Paramount vs. Tantamount

Paramount vs. Tantamount Paramount vs. Tantamount Paramount vs. Tantamount By Mark Nichol What’s the difference between paramount and tantamount? The distinction is of paramount importance; it’s tantamount to being right or wrong. Paramount, from the Anglo-French word paramont, derived from the Latin phrase per ad montem, literally translated as â€Å"up the mountain,† means â€Å"supreme.† It’s also used (rarely) as a noun to refer to a supreme ruler. Tantamount was originally a noun, translated into English from the Anglo-French phrase tant amunter, meaning â€Å"to amount to as much,† and means â€Å"equivalent.† It is seldom used more’s the pity, because it is such a grand word in such phrases as â€Å"tantamount to treason.† This grandiloquence, and the word’s resemblance to paramount, may mislead writers into assuming it has a lofty sense like its counterpart. As you might have guessed, the noun amount, meaning â€Å"sum,† also derives from the Latin word for mountain. Another word with the element -amount is catamount, a nearly obsolete synonym for cougar or lynx that is a compression of the term cat-a-mountain. Closed-compound verbs with the root word mount include dismount (â€Å"remove oneself from a high position, as a horse or a piece of gymnastic equipment,† or â€Å"take apart†) demount is a rarely used variant remount (â€Å"get up on again,† or â€Å"revert†), and surmount (â€Å"climb,† â€Å"excel,† or â€Å"overcome,† or â€Å"be at the top of†). Seamount is a noun referring to an underwater mountain whose summit does not reach sea level. (If it did, it would be called an island.) Dismount and remount also have noun forms; the former refers to the concluding movement in a gymnastics routine, and the latter denotes a horse that replaces a rider’s previous one. An interesting side note: In archery, â€Å"lord paramount† and â€Å"lady paramount† are terms for an official in charge of an archery tournament, or for a ceremonial leader of such an event, equivalent to a parade grand marshal. The terms originated in the feudal era, when a lord paramount, one not subordinate to a member of the nobility of greater rank, was required to provide trained longbowmen in the event of war, and officiated at archery tournaments. (The title â€Å"lord paramount† is known to fans of the television series A Game of Thrones and the series of novels on which it is based.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:70 Idioms with Heart"Replacement for" and "replacement of"Wood vs. Wooden