Saint Ignatius High School

Etymology Word of the Week

Director of Admissions Pat O'Rourke '90, a self-proclaimed "word nerd," brings you his Etymology Word of the Week. Every other week he presents an online Etymology lesson just for fun!

Etymology Word of the Week – As some of you know, in addition to working in the Admissions Office, I also teach Latin at Saint Ignatius and am something of a "word nerd."  Thus, each week, I’ll sneak a vocabulary word (sometimes derived from Latin, sometimes not) into the e-blast.  Here, then, is this week’s edition of the Etymology Word of the Week.  

Reputation - “the estimation in which a person or thing is held, especially by the community or the public generally.”  From the Latin verb reputare meaning “reflect upon” which combines the Latin prefix re- meaning “again, repeatedly” and the Latin verb puto, putare meaning “think, believe, judge” (all information is from www.wikipedia.org, www.etymonline.com and/or www.dictionary.com).

RELATED WORDS/PHRASES – computer, putative, repute, deputy, impute, dispute, possibly even amputate

SAMPLE SENTENCE - “If one acquires a bad reputation, it can take a lot of time (and good works) to change public opinion.”

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE - “Fall down 7 times, get up 8.” (Japanese proverb)