To suppose or guess something based on incomplete evidence; to form an opinion without certain proof.
From Old French surmise, derived from Latin supermittere, formed by super- (over, above) + mittere (to send), originally meaning 'to send over' or 'to accuse.' The word evolved through Medieval Latin and Old French to mean 'to throw over' an idea or hypothesis, eventually settling into the modern sense of making educated guesses.
Isn't it fascinating that 'surmise' literally means to 'send over' an idea? When you surmise something, you're mentally sending a theory over the gap between what you know and what you don't know. It's like throwing a bridge of speculation across the unknown!
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