HOW TO USE THE WORDS COMPLEMENT AND COMPLIMENT-BY SAKEENAH'WRITES

Compliment and complement are two words that are usually confused for eachother and that's because that are pronounced alike and originally shared some meanings but the fact is that they are two different definitions and I am going to explain each of them in this article.

1. COMPLIMENT: The word compliment, with an "I" originated from the Spanish word cumplimiento but was originally derived from the same Latin root as complement (with an E), complēmentum, and that accounts for some of the early overlap in meaning. It was later changed to compliment with "I" in English and this makes it different from the word Complement with "E".

So, it's meaning as well as how to is used is entirely different from that of Compliment. According to Merriam Webster dictionary, Compliment means "an expression of esteem, respect, affection, or admiration

especially : an admiring remark. It also means formal and respectful recognition : HONOR."

Meaning that Compliment is a way of expressing admiration, respect or affection towards something or someone.

The noun form of compliment means “an expression of praise, commendation, or admiration,” and the verb means, “to praise or express admiration for someone.”

You can pay someone a compliment, or compliment someone on a job well done or you can compliment the appearance of a person to show that you admire that person's looks. 

I hope with this, we now understand the meaning of the word COMPLIMENT with "I" now and we can move over to COMPLEMENT with "E".

2. COMPLEMENT: The word cmplement with an "E" is the older of the two terms. Its noun sense has been around in English since the 1300s.

Complement was derived from the Latin complēmentum, meaning “something that completes" and according to Merriam Webster dictionary, Compliment means : something that fills up, completes, or makes better or perfect.

So, meaning that if something complements something else, it completes it, enhances it, or makes it perfect.

A shirt can complement the color of someone’s eyes, a wine can complement a meal or chicken can complement the attractiveness of a meal. 

Another instance is when we talk about complementary angles, or complementary colors, it’s this sense of complement that is being used. Complementary angles are two angles that add up to produce a 90° angle. Complementary colors are colors that are directly across from each other on the color wheel, and they enhance each other by their contrast, such as red and green, purple and yellow, and blue and orange.

If you are still finding both words confusing, then remember that if  something complements something, it completes it or enhances it BUT Compliment is a remark or way of expressing admiration.

I hope this article was helpful and if it's was, please drop your comments.

SAKEENAH'WRITES 

-Nigeria