What is the origin of the word cum? I'm trying to find the roots for its prevalent usage, especially in North America.
Origin of the word "cum" - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
Cum is the Latin word for with and is usually used to join two nouns, showing that something serves two purposes. She is a waitress-cum-singer in the restaurant. This is my bedroom-cum-study.
In avere sale in zucca, sale ("salt") is used to mean "to have a little of intelligence," and with a grain of salt (in Latin, cum grano salis) refers to using intelligence to judge something. Etymonline reports that "to take something with a grain of salt" is from 1640s, from Modern Latin cum grano salis.
If you know Latin, cum means with. So with summa cum laude is literally, with with the highest praise. Should you worry about this? Probably that depends on whether the people you're trying to impress know Latin.
latin - phd with summa cum laude or phd summa cum laude - English ...
I think the best substitute for 'cum' is the simple forward slash: teacher/student search and listing site. However, you might also consider encouraging your readers to lift their minds out of the gutter by ignoring the salacious connotations of the word 'cum'. Similarly, it seems a pity for everybody to have to stop allowing their consciences to prick them or refrain from cheering when ...
I understand that the terms Cum Laude and With Honors are interchangeable, but which one is better understood in US and more commonly used?