rhizoverbBeta
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.

263 / 297
A nurse calmly reassures an anxious patient with a confident steady gaze and comforting hand gesture, doubt easing, no speech text.
noun

assurance

uh-SHOOR-uns/əˈʃʊrəns/

Confidence that something is certain or dependable.

Etymology
asLatinto, toward; addition; sometimes emphasis
+surLatinsafe, secure
+anceOld Frencha state, condition, or action

The root “safe, secure” underlies the idea of making someone feel sure. A pledge or promise provides that security, so an assurance is a statement intended to replace doubt with confidence.

Full entry

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