instinct
IN-stingkt · noun
LatinEnglish
Origin
From Latin īnstīnctus, the past participle of īnstinguō, meaning "to incite, to instigate." That verb itself comes from in- ("in, on") plus stinguō ("to prick").
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Journey
The word arrived already carrying the sense of something driven or goaded into action.
Related words
It shares its root stinguō, "to prick," with instiguō, the verb behind English "instigate" — both describe something being jabbed or spurred into motion.
More words
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