rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryRoot: trans-
Latin

trans-

across, beyond; from one side to another

Forms

  • trans-
  • tra- — Shortened in some Latin compounds.
  • tres- — A later French development in some borrowings.

Origin

Connected with reconstructed Proto-Indo-European *terh₂-, ‘cross; pass through.’

Note

Crossing a boundary can become a metaphor for changing a condition or category.

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An unlabeled map of North America with one continuous railway spanning the landmass from the Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast.
adjective

transcontinental

tranz-kahn-tih-NEN-tuhl/ˌtrænzˌkɑːntɪˈnentl/

Crossing or spanning a continent.

Etymology
transLatinacross, beyond; from one side to another
+continentEnglishmajor landmass
+alEnglishconnected with

Continental means relating to a continent; adding trans- makes the relationship one of crossing. The word therefore describes something extending across the landmass, not merely situated somewhere within it.

Full entry

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