Insinuate Essay

Blair Waldorf
September 10, 2008
Period 3 AP English

Insinuate- v. stem of Latin insinuare, f. in (In -2) + sinuare, to bend in windings, to curve. Nearly all of the Eng. Senses were already in Lat.; the fig. senses of the L. were the first to be adopted in Eng.
1. trans. to introduce tortuously, sinuously, indirectly, or by devious methods; to introduce by imperceptible degrees or subtle means.
1647- H. More Song of S. 111. App., Pref., “Nor is it harder to phansie, how these Praexistant Souls insinuate into Seed, Embryos, or Infants, then how created ones are insinuated.”
1671- R. Bohun Wind 146. “Open the pores of our body by heat and then insinuate the malignant influences.
1678- Cudworth Intell. Syst. I. v. 744 “These Philosophers concluded concerning Souls, that.. They were Insinuated or introduced into Bodies, in Generations.
1746- Berkley Let. To Prior 20 May in Fraser Life vii. 316. “The insinuating of such salts into the woods.”
1809- Kendell Trav. III lixivi. “Trees, which insinuate their roots into the figures, are senn in all the lower parts of the mountains.”
1850- Robertson Serm. Ser. III. 3 “There are poisons so destructive that a single drop insinuated into the veins produces death in three minutes.”
1852- Motley Corr. I. v. 133 “Our street was narrow, and the machine could by no possibility be insinuated therin.”

Synonyms- worm, infiltrate, implicate, imply.

Antonyms- conceal, hide, withhold.

Insinuate
The use of the word insinuate suggests a malicious, planned-out introduction or assumption. The part “in” of the word insinuate means to put into. The part “sin” of the word shows a sinful characteristic that comes with the word. The word insinuate has a negative connotation because by putting the definitions of the roots, a person would get the definition of the word insinuate to be “to put sin into.” Another way that the word holds this negative connotation is because the definition includes the words, sinuously and devious which both are shown as negative words.
The reason that a person may insinuate a another person or an idea because they need to find an opportunity to get their way in an indirectly way, so it not obvious that they wanted something to happen. In literature, the act of insinuating may go along with the devious character because it would fit in with the characteristics of this person. In songs, an artist may use the word act of insinuate in reference to themselves to show their side of maliciousness. In reference to another person, the artist usually is saying that someone was insinuating and did not how it happened and/or what came out of it. The word insinuate can be applied to modern high school gossip. A person may be saying something about another person and imply something else that is technically something unsaid. A typical high school student would notice this insinuation and assume what the other person is trying to say and make this piece of information into a juicy story.
Insinuations can cause problems in literature and in life because it can lead to altercations because many negative things can come out of it. Also, people may get taken advantage of emotionally hurt and betrayed by the person who insinuates. Insinuations can also create excitement in plot lines and character relationships. Also, when readers insinuate in what they are reading, it can help them use their imagination and foreshadow what may happen further on in the book.
The word insinuate has been used for over 350 years and has managed to stay in the same context of to introduce indirectly with sinful intentions.