invoke
UK[ɪnˈvəʊk]US[ɪnˈvoʊk]
v
to cite or appeal to (someone or something) as an authority for an action or in support of an argument.
v
to call on (a deity or spirit) in prayer, as a witness, or for inspiration.
v
to cause or bring about (a feeling, image, or memory).
Morpheme Breakdown
in
voke
in
in, upon
voke
to call
Etymology
the word invoke originates from the latin verb 'invocare', a compound of the prefix 'in-' (meaning 'upon' or 'towards') and the verb 'vocare' (meaning 'to call'). this latin root 'vocare' itself descends from the proto-indo-european root 'wekw-', which meant 'to speak'. the literal sense of 'to call upon' was applied in religious and legal contexts, such as calling upon a god for aid or citing a law as justification. over time, the meaning broadened from a concrete summoning to include the more abstract act of citing authority or eliciting a particular feeling or idea, retaining the core concept of a directed, purposeful call.
Analysis
Structure: in (in, upon) + voke (to call)
in- (latin, prepositional prefix meaning 'in, upon, towards'); voke (latin, root from 'vocare' meaning 'to call').
Examples
the lawyer invoked a precedent from a supreme court ruling.
the priest began to invoke the goddess for protection.
the old song invoked a powerful sense of nostalgia.