Ab vs. Ad: Are you coming or going?

Latin is so pervasive in our language that we often don't notice it. Just look at the prefixes ab- and ad-. 

Ab- in the front of a word indicates a going away, away from, off, or against. (The "b" faces away from the "a"). The easiest example of an "ab-" word is absent, which literally means "to be away." 

Ad-, on the other hand, indicates movement to, toward, about, or supporting. A great example of an "ad-" word is adopt, which literally means "to opt or choose toward." 

Try out this exercise to see how many words you already know. Don't use a dictionary!