| Front | propinquity \pruh-PING-kwih-tee\ |
|---|---|
| Back | noun Nearness in space, time or relationship. ["Propinquity" and its cousin "proximity" are related through the Latin root "prope," which means "near." That root gave rise to "proximus" (the parent of "proximity") and "propinquus" (an ancestor of "propinquity"). "Proximus" is the superlative of "prope" and thus means "nearest," whereas "propinquus" simply means "near" or "akin," but in English "propinquity" conveys a stronger sense of closeness than "proximity." (The latter usually suggests a sense of being in the vicinity of something.) The distinctions between the two words are subtle, however, and they are often used interchangeably. "Propinquity" is believed to be the older of the two words, first appearing in English in the 14th century; "proximity" followed a century later.] "I believe that ... propinquity of descent, -- the only known cause of the similarity of organic beings, -- is the bond, hidden as it is by various degrees of modification, which is partially revealed to us by our classifications." |
Tags: priorityhigh
Learn with these flashcards. Click next, previous, or up to navigate to more flashcards for this subject.
Next card: Badinage bad-n-ahzh noun light playful talk banter
Previous card: Ponere meaning verb put prefix place merchants apposite
Up to card list: Hard English Vocabulary