arrogant
UK[ˈærəɡənt]US[ˈærəɡənt]
adj
having or revealing an exaggerated sense of one's own importance or abilities.
Morpheme Breakdown
ar
rog
ant
ar
to
rog
ask, claim
ant
adjective suffix
Etymology
the word 'arrogant' originates from the latin verb 'arrogare', meaning 'to claim for oneself' or 'to assume'. this verb itself is a compound of 'ad-' (to, towards) and 'rogare' (to ask, propose). the literal sense was 'to ask or claim something for oneself', often with an implication of undue presumption. over time, the present participle form 'arrogans' evolved into an adjective describing the character trait of someone who habitually makes such presumptuous claims, leading to the modern english meaning of being offensively self-important or overbearing.
Analysis
Structure: ar (to) + rog (ask, claim) + ant (adjective suffix)
- ar: a latin prefix (ad-), meaning 'to, toward'. it assimilated to 'ar-' before 'r'.
- rog: from latin root 'rogare', meaning 'to ask, propose, claim'.
- ant: a latin-derived suffix forming adjectives, meaning 'characterized by or performing the action of'.
Examples
his arrogant dismissal of their concerns made him very unpopular.
she was talented but far too arrogant to work well in a team.
an arrogant assumption that his way was the only correct one undermined the entire project.