Word stems

Question

What is the word stem for apprehensive ?

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

The attached information is from this online etymological dictionary.

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=apprehend&searchmode=none

Based on the parts I have shown in Bold Blue, I'd say the root is the Latin hendere .

This may be more information than you want. A simpler approach would be to say the stem is 'apprehend', or even just 'hend'. (ap + pre + hend)

apprehensive

late 14c., "fitted for mental impression," from M.L. apprehensivus, from L. apprehensus, pp. of apprehendere (see apprehend). Meaning "fearful of what is to come" is recorded from 1718, via notion of "capable of grasping with the mind" (c.1600).

apprehend
late 14c., "to grasp in the mind," from L. apprehendere "to take hold of, grasp," from ad- "to" + prehendere "to seize" (see prehensile). Metaphoric extension to "seize with the mind" took place in L., and was the sole sense of cognate O.Fr. aprendre (Mod.Fr. apprendre "to learn, to be informed about;" also cf. apprentice). Original sense returned in Eng. in meaning "to seize in the name of the law, arrest," recorded from 1540s, which use probably was taken directly from Latin.

prehensile
1781, from Fr. préhensile (Buffon), from L. prehensus, pp. of prehendere "to grasp, to seize," from præ- "before" + -hendere, related to hedera "ivy," via notion of "clinging," and cognate with Gk. khandanein "to take in, hold"

Clive

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