The word "adjacent" is spelled with a 'j' despite being pronounced with a 'sh' sound. This discrepancy is due to the word's origin in Latin, where the letter 'j' was used to represent the 'i' and 'y' sounds. In IPA phonetic transcription, the word is represented as /əˈdʒeɪsənt/, with the stress on the second syllable. It means 'next to' or 'neighboring' and is commonly used to describe the relationship between two objects or things.
Adjacent is an adjective that describes something that is next to or adjoining another thing, with no space in between. It refers to objects, places, or ideas that are immediately and directly connected, often sharing a boundary or in close proximity to each other. When two things are adjacent, they are side by side or contiguous, allowing easy transition or movement between them.
The concept of adjacency can be applied to various contexts. In a geographical sense, adjacent refers to two places or areas that are nearby and share a common boundary, such as neighboring homes, towns, or countries. Similarly, in a mathematical perspective, adjacent points, angles, or sides are those which are close and immediately follow each other in sequence.
In a broader sense, adjacency can extend beyond physical connections to encompass abstract relationships or concepts. For instance, adjacent concepts in education might refer to interconnected subjects or topics that are closely related, allowing for cross-disciplinary learning. In social or interpersonal contexts, adjacent is used to describe people or groups who are near to each other or who have common interests, experiences, or goals.
Overall, adjacent denotes nearness, proximity, or immediate contact without any intervening space or objects. It implies a close relationship or connection between two things, either in a physical, mathematical, abstract, or conceptual sense.
Lying near; bordering upon.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "adjacent" comes from the Latin word "adjacens" or "adjacere", which is the present participle of the verb "adjacēre". The Latin term is made up of "ad" meaning "to" or "near" and "jacēre" meaning "to lie". Therefore, the etymology of "adjacent" indicates something that lies or is situated nearby or close.