Latin Love: via

In Latin, the word for "road" or "way" is "via." True to our roots, in English, we say that we go from New York to Florida via Interstate Highway 95.
More Latin Love, Volume I lists:
vocare, portare, sci, and struere!
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. envoy
    someone on a mission to represent another's interests
    In May 1983, Reagan named him special envoy for Central America with the rank of ambassador at large. Washington Post (Jul 31, 2019)
    An envoy is a kind of ambassador, a representative. Envoys are sent out on the road to do something, not for themselves, but for someone else.
  2. impervious
    not admitting of passage or capable of being affected
    The outlet was blocked with some barrier, but not of stone: soft and a little yielding it seemed, and yet strong and impervious; air filtered through, but not a glimmer of any light. The Two Towers
    The prefix im- means "not," while per means "through" — so to be impervious is to have the ability to block the way through.
  3. devious
    characterized by insincerity or deceit
    Equal parts charismatic and devious, he was a Wall Street washout with a knack for numbers and, according to those who worked with him, a mind set on deceit. Washington Post (Aug 10, 2019)
    The prefix de- means "away; off." This word was originally used in a literal sense to mean "out of the way" or "departing from the main route" before it came to have its current meaning.
  4. deviate
    be out of line with
    "They deviated from traditional lab practice in this particular case," Smith said. Scientific American (Oct 11, 2011)
    To deviate is to take a turn from the main path or way. You can deviate in a literal sense, as when you deviate from the marked hiking trail and forge your own path through the woods, or you can deviate in a figurative sense, as when you deviate from a recipe and add your own interesting blend of spices.
  5. previous
    of the immediate past
    He had three hits in his previous 31 at-bats. Seattle Times (Apr 30, 2013)
    Pre- means "before," and that which is previous is just before where you are now on the road of time.
  6. obvious
    easily perceived by the senses or grasped by the mind
    Ivy used the few seconds to look for some obvious sign of betrayal, like it would show up as a red mark on June’s forehead or arm or something. Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World
    One meaning of the prefix ob- is "in front of," so something obvious is literally in front of you or in your way.
  7. obviate
    prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening
    There are many factors which inhibit sleep that must be removed or at least obviated. Walsh, James J. (James Joseph)
    The prefix ob- can mean "to block" and to obviate something is to block it from happening.
  8. trivial
    of little substance or significance
    “So I time every single one of our training sessions, no matter how small or trivial it might seem. Got that, wild card?” Warcross
    The prefix tri means "three," and the word trivia originally referred to the junction of three roads. In ancient times, it was said that folks would gather at such crossroads and exchange small talk. For that reason, the word trivial has come to mean "petty or unimportant," just like those brief roadside conversations.
  9. deviant
    markedly different from an accepted norm
    Such tattoos were stigmatized “as impure, deviant and uncivilized,” she writes in one of the few academic papers on the subject. Los Angeles Times (Apr 16, 2019)
    Someone or something that is deviant has strayed "away" or "from" (de-) the accepted way of doing things.
  10. convoy
    a procession of land vehicles traveling together
    The driver pulled his taxi over to let pass another long convoy of Soviet jeeps and armored vehicles. A Thousand Splendid Suns
    Con- means "together" and voy is a form of via, "road" — so a convoy is a group of vehicles moving together in a line down a road.
Created on Sat May 04 09:02:09 EDT 2013 (updated Wed Aug 28 17:30:00 EDT 2019)

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