Did You Know?
Which of the following words does not share its ancestry with "rectify"?
1) direct 2) regimen 3) obstruct 4) correct 5) resurrection
Like "rectify," four of these words ultimately come from Latin "regere," which can mean "to lead straight," "to direct," or "to rule." "Correct" and "direct" come from "regere" via Latin "corrigere" and "dirigere," respectively. "Resurrection" comes from Latin "resurgere," whose stem "surgere," meaning "to rise," is a combination of "sub-" and "regere." "Regimen" is from Latin "regimen" ("position of authority," "direction," "set of rules"), itself from "regere." And "rectify" is from "regere" by way of Latin "rectus" ("right"). "Obstruct" is the only one of the set above that has no relation to "rectify." It traces back to Latin "struere," meaning "to build" or "to heap up."
