Word families: six Latin roots hiding in plain sight
The cheapest way to grow a vocabulary is to stop learning words one at a time. Latin roots come in families — learn the root once and every sibling gets easier. Six families, all living in Verba's corpus:
aequus — “even”
An even mind, an even claim:
mental calmness and composure, especially in a difficult situation
She received the difficult diagnosis with a calm equanimity that startled her doctors.
to use ambiguous or unclear language deliberately in order to avoid committing to a definite position
Pressed for a yes or no, the senator equivocated for a full minute.
clemens — “mild”
Mildness in judges and in weather:
mercy or leniency shown by someone with the authority to punish
The governor granted clemency to the aging inmate just weeks before his execution date.
(of weather) harsh, stormy, and unpleasantly severe
The flight was delayed due to inclement weather over the mountains.
circum — “around”
Words that circle:
the use of many words where fewer would do, especially to avoid saying something directly
Rather than admit the error, the memo buried it in circumlocution.
wary and cautious, carefully considering all circumstances before acting or speaking
Burned once by a bad deal, he grew circumspect about signing anything without a lawyer's review.
to walk all the way around something, often as a ritual or deliberate act
Pilgrims circumambulate the temple three times before entering.
trans — “across”
Words that cross:
to travel across or through an area, especially one that is wide or difficult
The expedition took six weeks to traverse the ice field on foot.
to move or pass from one place, state, or body to another
Entire villages transmigrated to the new settlement when the river changed course.
vagari — “to wander”
Wanderers, literal and mental:
a person who wanders from place to place without a settled home or job
He'd been a vagabond since twenty, sleeping in hostels and freight yards across three continents.
an unpredictable or erratic instance of behavior, opinion, or change
Crop yields depended entirely on the vagaries of the mountain weather.
peregrinus — “foreigner, traveler”
The traveling root:
a journey, especially one that is long, winding, or taken through foreign places
His memoir traces a decade of peregrinations across four continents.
a journey made to a place of deep personal or religious significance
Every autumn she made a pilgrimage back to the house where her grandmother had raised her.
Once you see the root, you can never unsee it — and the next unfamiliar word wearing it is already half-learned. Verba's entries carry their roots with them, so every word you meet quietly teaches its relatives.
