ad-

to, toward; addition; sometimes emphasis

Forms

ad-
ac- — Used before c in Latin.
af- — Used before f in Latin.
ag- — Used before g in Latin.
al- — Used before l in Latin.
ap- — Used before p in Latin.
ar- — Used before r in Latin.
as- — Used before s in Latin.
at- — Used before t in Latin.

Origin

Reconstructed Proto-Indo-European *ad, ‘to; near.’

Note

Later Latin-based spellings sometimes restored consonants that had disappeared in French.

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noun

affinity

uh-FIN-ih-tee/əˈfɪnəti/

A natural tendency to be drawn to or connect with something.

Their shared delight in birdwatching reveals a natural affinity between them.

Two adult women, one white and one East Asian, spontaneously lean together with warm interest over a shared birdwatching sight, binoculars lowered and matching delighted gestures.

Etymology

afLatinto, toward; addition; sometimes emphasis

+finLatinboundary or end

+ityLatina quality or state

'Toward a border' gives the image of adjoining, which also described kinship by marriage. This closeness extended figuratively to a natural attraction or connection resembling family ties.

In context

media.ccc.de2:06

uh when talking about phone boxes between wanting to own them uh as a subculture. So, um I think within this context subculturally we um have a kind of great affinity to the phone box.

Ben Dalton: Superheroes Still Need Phoneboxes

More examples

The artist's affinity for color appears in every painting.
This molecule has a strong affinity for the receptor.
Their shared experiences created unexpected affinities between the two writers.

Forms

affinity · affinities

Similar words

attraction: Emphasizes being drawn toward something rather than an underlying connection.
kinship: Emphasizes shared qualities or a feeling of close relationship.