DictionaryRoot: para-
Greek
para-
beside; beyond or contrary to
Forms
- para-
- par- — Used before a vowel in some Greek compounds.
Origin
Greek para, ‘beside; from beside,’ usually connected with reconstructed Proto-Indo-European *per-, ‘forward; beyond.’
Note
Being beside the usual path can suggest either a close parallel or a departure from the norm.
1 / 16
noun / verb
paragraph
PAIR-uh-graf/ˈpærəɡræf/
A distinct section of writing about one topic.
Etymology
Something “written beside” was originally a stroke marking a break in sense. The name shifted from that mark to the section of writing it identified.