Translation
instinct
Word origin
From Latin instinctus, 'an impulse', from instinguere 'to prick, to goad'. The root arrives whole: there is no -inkt- element in Esperanto, and nothing to peel off the front either, so instinkt- is one indivisible root that happens to be five syllables long.
- Origin
- Latin
- Root
- instinctus
- English cognates
- instinct, distinct, instigate
Examples
.
The animal followed its instinct and ran away.
, .
My instinct told me that something was wrong.
.
Birds build nests by pure instinct.
Watch the seam that is not there. Esperanto trains you to look for building blocks, and offers two tempting ones: an in- at the front and an -inkt- in the middle. Neither exists. -Inkt- is not a suffix in this language, and there is no root stinkt- for a prefix to attach to. The whole of - is the root, and instinkta (instinctive) and instinkte (instinctively) are the only derivations you need.
It sits opposite racio, reason: , .
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instinkto: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Esperanto word "instinkto" (instinct): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 39.