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DictionaryRoot: ad-
Latin

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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A South Asian nurse gently applies a cold compress to a white patient's swollen ankle, easing discomfort.
verb

alleviate

uh-LEE-vee-ayt/əˈliːvieɪt/

To make pain or difficulty less severe.

Etymology
alLatinto, toward; addition; sometimes emphasis
+leviateLatinlight in weight

The central image is making a burden lighter. The Latin verb could mean lifting up or lightening a burden, which also expressed comforting someone or easing suffering.

Full entry

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