encouragement
Meaning
the act of giving someone support, confidence, or hope
something that encourages someone
Structure
Usage
A few words of encouragement can make a big difference to someone's confidence.
The positive feedback from her teacher was a great encouragement to continue her studies.
The team played with much more energy after the coach's halftime encouragement.
Etymology
The word 'encouragement' is built upon the core concept of 'courage,' which originates from the Latin cor, meaning 'heart,' reflecting the ancient belief that courage was seated in the heart. The Old French prefix en- (from Latin in-) was added to form the verb 'encourager,' meaning 'to put heart into' or 'to make brave.' Finally, the noun-forming suffix -ment, also of Latin origin via Old French, was appended to create a word denoting the action or result of this process. Thus, the literal progression from 'putting heart into someone' evolved into the modern abstract meaning of providing support and fostering confidence.
Analysis
en: from Old French, from Latin in- (in, into, cause to be). A prefix meaning "to put into" or "to cause to be." courage: from Old French corage, from Latin cor (heart). The core element meaning "bravery" or "spirit." ment: from Old French -ment, from Latin -mentum. A suffix forming nouns indicating an action, process, or resulting state.