rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryRoot: -atio
Latin

-atio

an action, process, or result

Forms

  • -atio
  • -ation- — Latin stem used outside the basic noun form.
  • -ation — Borrowed into English through French and Latin.

Origin

Latin -a-, associated with one class of verbs, plus the action-noun suffix -tio.

Note

The same formation can name either doing something or what the action produces.

269 / 398
Two diverse business teams work toward agreement around a table with one shared unmarked document.
noun

negotiation

nih-goh-shee-AY-shun/nɪˌɡəʊʃiˈeɪʃn/

Discussion intended to reach an agreement.

Etymology
negLatinnot
+otiLatinease, leisure
+ationLatinan action, process, or result

“Not” and “leisure” underlie the Latin idea of business as a lack of leisure. Doing business expanded to bargaining, giving negotiation its sense of discussing and arranging the terms of an agreement.

Full entry

Related word entries