The fix ‘Bene-‘

‘Bene’ in English is borrowed from Italian which means ‘good’ or ‘well’ and stems from it’s Latin Roots.

You can see this fix be used as a prefix for words such as;
Benedict
Benefit
Benediction
Benevolent
Benefactor
Beneficent
Beneficiary

As a side note, Benedict has the suffix ‘-dict’ which is related to diction or dictionary or dictator meaning “to decide or choose words”. To dictate is to give words to say what goes and what doesn’t, hence Dictators rule by saying backed by their power or force or other influences.

As a further side note, the word ‘Benedict’ could directly translate to ‘good word’. Which gives a nuance to the names with Benedict, like Pope Benedict or Benedict Arnold.

Point is, pay attention to the affixes and fixes that make up words and you can better grasp their origins, etymology, and meaning. It helps paint a story when you know the history of the words, giving you a better mastery and usage of a word and it’s various nuances in semantics and meaning.

Words are typically made up of fixes compounded together to form compound words. A root affix or root word is the foundation, and the prefixes or suffixes added to the word give it enhanced meaning or direction. From possible to im-possible, from bene-volent to male-volent.

Epilogue

Just another dive into some of the common English we may come across and their origins from the romance languages. Romance, meaning Roman and not the sort of contemporary Romance that we mean nowadays referring to courtship and love.

As such, words evolve over time, and if you know the origins and history of the words and their meanings, then you have a greater degree of control and truth in language and communication. Knowing the varied nuance and history of something allows one to feel the authority to speak boldly on it.

Just another dive in

Words Mean Things