connotative
UK[ˈkɒn.ə.teɪ.tɪv]US[ˈkɑː.nə.teɪ.t̬ɪv]
adj
Relating to or suggesting an idea or quality that a word makes you think of in addition to its literal meaning.
Morpheme Breakdown
con
note
ative
con
together
note
to mark
ative
of or relating to
Etymology
The word 'connotative' is built upon the Latin verb 'notare', meaning 'to mark' or 'to indicate'. The intensive prefix 'con-' (together, with) was added to form 'connotare', which in Medieval Latin developed the sense 'to mark in addition' or 'to signify along with'. The suffix '-ative', entering English via Old French, was then appended to create the adjective. Thus, the literal construction 'marking together' evolved into the modern linguistic concept, describing the secondary meanings or associations that a word carries along with its primary, denoted meaning.
Analysis
Structure: con + note + ative
con: (Latin origin) A variant of 'com-', meaning 'together', 'with', or 'altogether'. It functions as an intensifying prefix.
note: (Latin origin) From 'notare', meaning 'to mark'. It functions as the core root carrying the sense of marking or indicating.
ative: (Latin origin via French) An adjectival suffix meaning 'of or relating to', 'having the nature of'. It functions to form adjectives.
Examples
The word "home" has a strong connotative meaning of warmth and security.
Poets often rely on the connotative power of language to evoke emotion.
In semantic analysis, we distinguish between a word's denotative and connotative senses.