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.’

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An adult white female designer sees the spiral form of a seashell and suddenly sketches a matching curved chair shape.
noun

inspiration

in-spuh-RAY-shuhn/ˌɪnspəˈreɪʃn/

An influence that sparks creative ideas or motivation.

Etymology
inLatinin, into, on, upon
+spirLatinbreathe or blow
+ationLatinan action, process, or result

The image of “breathing into” seems to have developed into imparting life or influence, especially divine influence. A creative inspiration similarly animates the mind, supplying an idea or impulse to act.

Full entry

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