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I now proceed to the verb eo, to go, and its participle Itus, gone. From the present indicative we have " ambient" and " circumambient," signifying going about or round about; the prefix ambi in the first word signifying about, and in addition to it circum, around, in the latter. The words " ambition" and " ambitious" originally meant nothing more than the going about of candidates to solicit votes; but it has come to signify an inordinate desire of advancement. From the participle itus with the preposition circum, is formed the word "circuit," which means going round, and is applied to the portion of the kingdom about or around which the judges periodically go; and secondarily to the going round of the judges itself. " Circuitous" is
LECTURE III.
opposed to straight; it means going a round about way. " Exit" is a Latin word Anglicized, and is used in the margin of plays to mark the time when the actor goes off the stage. The word means he goes out, and the plural is " exeunt," they go out " Exit" is used as a noun in English, to describe a way out from, and is sometimes applied to a man's death, which is a going off the stage of life.* An "obituary" is a record of the dead; from obit, meaning he goes beyond, that is, passes out of this life. A " post-obit" bond means that which is not payable until after the death of the person named. To " ini-tiate" is to enter upon, to take the first step; and the " initials" are the first letters of a man's name. To "perish" is to go through, or thoroughly, expressed by per; and so is used to signify to go out, to die. In grammar, the tense which describes the time past is called the " preterite," which means that which has gone past or beyond (preter). " Sedition" is a going apart; and implies a departure from obedience, and a separation calculated to create dissension and discord among citizens,† A " trance" means a going, as it were, for a time,
* " A regard for fame becomes a man, more towards the exit than at his entrance into life."— Swift.
† "This term (sedition) literally means going apart; but because the Roman people, when they quarrelled with their rulers, used to retire to Mount Aventine, the term came to signify factious proceedings, and insurrectionary attempts."— Professor Sullivan's Dictionary.
LECTURE III. 63
of the soul out of the body; and to " entrance" or " intrance" is to cause to be in a state of ecstacy through any violent emotion. A " transit" is a going across, and in astronomy means the passage of the moon close by a planet, or that of a planet just by or under a fixed star. " Transient" and " transitory" designate things passing away; and " transition" is a going across from one state into another. In grammar, a verb is called " transi-tive" when it signifies an action having an effect on some object—going over to it; and it is " intransitive," when the action does not pass over to the object.
Erro to wander, forms the root of " err" and " errant," implying a wandering from the right way, as the negative " unerring" means the opposite. The same verb gives us " error" and " erroneous;" as also " aberration," signifying a wandering of the intellect from a man. From the participle errĀtus, wandered or erred, we have " erratic," that is wandering; and an error of the press is noted as an " erratum" (plural " errata") at the end of a publication.
EstĬmo, or rather, ÆstĬmo, to rate or value, and ÆstimĀtus, rated, give the words " esteem," " estimable," " estimation;" and " inestimable," that upon which the price cannot be set, on account of its exceeding value.
There is perhaps no Latin verb that gives us
more English words than facio, to do or make,
LECTURE III.
with its participle factus, made, to which we may unite fio (fieri), to become, or to be made. A " fact" is a deed that is done; and a " factor" is an agent, a doer for another. The term " faction" is applied to those who would do one thing, in opposition to those who would do another. Such persons are themselves " factious," and they act " factiously." " Factitious" means made by art, as distinguished from what is natural. A " factory" is a house of " factors," or makers of any thing; from hence also we have " manufacture" and "manufactory;" but these belong to the class of words compounded of nouns and verbs. That which may be easily done is said to be " fea-sible;" but this is through the French, as is also " feat," meaning an exploit or a deed well done; and "fait accompli" lately adopted into English, and meaning an accomplished fact, A " fit" meant formerly a feat, and in old romances and songs the divisions of the piece were called " fittes" as they are now called " acts." A good " fit" means a thing well made—does it do? and does it fit? are equivalent expressions. That which is " fitting" it is correct to do, and that which is so performed is " fittingly" done. A command is sometimes called a " fiat," which is the imperative mood of fieri, to be done. To " affect" is to make or do towards; and means to act upon, as on one's feelings. Shakspeare uses it, in the sense
LECTURE III. 65
of being fond of or aiming at.* The sub-derivatives " affectedly" and "affectation" are now applied to the assumption of deceitful appearances, and always imply false pretence and self-conceit. On the other hand, " affection" and " affectionate" are applied to that which is real, conveying the idea of kind and benevolent feelings. " Disaffected" and " disaffection" imply a want of affection, discontent, and dissatisfaction. An " affecting" tale is one that works upon the feelings. An " artifice" means that which is done by art, and is applied to cunning tricks. An " artificer" is an artist, one who works by art; and flowers, &c. are " artificial" when made by art to imitate nature. " Beatific" is that which makes happy; but it belongs to words compounded with adjectives; as do " benefactor," "benefaction," " benefice," " beneficial," and " benefit," to words compounded with the adverb bene, well, and facio, or fio, to make or cause to be done. A " confectioner" is one that makes up diverse things together, and " confectionary" is the name of the article so made or mingled together. "Counter-feit" means made against, that is, wrongfully or
*".... If I affect it more,
Than as your honour and as your renown, Let me no more from this obedience rise."— Henry TV. " Tell me, wherein have I offended most? Have I affected wealth, or honour?"
Henry VI. Part 2, Act iv.
66 LECTURE III.
in opposition to, as forging the coin of the realm. It signifies also, generally, to assume or pretend to a sameness.* This word, however, like others with the preposition contra as a prefix changed to counter is derived to us through the French. " Defeat" is the opposite to a " feat," or successful exploit, and as a verb means to undo. Similar to this is the signification of " defect," which means any thing left undone, and therefore wanting— " defective" or "deficient." A want or deficiency is also called a "deficit," which is a Latin word introduced into English, without any change, meaning, it is wanting. An " edifice" means a building, compounded of a noun meaning a house, with facio, to make. The verb to " edify," as also the noun " edification," is used in a metaphorical sense,meaning to build up in knowledge, virtue, or religion; and hence to instruct and improve. The words " effect," " eftectual," " efficacy," " efficiency," and their sub-derivatives, have reference
* Shakspeare describes sleep as " death's counterfeit" (Macbeth, Act. ii.); and makes Falstaff play upon the word in an amusing manner, where he has escaped the sword of Douglas, by feigning himself dead:—
"'Twas time to counterfeit... Counterfeit! I lie—I am no counterfeit. To die is to be a counterfeit; for he is but the counterfeit of a man, who hath not the life of a man; but to counterfeit dying, when a man thereby liveth, is to be no counterfeit; but the true and perfect image of life indeed.... How if he (Hotspur) should counterfeit, too, and rise? I am afraid he would prove the better counterfeit" — Henry IV. Part 1, Act. v. sc. 4.
LECTURE III. 67
to that which is well and thoroughly done; and so to " effect" any object is to accomplish it. " Effects " in the plural are things acquired, and " effectually " attained. To " forfeit" any thing is to do away with it, to lose it. This word has come to us through the French, as do generally words from facio or f io terminating in eit. To "infect" is to taint with some pernicious quality; the literal meaning of the word being to make in or within. An " office " is that which ought to be performed or done—what one is bound to do, any service or employment. The word is also applied to the place where " official" acts are done; and they who perform those acts are called " officials." An " officious" person is one who makes himself busy with doing things, or with meddling in other people's business. An "officer" is one who does the duties of an office; and to " officiate" is to perform the duties assigned. "Perfect" means " thoroughly" done; of which the opposite is " imperfect,"* as " inefficient" is not "efficient" and " insufficient" is opposed to " suf-ficient." This latter word means " sufficing," that is, acting adequately. The word seems to mean to do any thing under another, to supply the place
* It is curious to observe how negatives are capriciously formed, sometimes by the prefix im and sometimes by un. A singular instance of this is to be found in the case of the opposite to perfect, which in the Prayer book version of the Psalms is " imperfect," and in the Authorized version of the same place " unperfect."— (Ps. exxxix. 16.)
LECTURE III
of another, and to do as well as the other could. " Proficient" and " proficiency " imply making progress, getting on; " profit " and " profitable " are of similar signification,— making forward, that is, advancing and thereby attaining benefits. To " refect" is to make again; and a " refectory " is the place where a "refection" that restores strength to the body is to be had; which there-fore goes by the name of refreshment as mak-ing one fresh again. To " refit" is to fit or make up again, to re-furnish with things fitting.
There are many words formed from the verbs we have been now consideriug, in composition with substantives, which do not at present come under consideration. It may, however, be proper here to notice, that the verbs f io and fieri supply the suffix or affix fy, much in use in addition to adjectives and substantives, in the composition of English words. I shall only enumerate some of these, reserving the more particular consideration of them for future Lectures on words compounded of substantives and adjectives united to verbs. Of such are the following verbs:—
Amplify, beautify, certify, deify, edify, fortify, glorify, horrify, indemnify, justify, liquify, magnify, nullify, ossify, purify, qualify, rectify, satisfy, terrify, unify,* verify.
It will be observed that at least one word with
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Torment with ease, and soonest recompense Dole with delight."—Milton: Paradise Lost. ‡ English Roots. Third Edition, page 149. | | | To make one.—Bailey and Richardson. |