corroborate
UK[kəˈrɒb.ə.reɪt]US[kəˈrɑː.bə.reɪt]
v
to confirm or give support to a statement, idea, or theory with evidence or authority.
v
(law) to strengthen or support with further evidence; to make more certain.
Morpheme Breakdown
cor
robor
ate
cor
intensive
robor
strength
ate
verb suffix
Etymology
the word "corroborate" entered english in the 1530s from latin "corroboratus," the past participle of "corroborare," meaning "to strengthen." this latin verb is a compound of the intensive prefix "com-" (here assimilated to "cor-") and "roborare," meaning "to make strong," which itself derives from "robur," signifying "strength" or "hardness," originally referring to the oak tree, a symbol of durability. the semantic journey moved from the physical act of strengthening something, like fortifying a structure, to the abstract legal and general sense of confirming a statement with supporting evidence. thus, the modern meaning retains the core logic of adding robust, oak-like strength to an argument or claim.
Analysis
Structure: cor (intensive) + robor (strength) + ate (verb suffix)
cor: a latin prefix meaning "together" or "intensively," a variant of 'com-' used before 'r'.
robor: from latin 'robor-', the stem of 'robur' meaning "strength, oak tree."
ate: a latin-derived suffix used to form verbs meaning "to make or cause to be."
Examples
the new witness testimony served to corroborate the defendant's alibi.
several independent studies have been unable to corroborate the initial research findings.
archaeologists hope to find artifacts that will corroborate their theory about the ancient settlement.