suffrago

Meaning

Verb

to support; to vote for

Noun

the ham or hough, hock of a quadruped's hind leg

Concepts

support

Pronounced as (IPA)

[sʊfˈfraː.ɡoː]

Etymology

This verb, its deponent version suffrāgor (“to vote for, support, favor”), and the related noun suffrāgium (“voting tablet, ballot, vote”) come from the prefix sub- (“under”) combined with an uncertain root.
One proposal derives them from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg- (“to break”), the root of frangō (“to break”). The semantic development might be along the same lines as in the related noun fragor (“crash, din, uproar”), with the sense "break, shatter, clash" shifting to "make clashing noises, make an uproar (in support of a candidate)" to "lend support, vote for someone".
Another proposal derives it from the same source as the noun suffrāgō (see below) and may have originally meant an ankle bone or knuckle bone.