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DictionaryRoot: spirare
Latin

spirare

breathe or blow

Forms

  • spirare
  • spirat- — The form used for completed action and its derivatives.

Origin

Latin spirare belongs to an old family associated with breathing and blowing; its earliest formation is uncertain.

Note

Breath could represent life itself, helping the family develop both physical and spiritual meanings.

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A young adult Black aspiring musician practices a violin diligently beside a closed concert-hall stage door, looking toward the stage with ambition.
noun / adjective

aspirant

AS-puh-runt/ˈæspɝʌnt/

Seeking a position or achievement, or a person doing so.

Etymology
aLatinto, toward; addition; sometimes emphasis
+spirLatinbreathe or blow
+antLatindoing or being something

‘Breathe toward’ became ‘strive to reach,’ with the image explained as panting with desire, or perhaps rising smoke. The participial form names someone engaged in that striving: a candidate or seeker.

Full entry

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