Wordwyrt

investigate

/ˌɪnˈvestəˌɡeɪt/in-VEH-stuh-gayt
/ˌɪnˈvɛstəˌɡeɪt/in-VEH-stuh-gayt

Meaningto track footprints

Common meaning: to examine closely

‘in, into’ + ‘a footprint’ → investigate

Journey through time

  1. Latinvestīgium, -ī‘a footprint’
  2. Englishinvestigate‘to examine closely’ · today

in- also in: incestinciteinduceinfamyinfant

vestig also in: vestige

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin vestīgium ‘a footprint’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry vestīgium, p. 1981 · dictionary scan

Roots

Related words

vestige

Building blocks are an automatic split · open in app