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ImageSMART TALK

by Dr. Tilde Cedilla



DISCREET/DISCRETE: At the Center for English as a First Language, we frequently treat word pair confusion in patients who thought English really was their first language. But they pour over documents they should be poring over and assure their lovers they're being discrete.

An ignorance of Latin is a terrible handicap when learning Romance languages such as my native Spanish. But English, even though it's a Germanic language, is full of words with Latin roots, such as "discrete." The "crete" part comes from a Latin word for grow or increase.

Knowing that makes me think a crescent moon is always a waxing moon, and a waning crescent is an oxymoron, but we've lost that distinction. The "crete" in "discrete" still means grow, however, so "concrete" means grown together or solid, and "discrete" means grown apart, or clearly separate.

The "creet" part of "discreet" also comes from Latin, this time meaning discern or distinguish, so "discreet" would mean not discerned, or hidden, which leads to our modern meaning of judicious, prudent, or unobtrusive.

So discrete lovers might or might not be discreet, but they're certainly not in love with each other.

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