Akademik

— see cata-

var. of cata- before an aspirate: cathode.

Gr. κατα-, κατ-, καθ-, a preposition used in comp. with the senses a. down (locally); b. down (of diminution, reduction, consumption, waste), away, entirely, ‘up’; c. implying disparagement or abuse (= mis-); d. inferior, subsidiary; e. down upon, against (as blows fall); f. against and reflected back, hence, answering to, according to, alongside of, each to each; g. intensive, downright, thoroughly, completely; h. hence, like Eng. be-, making a verb transitive. All these senses occur in Eng. words into which cata- enters; most of these are adapted or formed from compounds already made in Greek, others follow or extend Greek analogies. See also kata-.