It’s Vocab Time!

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Adept (adj.) thoroughly skilled (n.) an expert

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Adept – L. adeptus "having reached, attained," pp. of adipisci "to attain to, acquire," from ad- "to" + apisci "grasp, attain," related to aptus "fitted." Noun meaning "one who is skilled in the secrets of anything" is from a M.L. use in alchemy.

Winning a Grammy is proof that a musician is adept. Adept Mnemonic Winning a Grammy is proof that a musician is adept.

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Aspire (v.) to have ambitious hopes or plans, strive toward a higher goal, desire earnestly; to ascend

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Aspire – O.Fr. aspirer "aspire to, inspire," from L. aspirare "to breathe upon," also "to seek to reach," from ad- "to" + spirare "to breathe"

Some athletes aspire to win a gold medal at the Olympics. Aspire Mnemonic Some athletes aspire to win a gold medal at the Olympics.  

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Bleak (adj.) bare, dreary, dismal

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Bleak – O.N. bleikr "pale. The same Gmc. root produced the O.E. blac "pale," but this died out, probably from confusion with blæc "black;" but bleikr persisted, with a sense of "bare" as well as "pale."

Bleak Mnemonic Global warming predictions are bleak unless humans change their behaviors.  

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Chide (v.) to blame; scold

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Chide – Middle English, from Old English cidan “to quarrel,” chide, from cid strife

The Supernanny chides naughty children and their parents. Chide Mnemonic The Supernanny chides naughty children and their parents.  

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Despicable (adj.) worthy of scorn, contemptible

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Despicable – L.L. despicabilis, from L. despicari "look down on," from de- "down" + variant of specere "to look"

becomes angry with someone, he says, “You’re despicable!” Despicable Mnemonic When Daffy Duck becomes angry with someone, he says, “You’re despicable!”  

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Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Diminutive (adj.) small, smaller than most others of the same type

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Diminutive – O.Fr. diminutif (fem. diminutive), from L. diminutivum, from deminuere "break into small pieces," variant of deminuere "lessen, diminish," from de- "completely" + minuere "make small."

The munchkins are diminutive people in the movie, “The Wizard of Oz.” Diminutive Mnemonic The munchkins are diminutive people in the movie, “The Wizard of Oz.”  

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Emancipate (v.) to free from slavery; to release or liberate

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Emancipate – L. emancipatus, pp. of emancipare "declare (someone) free, give up one's authority over," in Roman law, the freeing of a son or wife from the legal authority (patria potestas) of the pater familias, to make his or her own way in the world; from ex- "out, away" + mancipare "deliver, transfer or sell," from mancipum "ownership," from manus "hand" + capere "take.”

Emancipate Mnemonic Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation gave freedom to all slaves in the United States.  

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Erroneous (adj.) incorrect, containing mistakes

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Erroneous – L. erroneus "vagrant, wandering," from erronem (nom. erro) "vagabond," from errare "to wander, err"

It is erroneous to believe that smoking is not deadly. Erroneous Mnemonic It is erroneous to believe that smoking is not deadly.  

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Exploit (v.) to make use of, develop; to make improper use of for personal profit (n.) a feat, deed

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Exploit – O.Fr. esploit, a very common v., used in senses of "action, deed, profit, achievement," from L. explicitum "a thing settled, ended, displayed," neut. of explicitus, pp. of explicare "unfold" The v. (M.E. espleiten, esploiten) meant “to accomplish.”

Exploit Mnemonic Dateline’s show, “To Catch a Predator” uses a decoy to catch predators who try to exploit teenagers.  

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Extemporaneous (adj.) made or delivered on the spur of the moment

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Extemporaneous – L.L. extemporaneus, from L. ex tempore "offhand, in accordance with (the needs of) the moment," from ex- "out of" + tempore, abl. of tempus (gen. temporis) "time."

Extemporaneous Mnemonic Getting married in Vegas probably should not be an extemporaneous decision.  

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Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Impair (v.) to make imperfect, damage, harm

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Impair – O.Fr. empeirier, from V.L. *impejorare "make worse," from L. in- "into" + L.L. pejorare "make worse," from pejor "worse."

Drugs and alcohol impair a person’s judgment, mmm kay. Impair Mnemonic Drugs and alcohol impair a person’s judgment, mmm kay.  

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Invincible (adj.) not able to be defeated, unbeatable

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Invincible – L. invincibilis "unconquerable," from in- "not" + vincibilis "conquerable."

Superman is invincible to everything except kryptonite. Invincible Mnemonic Superman is invincible to everything except kryptonite.  

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Languid (adj.) drooping; without energy, sluggish

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Languid – L. languidus "faint, listless," from languere "be weak or faint," from PIE base *(s)leg- "to be slack"

Languid Mnemonic Being languid in a hammock is acceptable; being languid in class is not.  

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Mire (n.) mud; wet, swampy ground; a tough situation (v.) to get stuck

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Mire – O.N. myrr "bog, swamp," cognate with O.E. mos "bog"

It is easy to become mired in the mud while off-roading. Mire Mnemonic It is easy to become mired in the mud while off-roading.  

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Obtrusive (adj.) forward; undesirably prominent; thrust out

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Obtrusive – L. obtrusus, past participle of obtrudere "thrust into, press upon," from ob "toward" + trudere "to thrust," from PIE base *treud- "to squeeze"

Dumbo was born with obtrusive ears. Obtrusive Mnemonic Dumbo was born with obtrusive ears.  

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Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Preamble (n.) an introduction to a speech or a piece of writing

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Preamble – O.Fr. preambule (13c.), from M.L. preambulum, neut. adj. used as a noun, properly "preliminary," from L.L. præambulus "walking before," from L. præ- "before" + ambulare “to walk”

Preamble Mnemonic The preamble to the United States Constitution has been in operation since 1789.  

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Render (v.) to cause to become; to perform; to deliver officially; to process, extract

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Render – O.Fr. rendre "give back, present, yield," from V.L. *rendere (formed on analogy of its antonym, prendre "to take"), from L. reddere "give back, return, restore," from re- "back" + comb. form of dare "to give"

Being fired rendered Amy to lose her self-control. Render Mnemonic Being fired rendered Amy to lose her self-control.  

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Rugged (adj.) rough, irregular; sever, stern; strong; stormy

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Rugged – (originally of animals), from O.N. rogg "shaggy tuft" probably related to rag and perhaps also rough. Sense evolved to "coverlet, wrap" (1591), then "mat for the floor" (1808)

Many women consider Viggo Mortensen to be a ruggedly handsome actor. Rugged Mnemonic Many women consider Viggo Mortensen to be a ruggedly handsome actor.  

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Skeptical (adj.) inclined to doubt; slow to accept something as true

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Skeptical – Fr. sceptique, from L. scepticus, from Gk. skeptikos (pl. Skeptikoi "the Skeptics"), lit. "inquiring, reflective," the name taken by the disciples of the Gk. philosopher Pyrrho (c.360-c.270 B.C.E.), from skeptesthai "to reflect, look, view." The extended sense of "one with a doubting attitude" first recorded 1615.

Skeptical Mnemonic Tom was skeptical when he received an email saying that he had won a lottery in Nigeria.  

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Slipshod (adj.) untidy in dress, personal habits, etc; careless, sloppy

Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 10 Slipshod – from slip (v.), M.L.G. slippen "to glide, slide," from P.Gmc. *slipanan, from PIE *sleib- "slimy, slippery," from base *(s)lei- "slimy, sticky, slippery." + shod "wearing shoes."

The movie “Gigli” is an example of slipshod work. Slipshod Mnemonic The movie “Gigli” is an example of slipshod work.  

Don’t forget your words!