reader how important it is to him that he should acquire some knowledge of those languages, if he desires to attain to a thorough proficiency in his business as an educated printer.
I. From the Greek are derived—
1. Words ending in gram, graph, and graphy; as, telegram, telegraph, geography, &c.; from the word γράφω, (grapho,) I write, and some other Greek word.
2. Those in gon; from γωνια, (gonia,) an angle; as, octagon.
3. All words in logue or logy; as, epilogue, astrology; from λόγος, (logos,) a discourse.
4. Ic, ick, ics are also Greek terminations, generally of adjectives.
5. Words in meter are all of Greek origin, coming from the verb μετρῶ, (metro,) I measure, in combination with some other word.
6. Most words into which the terminations agogue, asis, esis, or ysis enter are also of Greek origin; such as demagogue, emphasis, parenthesis, analysis, &c.
II. But the main source whence we have derived words, with the exception of the Saxon, is the Latin, as will appear from an inspection of the following list:—
1. Words ending in ance, ancy, or ant, and ence, ency, or ent, come from Latin words ending respectively in ans, antia, or ens, entia; as, abundance, from abundantia; infancy, from infantia; abundant, from abundans; absence, from absentia; excellency, from excellentia; and excellent, from excellens.
2. Words in al have their Latin representatives in alis; as, corporal, from corporalis.
3. Verbs in ate mostly come from Latin verbs of the first conjugation; as, moderate, from modero.
4. Words in ator are generally the same in both languages; as, orator, senator, moderator.
5. The termination id comes mostly from Latin words ending in idus; as, acid, from acidus; but sometimes words of this ending are of Greek origin; as, oxide, (more correctly, oxyd,) from ὀξὺς, (oxys;) and, indeed, most scientific words of this ending; as, carotid, from καρώτιδες, &c.; rhomboid, from ῥομβοειδής.
6. Il or ile is likewise from the Latin termination of adjectives in ilis; as, docile, from docilis; civil, from civilis.
7. The Latin termination osus has its English representative in ious or ous; as, copious, from copiosus; numerous, from numerosus. But sometimes the English ending ous comes from a Latin word in ax; as, capacious, from capax.
8. The Latin ending io has its English corresponding word in ion; as, nation, from natio; oration, from oratio.
9. The endings ne, re, and te after a vowel are also for the greater part of Latin origin; as, fortune, from fortuna; aquiline, from aquilinus; culture, from cultura; pure, from purus; complete, from completus, &c.
10. Words in ty come from Latin words in tas; as, equality, from æqualitas; bounty, from bonitas; rarity, from raritas, &c.
11. The termination ude is also of Latin origin, coming from words in udo; as, fortitude, from fortitudo; elude, from eludo.
12. So also is uous, by inserting the letter o; as, ambiguous, from ambiguus; continuous, from continuus, &c.
III. From the French have come—
1. Most of our words in age; as, page, rage, usage.
2. All those in eau; as, beau, flambeau, &c.
3. The French esse is represented by the English ess: as, princess, from princesse.
4. Words in que mostly come to us from the French directly; some from the Latin directly or indirectly; as, antique, (L. antiquus, F. antique,) oblique, opaque.
5. Words ending in ment are nearly the same in both languages; as, commencement, advancement, (F. avancement,) &c.