Getting to the root of the matter

Letter to the Editor

    I write to correct the incorrect information regarding the root and meaning of the word "advocate" and "advocacy.” Rick Ryan, in his Commission on a Mission column that was published in the June edition of the “Senior Digest,” states that the root of the word is the Italian word "voce" meaning voice. That is not correct and, in fact, no English words derive from Italian or any other modern language.

    English evolved with its roots in classical Latin (40 percent) and proto-Germanic/Norse languages (60 percent). There are no root words in Italian, which evolved from the lingua franca (common dialect, language of the common people) of Latin peoples outside of Rome.
    The root of the English word "advocate" is from the Latin "advocare," which means to speak for another. Perhaps if Rick understands the true meaning of the word "advocate,” his column would better reflect the needs of seniors and not be simply a voice for the state Department of Elderly Affairs.

-Susan Sweet
East Providence

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