RAMIFY

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Dr. Goodword
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RAMIFY

Postby Dr. Goodword » Sat Apr 06, 2013 10:53 pm

• ramify •

Pronunciation: ræm-ê-fai • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Verb, intransitive

Meaning: 1. To branch out, to extend multiple branches, to split up in a branching manner. 2. To have consequences.

Notes: Today's Good Word belongs to a large family of related words referring to various types of branching. We are all familiar with the noun, ramification, but do we all realize that this noun also means "branching" and "all the branches on a tree"? The family includes two adjectives: ramiform "having a branching shape" and ramiferous "having branches".

In Play: Anything that sends out shoots or branches also ramifies: "The road through the woods ramified at several points, causing Francine to lose her way." It is also the case that anything with consequences ramifies: "The failure of the committee to reach a decision ramified in ways no one wished to think about."

Word History: English borrowed today's Good Word from French ramifier, a reduction of Latin ramificare. This verb originated as a compound verb containing ramus "branch" + -ficare, a reduction of facere "do, make". (In fact, all English verbs ending on -ify owe their suffix to Latin facere.) The root underling the ram- in ramus originated as the Proto-Indo-European root, wrad- "branch, root", which also provided Latin with radix (radic-s) "root", borrowed by English in radical. In fact, English root and German Wurzel "root" also come from the PIE root for "root". Apparently, our PIE ancestors did not distinguish between above-ground and below-ground ramifications. (The ramification of Grogie's suggestion of today's Good Word in the Alpha Agora is that we owe him or her a debt of gratitude.)
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LukeJavan8
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Re: RAMIFY

Postby LukeJavan8 » Sun Apr 07, 2013 12:07 pm

Reminds me of 'ancestry.com' and 'click on a leaf'
to see where it takes you.
-----please, draw me a sheep-----

MTC
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Re: RAMIFY

Postby MTC » Sun Apr 07, 2013 12:28 pm

Branching out, ever heard of petrified lightning or fulgurite?

http://www.etsy.com/listing/103295128/2 ... ranching-y

LukeJavan8
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Posts: 4423
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2009 6:16 pm
Location: Land of the Flat Water

Re: RAMIFY

Postby LukeJavan8 » Sun Apr 07, 2013 12:52 pm

Curious: a site I'll get back to when I have more time.
-----please, draw me a sheep-----

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Slava
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Re: RAMIFY

Postby Slava » Mon Apr 08, 2013 6:05 pm

Branching out, ever heard of petrified lightning or fulgurite?

http://www.etsy.com/listing/103295128/2 ... ranching-y
Ah, yep. I live not all that far away from the Corning Museum of Glass. They have samples.

As to Ramify, I thought that meant you bought a new Dodge truck. 8)
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.


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