ag-

prefix assim. form of AD- before g.

* * *

— see ad-

* * *

var. of ad- before g: agglutinate.

* * *

ag-,

prefix. the form of ad- (Cf. ↑ad-) before g, as in agglutinate, aggrandize.

Ag (no period),

1. a) agricultural. b) agriculture.

2. Chemistry. silver (Latin, argentum).

Ag.,

1. a) agricultural. b) agriculture.

2. August.

A.G.,

1. adjutant general.

2. attorney general.

* * *

prefix variant spelling of ad- assimilated before g (as in aggravate, aggress)

* * *

ag- prefix

assimilated form of L. ad- to, at, before g, as in ag-glūtinātus, ag-gravātus, ag-gressio. Reduced in OFr. to a-, and so entered Eng. as in a-greger, a-grever, a-grege, a-grieve. Afterwards refashioned after L. in all words that survived into mod.Eng., exc. a-gree (ag-grātāre), and spelt ag- in all words taken from L. into mod.Fr. or Eng. As in other forms of ad-, erroneously substituted in 16th c. for a- from other sources, as a(g)grise, OE. a-griacusan.

In certain words, before g sounded (dʒ), the original ad- has been preferred, as ad-geniculate, ad-generate; before gn- a- is found, as a-gnate (also ad-nate), a-gnize, a-gnomen (also ad-nomen).