confer
Meaning
to discuss something with someone, often in order to reach a decision
to give an official title, honour, or advantage to someone
Structure
Usage
the committee will confer tomorrow to finalize the budget.
the university will confer an honorary doctorate upon the distinguished scientist.
i need to confer with my colleagues before i can give you an answer.
Etymology
the word 'confer' originates from the latin verb 'conferre', which is a compound of 'con-' (an intensifying prefix meaning 'together') and 'ferre' (meaning 'to bear' or 'to bring'). its literal sense was 'to bring together', which naturally extended to the act of bringing people together for discussion or consultation. over time, the meaning evolved in two distinct directions: one emphasizing the act of collective deliberation, and the other focusing on the metaphorical act of 'bringing' or bestowing something, such as a title or honour, upon someone. this semantic journey from the physical act of carrying together to abstract concepts of discussion and bestowal illustrates a common pattern in language evolution.
Analysis
con- (prefix of latin origin, meaning 'together', 'with', or 'completely'); -fer (root of latin origin, from the verb 'ferre', meaning 'to carry', 'to bear', or 'to bring').