rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryRoot: agere
Latin

agere

drive, set in motion; do

Forms

  • ag-
  • act- — Latin stem of the form meaning ‘done.’
  • -ig- — Used in some Latin compounds.

Origin

Reconstructed Proto-Indo-European *ag-, ‘drive; lead.’

Note

A root for driving things forward also came to describe performing an action.

23 / 32
Single wide modern courtroom scene showing a civil dispute being heard: opposing lawyers stand at separate tables presenting evidence to a seated judge while the two clients sit behind them; measured formal proceedings, papers with abstract marks only, no legible writing.
noun

litigation

lit-ih-GAY-shun/ˌlɪtɪˈɡeɪʃn/

The process of pursuing or defending a lawsuit in court.

Etymology
litLatindispute or lawsuit
+igLatindrive, set in motion; do
+ationLatinan action, process, or result

The roots picture “driving a suit” forward, while the ending names the activity. Litigation is thus the process of carrying a legal dispute through court.

Full entry

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