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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verb

ascribe

uh-SKRYB/ʌskrˈaɪb/

To regard something as coming from a particular cause or source.

The gardener ascribes the broken branch to the strong wind.

An adult gardener points from a newly broken branch to a strong wind bending nearby trees, attributing the break to the wind, clear cause and judgment, no text.

Etymology

aLatinto, toward; addition; sometimes emphasis

+scribeLatinwrite

The pieces evoke writing something in or adding it to a written record. Latin already extended this image to attributing or crediting something to someone—the sense retained in English.

In context

Archaeological Research Facility, UC Berkeley24:18

religious cults and practices that took hold in rome with little or no repression or persecution now should we ascribe this to roman broad-mindedness and toleration

2020-10-28 Conkey et al. - Inequalities in the Ancient Mediterranean

More examples

She ascribes her success to years of practice.
The doctor ascribed his headaches to stress.
Scholars disagree about ascribing the unsigned poem to Dickinson.

Forms

ascribe · ascribes · ascribed · ascribing

Similar words

attribute: Expresses the same source connection in more everyday language.
credit: Usually assigns responsibility for a positive result or contribution.