Friday, November 22, 2019
Secure and Sure
Secure and Sure Secure and Sure Secure and Sure By Mark Nichol Secure and sure, along with a handful of other words originating from those terms, share an etymology. These words are listed and defined in this post. The parent word is the Latin adjective securus, meaning ââ¬Å"free from care or danger.â⬠(The first element, se, means ââ¬Å"free fromâ⬠and is seen in secret, and the second is a form of cura, which means ââ¬Å"careâ⬠and is the source of cure.) Secure is both an adjective meaning ââ¬Å"safeâ⬠or ââ¬Å"fixed in positionâ⬠and a verb meaning ââ¬Å"to make safe or fixed.â⬠The noun form is security, extending in meaning to refer to a financial asset or document. The antonymic forms are insecure and insecurity, which also pertain to self-doubt; secure and security are also used in psychological contexts. Sure, from securus by way of Old French, means ââ¬Å"confident,â⬠ââ¬Å"firm,â⬠or ââ¬Å"reliableâ⬠or, informally, is a substitute for certainly or ââ¬Å"donââ¬â¢t mention itâ⬠in response to a request or an expression of gratitude; the antonym, in the more formal senses, is unsure. Idioms with sure as a foundation include ââ¬Å"for sureâ⬠(ââ¬Å"certainlyâ⬠or ââ¬Å"without a doubtâ⬠) ââ¬Å"sure enoughâ⬠(ââ¬Å"certainlyâ⬠), ââ¬Å"sure-footedâ⬠(ââ¬Å"confident in movementâ⬠), ââ¬Å"sure thingâ⬠(ââ¬Å"certainlyâ⬠), and ââ¬Å"to be sureâ⬠(ââ¬Å"admittedlyâ⬠). ââ¬Å"Sure thingâ⬠is also an idiomatic noun phrase pertaining to someone or something that is certain to succeed; the phrase ââ¬Å"sure betâ⬠is synonymous. A surety is a guarantee, and insurance refers to a guarantee of protection or safety. Assurance can also refer to a guarantee (including, in British English, what is referred to in American English as insurance in the sense of a contract guaranteeing protection against loss), but it also pertains to security or to confidence (as well as overconfidence). The noun ensurance is obsolete. Although there is some overlap in the meanings of these wordsââ¬â¢ verb forms, most writers observe the following distinctions: to assure is to convince, to ensure is to guarantee, and to insure is to make certain or safe. Meanwhile, reassure means ââ¬Å"assure againâ⬠or ââ¬Å"restore confidence,â⬠while reinsure means ââ¬Å"insure againâ⬠; there is no equivalent prefixed form of ensure. Similarly, one can be (better yet, remain) unassured and can be or remain uninsured, but unensured is rare. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:5 Uses of InfinitivesUse a Dash for Number RangesHonorary vs. Honourary
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.