The prefix \u201ccon\u201d roughly translates to \u201cwith\u201d or \u201ctogether\u201d when found in longer words.<\/p>\n
There are many English words that begin with \u201ccon\u201d and the word works in multiple ways as a standalone word.<\/p>\n
The prefix is also used to allude to negative factors when used as the short version of \u201ccontra.\u201d<\/p>\n
This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.<\/p>\n
In American English rhetoric, \u201ccon\u201d is the element of a word that means \u201ctogether\u201d or \u201cwith.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n When used in the negative tense, \u201ccon\u201d can mean the same thing as \u201ccontrary\u201d or \u201cin contrast\u201d. For these reasons, the two prefixes are not the same. <\/strong><\/p>\n The two prefixes are actually antonyms, although spelled the same way.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Spanish speakers use \u201ccon\u201d (pronounced cone<\/em>) as a standalone word that means with. For example \u201cChili Con Carne\u201d is translated to \u201cChili With Meat\u201d.<\/p>\n This usage of the prefix is the closest to the original Latin meaning of the word.<\/p>\n In American rhetoric, individuals are known to make lists of \u201cPros and Cons\u201d to weigh the ramifications of a pending decision.<\/p>\n \u201cPros\u201d are determined to be the positive factors associated with the decision, while the \u201cCons\u201d are the drawbacks.<\/p>\n These words are actually not opposites. In this instance, \u201cCons\u201d relates to the larger prefix \u201cContra\u201d.<\/p>\n American English speakers often use \u201ccon\u201d in standalone form to describe a dishonest person, or a person who has been identified as a \u201cconvict\u201d or \u201ccon-artist\u201d.<\/p>\n In recent times, \u201cCon\u201d has been used on the end of words to denote a \u201cconvention\u201d such as \u201cComicCon\u201d.<\/p>\n