occur
Meaning
(of an event or situation) to happen
(of a thought or idea) to come into the mind of someone
Structure
Usage
The accident occurred at approximately 5:30 PM.
It never occurred to me that she might be lying.
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Etymology
The word 'occur' originates from the Latin verb 'occurrere', a compound of 'ob-' (toward, against) and 'currere' (to run). Its literal sense was 'to run to meet', 'to present itself', or 'to go to meet'. This evolved in Late Latin to signify events or ideas 'presenting themselves' or 'coming to meet' one's experience or mind. In English, the meaning further abstracted to its current senses of an event 'happening' or a thought 'coming into one's mind', preserving the core idea of something moving into the sphere of existence or awareness.
Analysis
- oc: A form of the Latin prefix 'ob-', meaning 'toward', 'against', or 'in the way of'. - cur: From the Latin root 'currere', meaning 'to run'.