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aur(i)-

Gold.

Latin aurum, gold.

An auriferous mineral is one containing gold, while something aureate is made of or has the colour of gold. In chemistry, auric refers to compounds in which gold has a valency of three and aurous in those which it has a valency of one. The aurora, the Northern or Southern Lights, derives from Aurora, the Roman goddess of the dawn. However, aura, a supposed emanation surrounding the body of a living creature, is the Latin word for a breeze. A few words, such as auricle, the external part of the ear, derive instead from Latin auris, ear.

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