English words become to us, that sentences composed entirely of English words are hardly intelligible; and, to make them quickly intelligible, we have to translate some of the English words into Greek or into Latin. It is well, however, for us to become acquainted with those pure English words which grew upon our own native roots, and which owe nothing whatever to other languages. For they are the purest, the simplest, the most homely and the most genuine part of our language; and from them we can get a much better idea of what our language once was than we can from its present very mixed condition. The following are the most important ENGLISH ROOTS AND BRANCHES (OR DERIVATIONS). Ac, an oak-acorn, Acton, Uckfield. Ban-a, a slayer-bane, baneful; ratsbane, Bead-an, to pray bedesman; beadle; bead ("to bid one's beads" was to say one's prayers; and these were marked off by small round balls of wood or glass -now called beads strung upon a string); forbid. Beat-an, to strike beat, bat (a short cudgel): battle; beetle (a wooden bat for beating clothes with); batter (a kind of pudding). berth; brood, brother, breed, bird; 3 burden; barrow. Bét-an, to make good-better, best; boot (in "to boot"="to the good"), boot. less. Bind-an, to bind-band, bond, bondage; Bit-an, to bite-bit; beetle; bait; bitter. blain), blast, blaze (to proclaim), blazon Blow-an, to blossom-blow (said of flowers); bloom, blossom; blood, blade; blowsy. Brec-an, to break-break, breakers; brake, bracken; breach, brick break - fust; brook (the water which breaks up through the ground); brittle (= brickle or breakable); bray (where the hard guttural has been absorbed). Breow-an, to brew-brew, brewer; broth, brose; bread (perhaps). 1 Compare brewster, a woman brewer, spinster, webster, and others. Brewster, Baxter, and Webster are now only used as proper names. 2 Cold Harbour was the name given to an inn which provided merely shelter without provisions. There are fourteen places of this name in England. Many of them stand on the great Roman roads; and they were chiefly the ruins of Roman villas used by travellers who carried their own bedding and provisions. See Isaac Taylor's 'Words and Places,' p. 256. 3 Brid or bird was originally the young of any animal. Bug-an, to bend-bow, elbow; 1 bough; | Drag-an, to draw drag, draw, dray bight; buxom (O.E. bocsum, flexible or obedient). The hard g in bigan appears as a w in bow, as a gh in bough, as a y in buy, as a k in buxom-buk-som. Byrn-an, to burn-burn, brown; brunt, brimstone; brand, brandy; brindled. Catt, a cat-catkin; kitten, kitling; caterpillar (the hairy cat, from Lat. pilosus, hairy), caterwaul. Ceapi-an, to buy-cheap, cheapen; chop (to exchange); a chopping sea; chap, chapman; chaffer; Eastcheap, Cheapside, Chepstow (=the market stow or place), Chippenham.2 Cenn-an, to produce-kin, kind, kindred; kindly; kindle. Ceow-an, to chew-chew; cheek; jaw (=chaw); jowl; chaw-bacon; cud (=the chewed). Compare seethe and suds. Cleov-an, to split-cleave, cleaver; cleft; clover (split grass). Clifi-an, to stick to cleave; clip (for keeping papers together); claw (by which a bird cleaves to a tree); club (a set of men who cleave together). Cnáw-an, to know - ken, know (=ken-ow -ow being a dim.); knowledge. Cnotta, a knot-knot, knit, net (the k having been dropped for the eye, as well as for the ear). Cunn-an, to know or to be able-can, con; cunning; uncouth. Cweth-an, to say-quoth; bequeath. Cwic, alive-quick, quicken; quickset; quicklime quicksilver; to cut to the quick. Dáel-an, to divide-deal (verb and noun), dole, deal (said of wood); dale, dell (the original sense being cleft, or separated). Dem-an, to judge-deem, doom; dempster (the name for a judge in the Isle of Man); doomsday; kingdom. Deór, dear-dearth; darling; endear. Dóan, to act-do; don, doff, dup (=do up or op-en); dout (= do out or put out); deed. Compare mow, mead; sow, seed. (three forms of the same word); draft (draught) drain; dredge; draggle; drawl. Drif-an, to push-drive; drove; drift, adrift. Drige, dry-dry (verb and adj.); drought; drugs (originally dried plants). Drinc-an, to soak-drink; drench (to make to drink). Compare sit, set; fall, fell, etc. Drip-an, to drip-drip, drop, droop; dribble, driblet. Dug-an, to be good for-do (in "How do you do?" and "That will do "); doughty. Eác, also-eke (verb and adv.); ekename (which became a nickname; the n having dropped from the article and clung to the noun). Eage, eye-Egbert (=bright-eyed); daisy (=day's eye); window (= wind-eye). Eri-an, to plough-ear (the old word for plough); earth (= the ploughed). Far-an, to go or travel-far, fare; welfare, fieldfare, thoroughfare; ferry ford. Feng-an, to catch-fang, finger, newfangled (catching eagerly after new things). Feówer, four-farthing; firkin; fourteen ; forty. Fleóg-an, to flee-fly, flight; flea; fledged. Fleót-an, to float-fleet (noun, verb, and adj.); float; ice-floe; afloat; flotsam 3 (things found floating on the water after a wreck). Fód-a, food-feed; food, fodder, foster; fath-er; forage (=fodderage), forager; foray (an excursion to get food). Freón, to love-freond = friend (the pres. part.) a lover; Fri-day (the day of Friya, the goddess of love); friendship, etc. Gal-an, to sing-gale, yeil; nightingale.4 Gang-an, to go-gang, gangway; ago. (The words gate and gait do not come from this verb, but from get.) Gnag-an, to bite- gnaw (the g has be 1 Elbow ell-bow. The ell was the forepart of the arm. 2 The same root is found in the Scotch Kippen and the Danish Copenhagen = Merchants' Haven. 3 "Flotsam and jetsam " mean the floating things and the things thrown overboard from a ship. Jetsam comes from Old Fr. jetter, to throw. (Hence also "jet of water"; jetty, etc. Jetsam is a hybrid-sum being a Scandinavian suffix. 4 The n in nightingale is no part of the word. It is intrusive and non-organic; as it also is in passenger, messenger, porringer, etc. come a w); gnat; nag (to tease), connected with nail. Graf-an, to dig or cut-grave, groove, grove (the original sense was a lane cut through trees); graft, engraft; engrave, engraver; carve (which is another form of the verb grave). found in the Naze, Sheerness, etc.); nostril nose-thirl (from thirlian, to bore a hole), nozzle; nosegay. Penn-an. to shut up or enclose-pen, pin (two forms of the same word); pound, pond (two forms of the same word): impound. Grip-an, to seize-grip, gripe; grasp; Pic, a point-pike, peak (two forms of the grab; grope. Gyrd-an, to surround-gird, girdle; gar den, yard, vineyard, hopyard. Hael-an, to heal - hale; holy, hallow, Allhallows; health; hail; whole,1 wholesome; wassail (= Waes hål != Be whole !) Hebb-an, to raise-heave, heave-offering; | heavy (that requires much heaving); heaven. Hlaf, bread-loaf; lord (hlaford loafward); lady (= hlaf-dige, from dig-an, to knead); Lammas (= Loaf-mass, Aug. 1; a loaf was offered on this day as the offering of the first-fruits). same word); pickets (stakes driven into the ground to tether horses to); pike, pickerel (the fish); peck, pecker. Ráed-an, to read or guess-rede (advice); riddle; Ethelred (=noble in counsel); Unready (Unrede, without counsel); Mildred (=mild in counsel). Reáf, clothing, spoil; reáfi-an, to rob-rob, robber; reave, bereave; reever; robe. Ripe, ripe-reap (to gather what is ripe). Scád-an, to divide shed (to part the hair); watershed. Sceap-an, to form or fashion-shape; ship (the suffix in friendship, etc.); scape (the suffix in landscape, etc.) - Leác, a leek-house-leek; garlic; hem- Sceót-an, to throw shoot, shot, shut lock. (=to shoot the bolt of the door); sheet (that which is thrown over a bed); shutter, shuttle; scud. Licg-an, to lie-lie; lay, layer; lair; outlay. Loda, a guide-lead (the verb); lode-star, lode-stone (also written loadstone). Mag-an, to be able-may, main (in "might and main "), might, mighty. Mang, a mixture-a-mong; mongrel; mingle; cheesemonger. Maw-an, to cut-mow; math, aftermath; mead, meadow (the places where grass is mowed). Món-a, the moon-month; moonshine. (This word comes from a very old root, ma, to measure. Our Saxon forefathers measured by moons and by nights, as we see in the words fortnight, se'nnight.) Naedurë, a snake-adder. The n has dropped off from the word, and has adhered to the article. Compare apron, from naperon (compare with napkin, napery); umpire, from numpire. The opposite example of the n leaving the article and adhering to the noun, is found in nag, from an äg; nickname from an ekename. Nasu, a nose-nose, naze, ness (all three different forms of the same word, and Scér-an, to cut-shear, share, sheer, shire, shore (all forms of the same word); scar, scare; score (the twentieth notch in the tally, and made larger than the others); scarify, sharp; short, shirt, skirt (three forms of the same word); shred, potsherd (the same word, with the r transposed); sheriff (= scir-geréfa, reeve of the shire); scrip, scrap, scrape. The soft form sh belongs to the southern English dialects: the hard forms, sc and sk, to the northern. Scuf-an, to push-shove, shovel, shuffle; scuffle; sheaf; scoop. Sett-an, to set, or make sit-set, seat; settle, saddle; Somerset, Dorset. Slag-an, to strike-slay (the hard g has been refined into a y), slaughter; slog, sledge (in sledge-hammer). Slip-an, to slip-slop; slipper, sleeve (into which the arm is slipped). Snic-an, to crawl-sneak, snake, snail (here the hard guttural has been refined away). Spell, a story or message-spell (= to give 1 The w in whole is intrusive and non-organic, as in whoop, and in wun (=one, so pronounced, but not so written). Before the year 1500 whole was always written hole; and in this form it is seen to be a doublet of hale. Holy is simply hole+y an account of or tell the story of the letters in a word); spell-bound; gospel (= God's spell). Stearc, stiff-stark; strong (a nasalised form of stark); string (that which is strongly twisted); strength; strangle. Stede, a place―stead, instead, homestead, farm-steading; steady; steadfast; bestead: Hampstead. Stic'i-an, to stick-stick, stitch (two forms of the same word), stake, stock, stockade; stock-dove; stock-fish (fish dried to keep in stock); stock-still. Stig-an, to climb-stair; stile; stirrup (= stigráp, or rope for rising into the saddle); sty (in pig-sty). Stow, a place--bestow; stowage, stowa way; Chepstow (= the place where a cheap or market is held); Bristol (the 1 and w being interchangeable). Stýr-an, to direct-steer, stern; steerage. Sundri-an, to part-sunder; sundry; asunder. (Compare sever and several.) Sweri-an, to declare-swear, answer (= andswerian, to declare in opposition or in reply to), forswear. Tred-an, to walk-tread, treadle; trade; tradesman, trade-win. Truwa, good faith-true, truth, troth, betroth. Twá, two-two, twin, twain; twelve (= two + lufan, ten); twenty; between; twig; twiddle; twine, twist, etc. Waci-an, to be on one's guard — wake, watch (two forms of the same word); awake, wakeful. Wad-an, to go-wade; waddle; Watling Street (the road of the pilgrims). The Eng. word wade is of the same origin as the Lat. vade in evade, invade, etc. Wana, a deficiency-wan, wane; want, wanton; wanhope (the old word for despair). Wef-an, to weave-weave, weaver; web, webster (a woman-weaver); cobweb; woof, weft (v, b, and f, being all labials). War, a state of defence-war, wary, aware (= on one's guard); warfare (going to war); ward, guard (a Norman - French doublet of ward); warden, guardian (the same). Wit-an, to know-wit, to wit; wise, wis Taec-an, to show-teach, teacher; token dom; wistful; witness; Witena-gemote (that which is shown); taught (when (= the Meeting of the Wise); y-wis (the the hard c reappears as a gh). past participle, wrongly written I wis). Tell-an, to count or recount-tell; tale,1 Wraest-an, to wrest - wrest, wrestle; talk; toll; teller. Teoh-an (or teón), to draw-tow, tug (two forms of the same word, the hard guttural having been preserved in the one); wanton (= without right upbringing). Compare wanhope despair; wantrust mistrust. Thaec, a roof-thatch; deck. = wrist. Wring-an, to force-wring, wrong (that which is wrung out of the right course). Wyrc-an, to work-work, wright (the r shifts its place). Wyrt, a herb or plant-wort; orchard (= wort-yard); wart (on the skin); St John's wort, etc. LATIN ROOTS. Those words with (F.) after them have not come to us directly from Latin; Acer (acris), sharp; acrid, acrimony, vine- Ago (actum), I do, act; act, agent, agile, gar (sharp wine, F.), eager (F.) Edes, a building; edifice, edify. agitate, cogent. Alo, I nourish; aliment, alimony. Equus, equal; equality, equator, equi- Alter, the other of two; alternation, subnox, equity, adequate, iniquity. altern, altercation. Ager, a field; agriculture, agrarian, pere- Altus, high; altitude, exalt, alto (It.), grinate. altar. 1 "And every shepherd tells his tale (= counts his sheep) Ambulo, I walk; amble, perambulator. Amo, I love; amity, amorous, amiable (F.), inimical. Angulus, a corner; angle, triangle, quadrangle. Anima, life; animal, animate, animation. Animus, mind; magnanimity, equanimity, unanimous, animadvert. Cerno (cretum), to distinguish; discern, discretion, discreet. Cingo (cinctum), I gird; cincture, succinct, precinct. Cito, I call or summon; citation, recite (F.), excite (F.), incite (F.) Civis, a citizen; city (F.), civic, civil, civilise, civilian. Annus, a year; annual, perennial, bien- Clamo, I shout; claim (F.), clamour, renial, anniversary. Aperio (apertum), I open; aperient, aper ture, April (the opening month). Appello, I call; appeal, appellation, ap pellant, peal (of bells). Aqua, water; aqueduct, aquatic, aqueous, aquarium. Arcus, a bow; arch, arc, arcade (Fr. It.) Ardeo, I burn; ardent, ardour, arson (F.) Ars (artis), art; artist, artisan (F.), artifice, inert. claim (F.), proclamation. Clarus, clear; clarify, declare, clarion, claret (F.) Claudo (clausum), I shut; clause, close (F.), exclude, seclusion. Clino, I bend; incline, decline, recline. Colo (cultum), I till; cultivate, arboriculture, agriculture. Cor (cordis), the heart; courage (F.), cordial (F.), discord, record. Corona, a crown; coronet, coroner, coronation, corolla. Corpus, the body; corps, corpse (F.), corpulent, corporation. Audio, I hear; audience, audible, auditory. Augeo (auctum), I increase; augment, Credo, I believe; credibility, credence (F.), author, auctioneer. miscreant (F.), creed, creditor. Barba, a beard; barb, barber, barbel (all Creo, I create; create, creation, recreathrough F.) tion, creature. Bellum, war; rebel, rebellious, bellig- Cresco, I grow; increase, decrease, increerent, bellicose. ment. Bis, twice; biscuit, bissextile, bisect, Crux (crucis), a cross; crucial, crucifix, bicycle. cruise (F.) Brevis, short; brevity, abbreviate, brief Cubo, I lie down; cubit, incubate, recum (F.), breviary, abridge (F.) Cado (casum), I fall; casual, accident. Cædo (cæsum), I cut, kill; precise, excision, decide. Candeo, I shine; candidus, white; candid, candidate, candle. Cano (cantum), I sing; cant, canticle, chant (F.), incantation. Capio (captum), I take; captive, accept, reception (F.), capacity. Caput, the head; capital, captain, cape, chapter (F.) Caro (carnis), flesh; carnal, carnival, carnivorous, carnation. bent. Culpa, a fault; culprit, culpable, exculpate, inculpate. Cura, cure; curate, curator, accurate, secure, incurable. Curro (cursum), I run; current, recur, excursion, cursory, course (F.), occur. Decem, ten; decimal, December, decimate. Dens (dentis), a tooth; dentist, dental, indent, trident. Deus, God; deity, deify, divine. Dico (dictum), I say; verdict, dictionary, dictation, indictment, ditto. Causa, a cause; causative, accuse (F.), Dies, a day; diary, diurnal, meridian. |