salivate
Meaning
to produce an excessive amount of saliva, especially in anticipation of food.
to show great desire or eagerness for something.
Structure
Usage
the delicious aroma from the kitchen made the dog salivate.
collectors salivate at the thought of finding a rare first edition.
just talking about the lemon made my mouth salivate.
Etymology
the word 'salivate' has a direct and physiological origin. it is formed from the latin noun 'saliva', meaning 'spittle', combined with the verb-forming suffix '-ate'. this suffix, derived from latin '-atus', indicates the process of performing an action. therefore, the literal meaning is 'to produce saliva'. the term entered english in the 17th century via scientific and medical latin. its figurative sense, 'to show eager anticipation', developed naturally from the physical reaction of mouth-watering when presented with desirable food or the prospect of something appealing.
Analysis
saliv originates from latin 'saliva', meaning 'spittle, saliva'. ate is a latin-derived suffix used to form verbs meaning 'to act upon' or 'to become'.