Two Latin verbs about speech build this family. loqui means to speak; it appears in English as loqu or locu (you may know ventriloquist, “belly speaker”). dicere means to say; it appears as dict (you know predict, “to say before,” and dictionary).
Key idea
loqu, locut = speak. dict = say. The prefix tells you how: eloquent and elocution (speaking out), colloquial (speaking with others), soliloquy (speaking alone), circumlocution (speaking around the point), interlocutor (speaking between), edict (said out as an order).
One spelling trap: indict is pronounced in-DITE. The c is silent.
The ten words
The roots at work
Common mistake
indict is pronounced in-DITE: the c is silent. A soliloquy is spoken alone on stage; a monologue may be spoken to others.
| word | prefix | so it means |
|---|---|---|
| eloquent, elocution | e- (out) | speaking out well |
| colloquial | col- (with) | how you talk with friends |
| soliloquy | soli- (alone) | speaking alone on stage |
| circumlocution | circum- (around) | talking around the point |
| interlocutor | inter- (between) | a partner in conversation |
| edict | e- (out) | an order spoken out |
| indict | in- (against) | to charge with a crime |
Loquacious (very talkative) and eloquent (speaking beautifully) both come from loqui, but they are not the same: a loquacious person talks a lot; an eloquent one talks well.