Saturday, April 25, 2015

The English Word 'Consider'

The English word 'consider' may not seem like much and yet its word origin is pretty neat! The Latin is considerare. You break it up into 'con' + 'sider'.

'Con' is variation from the Latin 'com' or 'cum'. Literally: together, with, jointly, etc.

'Siderare' or 'sider' ultimately stems from the Latin 'sidius' meaning star group or constellation. The Latin 'sidereus' means star. And you get another English word 'sidereal' from this stem which literally means 'belonging to the stars'.

You mix 'con' and 'sider' so to get literally 'with the stars' or 'with the star group'.

So the idea is that when one performs the verb to consider, one thinks in a manner from above 'with the stars'. As if looking down from your majestic, lofty and detached brain!

Well hopefully!

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