Word of the Day

Word of the Day for Tuesday, March 6, 2012
 appertain \ap-er-TEYN\,
verb:
 To belong as a part, right, possession or attribute. Natural rights are those which appertain to man in right of his existence.

Of this kind are all the intellectual rights, or rights of the mind, and also all those rights of acting as an individual for his own comfort and happiness… -- Thomas Paine, "Common Sense and Other Writings"

In all matters of discovery and invention, even of those that appertain to the imagination, we are continually reminded of the story of Columbus and his egg. -- Mary Shelley, "Frankenstein"

…and since Phillotson's success in obtaining at least her promise had become known to Jude, he had frankly recognized that he did not wish to see or hear of his senior any more, learn anything of his pursuits, or even imagine again what excellencies might appertain to his character. -- Thomas Hardy, "Jude the Obscure"

Appertain stems from the Old French word apertenir which meant "to belong." The prefix ap- is a variation of the prefix ad- which means "toward."

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