navig

Navig is a linguistic stem used in English to denote concepts related to sailing, ships, and the practice of guiding a course. It is not a standalone word in modern usage; rather, navig appears as a combining form in a family of related terms that derive from the Latin root navigare, meaning to sail.

Etymology and derivation: The English vocabulary of navigation comes from Latin navigare, itself rooted in navis (ship). The combining form navig- is the underlying morpheme that appears in multiple words, including navigation, navigator, navigable, and navigational. Through this stem, new terms can be formed to describe aspects of guiding movement, charting courses, and managing routes across land or sea.

Usage and examples: In contemporary English, navig- typically functions within larger words rather than as a free-standing term. Examples include:

- navigation: the act or science of planning and directing a route

- navigator: a person who determines or directs the course

- navigable: capable of being sailed or traversed

- navigational: related to navigation or the techniques used to navigate

These forms share the same etymological root and are used across contexts such as transportation, maritime and aerial navigation, and even digital user interfaces that involve moving through maps or menus.

See also: Navigate, Navigation, Navigator, Navigable.

Note: While “navig” can be recognized as the root form in linguistic discussions, it is not commonly used as an independent term in everyday English.