Derivation refers to sources or roots and is always followed by the preposition of.
- Do you know the derivation of the word “salary”?
Derive can mean “to obtain something” or “to have roots in something,” and is always followed by the preposition from.
- Although we enjoy canoeing and other water sports, we derive the most pleasure from sailing on the Ottawa River.
- Many of the English words for live animals derive from Germanic and Anglo-Saxon roots, but our words for their meat are derived from Norman French.
Copyright notice for Writing Tips Plus
© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of Public Services and Procurement
A tool created and made available online by the Translation Bureau, Public Services and Procurement Canada
Search by related themes
Want to learn more about a theme discussed on this page? Click on a link below to see all the pages on the Language Portal of Canada that relate to the theme you selected. The search results will be displayed in Language Navigator.
Related links
- Writing Tips Plus (home page)
- Writing tools
- Language Navigator (for fast access to language tips)
- TERMIUM Plus®