rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryRoot: -itas
Latin

-itas

a quality or state

Forms

  • -itas
  • -itat- — Latin stem used outside the basic noun form.
  • -ity — English form developed through French.

Origin

Latin -tas, a suffix for abstract nouns, with a preceding i; the suffix continues an older Indo-European abstract-noun formation.

Note

Turns a description into something that can be discussed as a quality in its own right.

162 / 231
Two neighboring houses stand very close together, with only a narrow garden path between their facing porches, illustrating nearness in place.
noun

propinquity

pruh-PING-kwuh-tee/prəˈpɪŋkwəti/

Nearness in place or time.

Etymology
propinquLatinnear, neighboring
+ityLatina quality or state

From “near,” propinquity names a state of closeness. Its early English use concerned kinship, showing that the nearness can connect people by relationship rather than physical distance.

Full entry

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