WordSkills: Lesson Nine

WordSkills: Lesson Nine Part One

Word of the day: etymology From etumos (true) and logos ( word) The eytymology of a word is its literal meaning or definition as well as the origin and historical development

1 alt: other alteration alter (other) tion (act of) altercation alter (altercari [quarrel] from alter = other) tion (act of) alter ego alter (other) ego (self)

2 ann (enn): year ann i versary ann (year) verse (turn) ary (related to) perennial per (through) enn (year) ial (related to) millennium mill (thousand) enn (year) ium (act, process)

3 ar (al): pertaining to, related to a stral astr (star) al (related to) c ircular circ (circle) ar (pertaining to) b ipolar bi (two) palis (stake) ar (related to)

4 carn: meat, flesh carn i vorous carn (flesh) vor (eat) ous (full of) incarnate in (in, into) carn (flesh) ate (make, do] carnage carn (flesh) age (state, quality)

5 corp: body c orpse corpus (body) c orporal corp (body) al (pertaining to) c orpulent corp (body) lent (full of) N ote: Corporal, meaning lowest noncommissioned officer, derives from caporal<capit (head)

WordSkills: Lesson Nine Part Two

Word of the day: tawdry From tawdry lace, a shortened form of St. Audrey’s lace. The term referred to cheap neclaces sold at a medieval English festival held in honor of St. Audry (or Etheldreda), the queen of Northumbria, who died in 679 of a throat tumor supposedly as punishment for wearing fancy neclaces as a young woman. Today tawdry describes that which is cheap and showy, gaudy, or sleazy in appearance.

6 duc (duct): lead conduct con (together, with) duct (lead) deduce de (down, from) duc (lead) production pro (forth, forward) duct (lead) ion (act of)

7 fact (fect, fic, fy): make, do m anufacture manu (hand) fact (make) ure (act of) d eify deus (god) fy (make) b eneficent bene (good) fic (make) ent (full of)

8 ist: (one who) perfectionist per (thoroughly) fect (make,do) ion (act of) ist (one who) physicist physi (nature) ist (one who) linguist lingu (language) ist (one who)

9 liter: word, letter literal liter (word) al (related to) illiterate il (not) liter (word,letter) ate (related to) alliteration al (very) liter (letter) tion (act of)

10 locut (loqu): talk loquacious loqu (talk) cious (having quality of) eloquent e (out) loqu (talk) ent (full of) circumloqution circum (around) locut (talk) ion (act of)

WordSkills: Lesson Nine Part Three

Word of the day: ignoramus From the Latin legal term meaning “we do not know”. This phrase was written on a bill when the evidence was insufficient to send the case to a trial jury. It came to be used as a noun as a result of the name of a character, Ignoramus, who was an incompetent lawyer in a 1615 play by George Ruggle. Today an ignoramous is an ignorant person.

11 migr: move migrate migr (move) ate (make) emigrant e (out) migr (move) ant (one who) immigrant im (in, into) migr (move) ant (one who)

12 morph: shape amorphous a (not, lacking) morph (shape) ous (full of) polymorphous poly (many) morph (shape) ous (full of) morphology morph (shape) logy (study of)

13 nom: law, rule, principle astronomy astro (star) nom (law) y (result of) economics eco (house) nom (law) ics (science of) taxonomy tax (arrange) nom (principle) y (result)

14 onym: name anonymous an (without) onym (name) ous (full of) pseudonym psudo (false) onym (name) synonym syn (same) onym (name)

15 ose: having quality of bellicose bell (war, fight) ose (having quality of) morose moreosus (peevish) ose (having quality of) verbose verb (word) ose (having quality of)

WordSkills: Lesson Nine Part Four

Word of the day: malapropism From the French phrase mal a propos, which means inappropriate. In his 1775 play The Rivals, George Sheridan created a character named Mrs. Malaprop who consistently used language that was inappropriate. For example, she says, “She’s as headstrong as an allegory on the banks of the Nile” and “He is the very pineapple of politeness.” Today the word means ludicrous misuse of language.

16 phobia: fear hydrophobia hydro (water) phobia (fear) claustrophobia claudere (to close) phobia (fear) monophobia mono (alone, single) phobia (fear)

17 pli (plic, ply) fold complicate com (together) plic (fold) ate (make, do) pliable pli (fold) able (capable of) reply re (back) ply (fold)

18 rogat: ask interrogate inter (between, among) rogat (ask) ate (make,do) prerogative pre (before) rogat (ask) ive (that which) rogation rogat ( ask) tion (act of) -- prayer or supplication

19 sens (sent) feel sensitive sens (feel) ive (that which) insentient in (no, not) sent (feel) ent (full of) sentimental sent (feel) ment (result, process) al (related to)

20 somn: sleep insomnia in (no, not) somn (sleep) ia (state of) somniferous somn (sleep) fer (bear, produce) ous (full of) somnambulate somn (sleep) ambul (walk) ate (make, do)

WordSkills: Lesson Nine Part Five

Word of the day: effigy From the Latin e (out) and fingere (to form or fashion). An effigy is a representation of someone. Fingere is also the base for feign, figment, and figure.

21 spir: breathe respiration re (again) spir (breathe) tion (act of) perspire per (through) spir (breathe) expire ex (out) spir (breathe) Note: “Perspire” is frequently mispronounced “PREspire”. Understanding the prefixes should eliminate confusion. In expire the “s” in “spir” is dropped because “x” and “s” are difficult to say together.

22 tact (tang, ting): touch t actile tact (touch) ile (capable of, pertaining to) t angent tang (touch) ent (full of) c ontingent con (together, with) ting (touch) ent (full of)

23 tude: state of solitude sol (alone, single) tude (state of) multitude multi (many) tude (state of) gratitude grat (thanks) tude (state of)

24 vid (vis): see visual vis (see) al (related to) revise re (again) vis (see) provident pro (forth, forward) vid (see) ent (full of)

25 zylo: wood xylophone xylo (wood) phon (sound) xylophagous xylo (wood) phag (eat) ous (full of) xylotomy xylo (wood) tom (cut) y (result of)