Latin Love, Vol III: capere

The big tree that has branched out from the root "capere," has given us many familiar words that you probably did not know were related: "captain," "capture," "receive/reception," "deceive/deception," and "conceive/conception, "accept," "except," and "participate" are some of its many far-flung fruits.
More Latin Love, Volume III lists:
seguire, specere, pendere, and littera!
ELA Common Core State Standard: "Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word."
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. capacity
    the amount that can be contained
    "Most existing factories are running at full capacity."
    The meaning of the root "cap-" that brings forth the word "capacity" is "contain." But we also use the word "capacity" to refer to the amount that a person can do or feel. We speak of a person having a great (or small) capacity to withstand pain, or to achieve a certain amount, or to forgive (or hold a grudge).
  2. captive
    a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war
    Two other men, David Parker and Paul Smith, were each jailed for 11 years for assaulting Ms Spence and holding her captive.
    The meaning of the root "capt-" that relates to "captive" is "to seize." "Captive" is the noun form of "capture." In the example sentence, the word "captive" is used to identify the victim of a kidnapping; but the word also converts to the verb "captivate," which usually means to be held captive not by a kidnapper or enemy combatant, but by an irresistible idea or story that takes hold of you.
  3. caption
    brief description accompanying an illustration
    There are also pictures, drawn by Timmy with funny captions.
    A "caption" is called a "caption" because it lays hold of, seizes, contains, the main idea of a picture. The caption "captures" the essence of a picture or cartoon, clarifying it in words.
  4. perceive
    become aware of through the senses
    Mr. Mitchell warned that U.S. universities needed to ensure that they were perceived as being safe.
    To "perceive" something is to understand its meaning through the senses, or through a subtle understanding of facts that you put together. "Perceive" is a verb whose noun form is "perception," following the pattern that we perceive in other words from this root, including "receive/reception," "conceive/conception," and "deceive/deception." Note the "ei" spelling pattern, which adheres the "i before e except after c" rule.
  5. conceit
    an elaborate poetic image comparing very dissimilar things
    He described common emotions and used simple language instead of far-fetched conceits. Mordell, Albert
    You may be familiar with the other meaning of "conceit," meaning "excessive bragging and vanity." In the example sentence, however, you see the word "conceit" used in its literary sense, in which it refers to figurative (non-literal) language to create a memorable image. A poem cannot be said to be "conceited" because a poem does not brag. But a poem may be said to be built upon a "conceit," such as a metaphor or exaggeration.
  6. concept
    an abstract or general idea inferred from specific instances
    A quiz, he recalls, could quickly determine which concepts students had not yet learned.
    A "concept" is an idea to be understood. "Concept" is a noun whose verb form is "conceive," following the pattern that we perceive in other words from this root, including "receipt/receieve," and "deceit/deceive." Note the "ei" spelling pattern, which adheres the "i before e except after c" rule.
  7. anticipate
    be excited or anxious about
    The outcome was exactly what many international and human rights lawyers had anticipated.
    To "anticipate" something is to grasp the fact that it is about to happen in the near future. Although you can anticipate something without having a strong feeling about it, usually the word is associated with an impending event that you consider important, either positively or negatively.
  8. susceptible
    yielding readily to or capable of undergoing a process
    Golfers are especially susceptible to bruising because so much that happens in the competitive arena is outside their control: playing conditions, odd bounces, competitors’ scores.
    The prefix "sus-" is a form of the prefix "sub-," meaning "under." To be "susceptible" is, in a sense, to be seized from some underhanded force. People are said to be susceptible to diseases or bad influences. The word "susceptible" has a negative connotation. It is unlikely that you will ever hear of a person being "susceptible" to good fortune or a good influence.
  9. precept
    a rule of personal conduct
    “Let’s just build a film company around the precepts we’ve developed.”
    With the prefix "pre-" meaning "before," and the root "-cept" meaning "to seize, lay hold of, or contain," when we speak of the "precepts" we refer to the beliefs about personal behavior that people have at the outset, the code of conduct that they live by. Another word for "precept" in this context is "tenet."
  10. emancipate
    free from slavery or servitude
    The newly emancipated people, struggling into the life of liberty, were disheartened. Various
    The prefix "e-" means "out of." Actually, this word has two roots: "man-" means "hand" (as in "manual" labor), and "cip-" means "seize" in this context. So, to be "emancipated" means "unhanded" in a sense, or, as it is used, free from bondage. The American document that officially freed the slaves was called the Emancipation Proclamation, signed by Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863.
  11. principle
    a basic generalization that is accepted as true
    They focus on principles, practices, values and attitudes, not hero worship. Forbes (May 30, 2013)
    A "principle" is a basic belief that forms the foundation for actions and beliefs. A principal is related to the root "cip-" in that principles form the essential containers that hold systems together.
  12. unprincipled
    having little or no integrity
    In another letter, speaking of this same man, Mr. Paine says: "If an unprincipled bully cannot be re- formed, he can be punished." Ingersoll, Robert Green
    To say that a person is "unprincipled" is to say, essentially, that no moral guidelines hold that person together, that he or she will just go and do anything, just for the moment or just for personal gain.
  13. reciprocal
    concerning each of two or more persons or things
    From three weeks onward, puppies show behaviors like wrestling, rolling over, biting, rearing and reciprocal chase. Scientific American (Dec 12, 2012)
    "Reciprocal" actions go back and forth, with one action returned for a similar one. In the example sentence, the puppies chase each other in turn, reciprocating a playful gesture. Essentially, "reciprocal" means "to seize again." The verb form, "reciprocate" is often used in the context of invitations: When you are invited to someone's graduation party, you are expected to reciprocate by inviting that person to yours, when you graduate.
  14. municipal
    relating to a self-governing district
    The city faces growing budget problems with pension healthcare costs for municipal workers expected to rise.
    In the example sentence, "municipal" workers are workers who are employed by some sort of city or town agency. The word "municipality" implies that a city or town is like a container of all of its citizens, while the word "principality" refers to state that is run by a monarch (specifically, a prince).
  15. participle
    a form of the verb used as an adjective
    It is by examples, rather than a definition, that we understand what a participle is, so here are examples: A "broken" clock; "freezing" cold; "torn" curtains; the "pouring" rain.
  16. intercept
    seize, interrupt, or stop something on its way
    The other was sent to the New York City mayor's office but intercepted at a mail sorting facility.
    Like the words "interruption" and "interference," an "interception" is a disruption of some kind of path or expected outcome.
Created on 六月 13, 2013 (updated 八月 15, 2019)

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