It’s Vocab time!

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Ad infinitum (adv.) endlessly

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Ad infinitum – L. ad "to toward," from PIE *ad- "to, near, at" + L. infinitus "unbounded, unlimited," from in- "not" + finitus "defining, definite," from finis “end.”

An eye can be tricked ad infinitum by MC Escher’s work. ad infinitum mnemonic An eye can be tricked ad infinitum by MC Escher’s work.  

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Apportion (v.) to divide and give out in shares

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Apportion – M.Fr. apportionner, from O.Fr. apportioner, from a- "to" + portioner "to divide into portions," from portion "share, portion”

Apportion mnemonic Pizza is an easy food to apportion because it is sliced into eight pieces.  

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Bona fide (adj.) genuine; sincere

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Bona fide – L., lit. "in good faith," abl. of bona fides “good faith.”

Jewels have to be carefully Bona fide mnemonic Jewels have to be carefully examined to determine if they are bona fide or fakes.  

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Buoyant (adj.) able to float easily; able to hold things up; cheerful, hopeful

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Buoyant – perhaps from Sp. boyante, prp. of boyar "to float," from boya "buoy," from Du. boei

Pool toys must be buoyant or they will sink. Buoyant mnemonic Pool toys must be buoyant or they will sink.  

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Clique (n.) a small, exclusive group of people

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Clique – Fr. clique, from O.Fr. cliquer "to make a noise," echoic. Apparently this word was at one time treated as the equivalent of claque.

“Mean Girls” was a movie about a girl who joined a clique. Clique mnemonic “Mean Girls” was a movie about a girl who joined a clique.  

Don’t forget your words!

It’s Vocab time!

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Concede (v.) to admit as true; to yield, submit

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Concede – L. concedere "give way, yield," from com-, intensive prefix, + cedere "to go, grant, give way”

Concede mnemonic Rude drivers will sometimes not concede that another driver has the right-of-way.  

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Congenial (adj.) getting on well with others; agreeable, pleasant

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Congenial – L. com- "together" + genialis "of birth," thus, "kindred." Sense of "agreeable" is first recorded 1711.

Dog breeds known to be congenial are often used as seeing-eye dogs. Congenial mnemonic Dog breeds known to be congenial are often used as seeing-eye dogs.  

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Lofty (adj.) very high; noble

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Lofty – O.E. loft "air," from O.N. lopt "air, sky, upper story" (Scand. -pt- pronounced like -ft-), from P.Gmc. *luftuz "air, sky" (cf. O.E. lyft, Du. lucht, Ger. Luft, Goth. luftus "air").

Being president is a lofty goal. Lofty mnemonic Being president is a lofty goal.  

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Migration (n.) a movement from one country or region to another

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Migration – L. migrationem (nom. migratio), from pp. stem of migrare "to move from one place to another," probably originally *migwros, from PIE *meigw- (cf. Gk. ameibein "to change"), from base *mei- "to change, go, move.”

Duck migration occurs when ducks fly south for the winter. Migration mnemonic Duck migration occurs when ducks fly south for the winter.  

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Perceive (v.) to be aware of through the senses, observe; to grasp mentally

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Perceive – via Anglo-Fr. parceif, O.N.Fr. *perceivre, O.Fr. perçoivre, from L. percipere "obtain, gather," also, metaphorically, "to grasp with the mind," lit. "to take entirely," from per "thoroughly" + capere "to grasp, take.”

Perceive mnemonic The countless benefits from mapping human DNA are difficult to perceive.  

Don’t forget your words!

It’s Vocab time!

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Perverse (adj.) inclined to go against what is expected; stubborn; turned away from what is good and proper

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Perverse – O.Fr. pervers, from L. perversus "turned away (from what is right), contrary, askew," pp. of pervertere "to corrupt" [from per- "away" + vertere "to turn"]

Perverse mnemonic Many people believed that Elvis Presley’s rock and roll music was perverse at the time.  

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Prelude (n.) an introduction; that which comes before or leads off

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Prelude – L. præludere "to play beforehand for practice, preface," from præ- "before" + ludere "to play”

Prelude mnemonic The debate of which came first, the chicken or the egg, is a prelude quandary.  

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Rancid (adj.) stale, spoiled

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Rancid – L. rancidus "rank, stinking, offensive," from rancere "be spoiled or rotten," of unknown origin.

Rancid mnemonic Restaurants have been shut down because they served rancid meat that made consumers ill.  

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Rustic (adj.) country-like; simple, plain; awkward (n.) one who lives in the country

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Rustic – L. rusticus, from rus (gen. ruris) "open land, country”

The rustic style of home décor is not as popular as it used to be. Rustic mnemonic The rustic style of home décor is not as popular as it used to be.  

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Sever (v.) to separate, divide into parts

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Sever – Anglo-Fr. severer, from O.Fr. sevrer "to separate," from V.L. *seperare, from L. separare "to pull apart," from se- "apart" + parare "make ready, prepare."

Sever mnemonic A woman who sued Wendy’s claimed she found a severed thumb in her chili but she had planted it there herself.  

Don’t forget your words!

It’s Vocab time!

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Sordid (adj.) wretchedly poor; run-down; mean or selfish

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Sordid – L. sordidus "dirty," from sordere "be dirty, be shabby," related to sordes "dirt," from PIE base *swordo- "black, dirty" (cf. Goth. swarts, O.E. sweart "black"). Sense of "foul, low, mean" first recorded 1611.

The television show “Gossip Girls” is known for its sordid plots. Sordid mnemonic The television show “Gossip Girls” is known for its sordid plots.  

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Untenable (adj.) not capable of being held or defended; impossible to maintain

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Untenable –O.E. un-prefix of negation, “not” + M.Fr. tenable, from O.Fr. (12c.), from tenir "to hold," from L. tenere “hold, keep.”

Untenable mnemonic Trying to keep your eyes open when you blink or sneeze is an untenable task.  

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Versatile (adj.) able to do many things well; capable of many uses

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Versatile – L. versatilis "turning, revolving, moving, capable of turning to varied subjects or tasks," from pp. stem of versare "keep turning, be engaged in something, turn over in the mind," frequentative of vertere "to turn”

A Swiss Army knife is a versatile tool. Versatile mnemonic A Swiss Army knife is a versatile tool.  

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Vindicate (v.) to clear from hint or charge of wrongdoing; to defend successfully against opposition; to justify

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Vindicate – L. vindicatus, pp. of vindicare "to set free, lay claim to, assert, avenge" (related to vindicta "revenge"), probably from vim dicare "to show authority," from vim, accusative of vis "force" + root of dicere "to say."

Vindicate mnemonic Lawyers like Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird try to vindicate the innocent.  

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Wane (v.) to lose size, strength, or power

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 13 Wane – O.E. wanian "make or become smaller gradually," from P.Gmc. wanojanan from wano- "lacking," from PIE we-no-, from base eue- "to leave, abandon, give out."

Wane mnemonic Lindsay Lohan’s popularity, appearance, and health are waning due to her continued substance abuse.  

Don’t forget your words!