Assume, like presume, has taken on various senses in its history. When we say ‘I assumed he will not be interested’ we are using it in a similar sense as presume (i.e. take it for granted) and when someone assumes an office or new responsibilities he is taking on new responsibilities […]
Latin Origin
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Latin for sew is suere. If we add the prefix con- to it we get consuere (i.e. to sew together) from which derives the French word couture and the related term haute couture. Earlier couture simply referred to the art of dress making. Now it’s often used specifically to refer […]
Presumption, like presume, can be used in various senses such as overconfidence or arrogance (his presumption in announcing a date for their engagement without waiting for a confirmation from her, made her really angry), supposition (my judgment is based on the presumption that humans act rationally and in their own […]
Lt sumere means to take (or buy) and if we add prefix con- to it we get the root for consume (as in, he was consumed by jealousy i.e. taken or eaten up) and consumption (high consumption of red meat has been linked to heart diseases). Replacing con- with pre- […]
Did you know: Prolific comes from French prolifique, which is in turn derived from Latin proles (progeny or offspring) + root of facere (to make). A prolific artist, thus, is one who makes/produces many works of art and prolific growth signifies abundant growth. From the same root we also get the word proliferate (multiply, grow fast), […]