1. How do we understand the meaning of new words?
Zooming in on words
How do we understand the meaning of new words?
Using …
parts of words we already understand
context
connotations.

2. What do these words mean?
Are there any clues?
Task: Choose four of the words and write a definition of them.
Cacophony Wizened Discursive Florid PRIMEVAL Grandiloquence Punctilious Sagacity Winsome Vilify Stupefy Servile Multifarious Vacuous Antipathy

3. Sometimes, part of a word helps us understand it.
Antipathy
It means ‘against’ or ‘opposed to’.
What does this PREFIX suggest?
Cacophony
It relates to ‘sound’ and how loud something is.
What does ‘phon’ remind you of?

4. Context
If we don’t know a word, we should use a dictionary and learn something new. But if we don’t have a dictionary, we can use:
what we already know about the parts of the word or
the rest of the sentence to help us work it out, the context of a word.

5. Task
In pairs, come up with a definition of the words in pink, using the context of the sentence to help you.
Her wizened old face seemed to peer at me suspiciously from beneath her shawl.
His great sagacity and kindness led me to seek his advice often.
My teacher would vilify us for the smallest errors.
My mother’s punctilious preparation made my wedding a great success.
She had such a winsome smile that I couldn’t believe she’d ever harm a fly.

6. Connotations
The connotations of a word are the associated meanings with a word. Think about the difference between the words: MALE, GENTLEMAN, and BLOKE They mean something very similar, but there are very different connotations of these words.
Task: Use each of these words in a sentence about a character.