Did You Know?
Synonyms "permeable" and "pervious" both make good use of the Latin prefix "per-," meaning "through" "Permeate" traces back to a combination of "per-" and the Latin verb "meare," meaning "to go" or "to pass," whereas the history of "pervious" calls upon Latin "via," meaning "way." Both "permeable" and its more common relative, the verb "permeate," still retain the original Latin idea of "passing through." The prefix "per-" also gave English "pervade," meaning "to become diffused throughout every part of." "Meare" also has other English descendants, including "congé," which can mean "a formal permission to depart," and "irremeable," meaning "offering no possibility of return."
Quick Quiz: What synonym of "permeable" rhymes with "Doris"? The answer is...