trans-

Take the "Trans" Train

Today we will focus on the prefix trans- and its variant tra-, which mean “across.” Prefixes are morphemes which begin words, attaching to a word’s main part, or root, adding to the meaning of the word in some way.

The carrying “across” of people from one place to another is transportation, which can occur in many kinds of vehicles. When you transfer money from checkings to savings, you carry it “across” from one account to the other. A translucent substance allows some light to go “across” it to the other side. A transparent substance allows all light to go “across” it. And a translation? It is a going “across” from one language into another.

Imagine a transatlantic voyage, or one that goes “across” the Atlantic Ocean, made by a ship. This form of transit, or going “across” a passage, was once more common than it is now. When horrific storms came up on these long journeys, voyagers could often be transformed, their normal mode of behavior taken “across” into whole new forms of heroism and survival techniques.

A variant of the prefix trans-, tra-, also means “across.” A trajectory is the path that a thrown object travels “across” during its journey. When you traverse a country, you travel “across” it. And when you traduce someone’s character, you lead it from its current good state “across” to one of dishonor or disgrace.

Now you will be able to translate any word that you do not know with the prefix trans- in it into something having to do with going or being “across!”

1. transportation: act of carrying ‘across’
2. transfer: carry ‘across’
3. translucent: of light going ‘across’
4. transparent: of light going fully ‘across’
5. translate: carry one language ‘across’ to another
6. transatlantic: ‘across’ the Atlantic Ocean
7. transit: a going ‘across’
8. transform: to go from one shape ‘across’ to another
9. trajectory: path thrown ‘across’
10. traverse: turn ‘across’
11. traduce: lead ‘across’

Usage

• transpose

  If you transpose two things, you make them change places or reverse their normal order.

• transmute

  Something transmutes when it changes from one form or state into another.

• transience

  Something that has the quality of transience lasts for only a short time or is constantly changing.

• intransigent

  An intransigent person is stubborn; thus, they refuse to change their ideas or behavior, often in a way that seems unreasonable.

• traduce

  If you traduce someone, you deliberately say hurtful and untrue things to damage their reputation.

• transmogrify

  If something is transmogrified, its form or shape is changed completely, especially in a funny or exaggerated way.

• transgress

  If someone transgresses something, he violates a boundary or limit, such as rules of social behavior or moral principles.

• transfix

  If something transfixes you, it surprises, interests, or shocks you so much that you are unable to move or think of anything else.

• transcendent

  Something that is transcendent not only surpasses all others in quality, achievement, or significance, but exceeds normal limits or boundaries.

• transcribe

  If you transcribe something, such as a speech or other text, you write it or type it in full.

• travesty

  If you say that one thing is a travesty of a second thing, you mean that the first is an extremely bad, crude, or absurd version of the second.

• transfuse

  When something is transfused to another thing, it is given, put, or imparted to it; for example, you can transfuse blood or a love of reading from one person to another.

• translucent

  A translucent object allows some light to pass through it.

• traverse

  When you traverse an area or land, you go across or travel through it.

• transport

  When you transport something, you carry or move it from one place to another, generally in a car, truck, train, aircraft, or ship of some sort.

• transmit

  When something is transmitted, it is sent from one place to another, such as one person giving another a disease or a signal being sent from one computer to another.

• transfer

  When something is transferred, it is moved or carried from one place to another.

• transparent

  If an object is transparent, such as a window or a lens, you can see through it.