rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryRoot: in-
Latin

in-

in, into, on, upon

Forms

  • in-
  • im- — Used before b, m, or p in Latin.
  • il- — Used before l in Latin.
  • ir- — Used before r in Latin.
  • en- — Developed in French in some words later borrowed into English.

Origin

Reconstructed Proto-Indo-European *en, ‘in.’

Note

Identical spellings can hide two different prefixes: this one indicates position or direction, while the other means ‘not.’

225 / 306
An apparently sound wooden support post conceals extensive termite damage: an illustrative cutaway reveals branching galleries hollowing out the interior beneath a thin, intact surface.
adjective

insidious

in-SID-ee-uhs/ɪnˈsɪdiəs/

Causing harm gradually in a way that is hard to notice.

Etymology
inLatinin, into, on, upon
+sidLatinsit
+iousLatinfull of, having; characterized by

“Sitting in or on” led to the image of an ambush: lying in wait to entrap. Insidious harm similarly works deceptively, developing without making its danger obvious.

Full entry

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