chapter-10

HOW TO TALK ABOUT VARIOUS SPEECH

HABITS

(Sessions 24–27)

TEASER PREVIEW

What adjective describes people who:

are disinclined to conversation?

are brief and to the point in their speech?

are blocked or incoherent in their speech?

show by their speech that they are trite and unimaginative?

use more words than necessary?

are forcefully compelling and logical in their speech?

talk rapidly and fluently?

are noisy and clamorous?

are talkative?

SESSION 24

Perhaps some of your richest and most satisfying experiences have

been with people to whom you can just talk, talk, talk. As you

speak, previously untapped springs of ideas and emotions begin to

flow; you hear yourself saying things you never thought you knew.

What kinds of people might you find yourself in conversation

with? In this chapter we start by examining ten types, discovering

the adjective that aptly describes each one.

IDEAS

1. saying little

There are some people who just don’t like to talk. It’s not that they

prefer to listen. Good listeners hold up their end of the conversation

delightfully—with appropriate facial expressions; with empathetic

smiles, giggles, squeals, and sighs at just the right time; and with

encouraging nods or phrases like “Go on!”, “Fantastic!”, “And then

what happened?”

These people like neither to talk nor to listen—they act as if

conversation is a bore, even a painful waste of time. Try to engage

them, and the best you may expect for your efforts is a vacant stare,

a noncommittal grunt, or an impatient silence. Finally, in

frustration, you give up, thinking. “Are they self-conscious? Do they

hate people? Do they hate me?”

The adjective: taciturn

2. saying little—meaning much

There is a well-known anecdote about Calvin Coolidge, who,

when he was President, was often called (though probably not to his

face) “Silent Cal”:

A young newspaperwoman was sitting next to him at a banquet,

so the story goes, and turned to him mischievously.

“Mr. Coolidge,” she said, “I have a bet with my editor that I can

get you to say more than two words to me this evening.”

“You lose,” Coolidge rejoined simply.

The adjective: laconic

3. when the words won’t come

Under the pressure of some strong emotion—fear, rage, anger, for

example—people may find it difficult, or even impossible, to utter

words, to get their feelings unjumbled and untangled enough to

form understandable sentences. They undoubtedly have a lot they

want to say, but the best they can do is sputter!

The adjective: inarticulate

4. much talk, little sense

Miss Bates, a character in Emma, a novel by Jane Austen:

“So obliging of you! No, we should not have heard, if it had not

been for this particular circumstance, of her being able to come here

so soon. My mother is so delighted! For she is to be three months

with us at least. Three months, she says so, positively, as I am going

to have the pleasure of reading to you. The case is, you see, that the

Campbells are going to Ireland. Mrs. Dixon has persuaded her father

and mother to come over and see her directly. I was going to say,

but, however, different countries, and so she wrote a very urgent

letter to her mother, or her father, I declare I do not know which it

was, but we shall see presently in Jane’s letter …”

The adjective: garrulous

5. unoriginal

Some people are completely lacking in originality and

imagination—and their talk shows it. Everything they say is trite,

hackneyed, commonplace, humorless—their speech patterns are full

of clichés and stereotypes, their phraseology is without sparkle.

The adjective: banal

6. words, words, words!

They talk and talk and talk—it’s not so much the quantity you

object to as the repetitiousness. They phrase, rephrase, and re-

rephrase their thoughts—using far more words than necessary,

overwhelming you with words, drowning you with them, until your

only thought is how to escape, or maybe how to die.

The adjective: verbose

7. words in quick succession

They are rapid, fluent talkers, the words seeming to roll off their

tongues with such ease and lack of effort, and sometimes with such

copiousness, that you listen with amazement.

The adjective: voluble

8. words that convince

They express their ideas persuasively, forcefully, brilliantly, and

in a way that calls for wholehearted assent and agreement from an

intelligent listener.

The adjective: cogent

9. the sound and the fury

Their talk is loud, noisy, clamorous, vehement. What may be

lacking in content is compensated for in force and loudness.

The adjective: vociferous

10. quantity

They talk a lot—a whole lot. They may be voluble, vociferous,

garrulous, verbose, but never inarticulate, taciturn, or laconic. No

matter. It’s the quantity and continuity that are most conspicuous.

“Were you vaccinated with a phonograph needle?” is the question

you are tempted to ask as you listen.

The adjective: loquacious

These ten words revolve around the idea of varying kinds and

ways of talking and not talking. Many of the adjectives are close in

meaning, but each contains its unique difference.

QUALITY

ADJECTIVE

1. silence, unresponsiveness

taciturn

2. economy, brevity,

meaningfulness

laconic

3. awkwardness, sputtering,

incoherence

inarticulate

4. rambling chatter

garrulous

5. hackneyed, unoriginal

phraseology

banal

6. wordiness, repetitiousness

verbose

7. fluency, rapidity

voluble

8. logic, clarity, persuasiveness

cogent

9. noise, vehemence

vociferous

10. talkativeness

loquacious

USING THE WORDS

Can you pronounce the words?

1. taciturn

TAS′-Ə-turn

2. laconic

lƏ-KON′-ik

3. inarticulate

in′-ahr-TIK′-yƏ-lƏt

4. garrulous

GAIR′-Ə-lƏs

5. banal

BAY′-nƏl

6. verbose

vƏr-BŌS′

7. voluble

VOL′-yƏ-bƏl

8. cogent

KŌ′-jƏnt

9. vociferous

vō-SIF′-Ər-Əs

10. loquacious

lō-KWAY′-shƏs

Can you work with the words?

1. taciturn

a. chattering meaninglessly

2. laconic

b. wordy

3. inarticulate

c. trite, hackneyed, unoriginal

4. garrulous

d. fluent and rapid

5. banal

e. noisy, loud

6. verbose

f. sputtering unintelligibly

7. voluble

g. talkative

8. cogent

h. brilliantly compelling,

persuasive

9. vociferous

i. unwilling to engage in

conversation

10. loquacious

j. using few words packed with

meaning

KEY: 1–i, 2–j, 3–f, 4–a, 5–c, 6–b, 7–d, 8–h, 9–e, 10–g

Do you understand the words?

1. Do taciturn people usually make others feel comfortable and

welcome?

YES NO

2. Does a laconic speaker use more words than necessary?

YES NO

3. Does rage make some people inarticulate?

YES NO

4. Is it interesting to listen to garrulous old men?

YES NO

5. Do banal speakers show a great deal of originality?

YES NO

6. Is verbose a complimentary term?

YES NO

7. Is it easy to be voluble when you don’t know the subject you are

talking about?

YES NO

8. Do unintelligent people usually make cogent statements?

YES NO

9. Is a vociferous demand ordinarily made by a shy, quiet person?

YES NO

10. Do loquacious people spend more time talking than listening?

YES NO

KEY: 1–no, 2–no, 3–yes, 4–no, 5–no, 6–no, 7–no, 8–no, 9–no, 10–

yes

Can you recall the words?

Do you know that new nerve patterns are formed by repeated

actions? As a very young child, you tied your shoelaces and

buttoned your clothing with great concentration—the activity was

directed, controlled, purposeful, exciting. As you grew older and

more skillful, you tied and buttoned with scarcely a thought of what

you were doing. Your fingers flew about their task almost

automatically—for the habit had formed a nerve pattern and the

action needed little if any conscious attention.

That’s simple enough to understand. If you do not remember your

own experiences, you can observe the phenomenon of struggling

with a skill, mastering it, and finally making it a self-starting habit

by watching any young child. Or you can simply take my word for

it.

You need not take my word for the way a mastery of new words is

acquired. You can see in yourself, as you work with this book, how

adding words to your vocabulary is exactly analogous to a child’s

mastery of shoelacing. First you struggle with the concepts; then

you eventually master them; finally, by frequent work with the new

words (now you see the reason for the great number of exercises,

the repetitious writing, saying, thinking) you build up new nerve

patterns and you begin to use the new words with scarcely any

consciousness of what you are doing.

Watch this common but important phenomenon closely as you do

the next exercise. Your total absorption of the material so far has

given you complete mastery of our ten basic words. Prove that you

are beginning to form new nerve patterns in relation to these words

by writing the one that fits each brief definition. The more quickly

you think of the word that applies, the surer you can be that using

these words will soon be as automatic and unself-conscious as

putting on your shoes or buttoning/zipping yourself up in the

morning.

1. talkative

1. L__________________

2. noisy, vehement, clamorous

2. V__________________

3. incoherent; sputtering

3. I__________________

4. gabbing ceaselessly and with little meaning

4. G__________________

5. disinclined to conversation

5. T__________________

6. talking in hackneyed phraseology

6. B__________________

7. showing a fine economy in the use of words

7. L__________________

8. forceful and convincing

8. C__________________

9. talking rapidly and fluently

9. V__________________

10. using more words than necessary

10. V__________________

SESSION 25

ORIGINS AND RELATED WORDS

1. about keeping one’s mouth shut

If you let your mind play over some of the taciturn people you

know, you will realize that their abnormal disinclination to

conversation makes them seem morose, sullen, and unfriendly. Cal

Coolidge’s taciturnity was world-famous, and no one, I am sure, ever

conceived of him as cheerful, overfriendly, or particularly sociable.

There are doubtless many possible causes of such verbal rejection of

the world: perhaps lack of self-assurance, feelings of inadequacy or

hostility, excessive seriousness or introspection, or just plain having

nothing to say. Maybe, in Coolidge’s case, he was saving up his

words—after he did not “choose to run” in 1928, he wrote a daily

column for the New York Herald Tribune at a rumored price of two

dollars a word—and, according to most critics (probably all

Democrats), he had seemed wiser when he kept silent. Coolidge

hailed from New England, and taciturnity (tas-Ə-TURN′-Ə-tee) in that

part of the country, so some people say, is considered a virtue. Who

knows, the cause may be geographical and climatic, rather than

psychological.

Taciturn is from a Latin verb taceo, to be silent, and is one of those

words whose full meaning cannot be expressed by any other

combination of syllables. It has many synonyms, among them silent,

uncommunicative, reticent, reserved, secretive, close-lipped, and close-

mouthed; but no other word indicates the permanent, habitual, and

temperamental disinclination to talk implied by taciturn.

2. better left unsaid

Tacit (TAS′-it) derives also from taceo.

Here is a man dying of cancer. He suspects what his disease is,

and everyone else, of course, knows. Yet he never mentions the

dread word, and no one who visits him ever breathes a syllable of it

in his hearing. It is tacitly understood by all concerned that the word

will remain forever unspoken.

(Such a situation today, however, may or may not be typical—

there appears to be a growing tendency among physicians and

family to be open and honest with people who are dying.)

Consider another situation:

An executive is engaging in extracurricular activities with her

secretary. Yet during office time they are as formal and distant as

any two human beings can well be. Neither of them ever said to the

other, “Now, look here, we may be lovers after five o’clock, but

between nine and five we must preserve the utmost decorum,

okay?” Such speech, such a verbal arrangement, is considered

unnecessary—so we may say that the two have a tacit agreement

(i.e., nothing was ever actually said) to maintain a complete

employer-employee relationship during office hours.

Anything tacit, then, is unspoken, unsaid, not verbalized. We

speak of a tacit agreement, arrangement, acceptance, rejection,

assent, refusal, etc. A person is never called tacit.

The noun is tacitness (TAS′-it-nƏs). (Bear in mind that you can

transform any adjective into a noun by adding -ness, though in many

cases there may be a more sophisticated, or more common, noun

form.)

Changing the a of the root taceo to i, and adding the prefix re-,

again, and the adjective suffix -ent, we can construct the English

word reticent (RET′-Ə-sƏnt).

Someone is reticent who prefers to keep silent, whether out of

shyness, embarrassment, or fear of revealing what should not be

revealed. (The idea of “againness” in the prefix has been lost in the

current meaning of the word.)

We have frequently made nouns out of -ent adjectives. Write two

possible noun forms of reticent: __________________, or, less commonly,

__________________.

3. talk, talk, talk!

Loquacious people love to talk. This adjective is not necessarily a

put-down, but the implication, when you so characterize such

people, is that you wish they would pause for breath once in a while

so that you can get your licks in. The noun is loquacity (lō-KWAS′-Ə-

tee), or, of course, loquaciousness.

The word derives from Latin loquor, to speak, a root found also in:

1. soliloquy (sƏ-LIL′-Ə-kwee)—a speech to oneself (loquor plus

solus, alone), or, etymologically, a speech when alone.

We often talk to ourselves, but usually silently, the words going

through our minds but not actually passing our lips. The term

soliloquy is commonly applied to utterances made in a play by

characters who are speaking their thoughts aloud so the audience

won’t have to guess. The soliloquist (sƏ-LIL′-Ə-kwist) may be alone;

or other members of the cast may be present on stage, but of course

they don’t hear what’s being said, because they’re not supposed to

know. Eugene O’Neill made novel uses of soliloquies in Mourning

Becomes Electra—the characters made honest disclosures of their

feelings and thoughts to the audience, but kept the other players in

the dark.

The verb is to soliloquize (sƏ-LIL′-Ə-kwīz′).

2. A ventriloquist (ven-TRIL′-Ə-kwist) is one who can throw his

voice. A listener thinks the sound is coming from some source other

than the person speaking. The combining root is Latin venter, ventris,

belly; etymologically, ventriloquism (ven-TRIL′-Ə-kwiz-Əm) is the art

of “speaking from the belly.” The adjective is ventriloquistic (ven-

tril′-Ə-KWIS′-tik). Can you figure out how the verb will end? Write

the verb: __________________.

3. Colloquial (kƏ-LŌ′-kwee-Əl) combines loquor, to speak, with the

prefix con-. (Con- is spelled col- before a root starting with l; cor-

before a root starting with r; com- before a root starting with m, p,

or b.) When people speak together they are engaging in

conversation—and their language is usually more informal and less

rigidly grammatical than what you might expect in writing or in

public addresses. Colloquial patterns are perfectly correct—they are

simply informal, and suitable to everyday conversation.

colloquialism

(kƏ-LŌ′-kwee-Ə-liz-Əm),

therefore,

conversational-style expression, like “He hasn’t got any” or “Who are

you going with?” as contrasted to the formal or literary “He has

none” or “With whom are you going?” Colloquial English is the

English you and I talk on everyday occasions—it is not slangy,

vulgar, or illiterate.

4. A circumlocution (sur-kƏm-lō-KY

ōō

′-shƏn) is, etymologically, a

“talking around” (circum-, around). Any way of expressing an idea

that is roundabout or indirect is circumlocutory (sur′-kƏm-LOK′-yƏ-

tawr′-ee)—you are now familiar with the common adjective suffix -

ory.

REVIEW OF ETYMOLOGY

PREFIX, ROOT, SUFFIX

MEANING

1. taceo

to be silent

ENGLISH WORD _________________

2. -ity

noun suffix

ENGLISH WORD _________________

3. -ness

noun suffix

ENGLISH WORD _________________

4. -ent

adjective suffix

ENGLISH WORD _________________

5. -ence, -ency

noun suffix

ENGLISH WORD _________________

6. re-

again

ENGLISH WORD _________________

7. loquor

to speak

ENGLISH WORD _________________

8. solus

alone

ENGLISH WORD _________________

9. -ist

one who

ENGLISH WORD _________________

10. -ize

verb suffix

ENGLISH WORD _________________

11. venter, ventris

belly

ENGLISH WORD _________________

12. -ic

adjective suffix

ENGLISH WORD _________________

13. -ous

adjective suffix

ENGLISH WORD _________________

14. con-, col-, com-, cor-

with, together

ENGLISH WORD _________________

15. -al

adjective suffix

ENGLISH WORD _________________

16. -ism

noun suffix

ENGLISH WORD _________________

WORKING WITH THE WORDS

Can you pronounce the words?

1. taciturnity

tas-Ə-TURN′-Ə-tee

2. tacit

TAS′-it

3. tacitness

TAS′-Ət-nƏs

4. reticent

RET′-Ə-sƏnt

5. reticence

RET′-Ə-sƏns

6. reticency

RET′-Ə-sƏn-see

7. loquaciousness

lō-KWAY′-shƏs-nƏs

8. loquacity

lō-KWAS′-Ə-tee

9. soliloquy

sƏ-LIL′-Ə-kwee

10. soliloquist

sƏ-LIL′-Ə-kwist

11. soliloquize

sƏ-LIL′-Ə-kwīz′

12. ventriloquist

ven′-TRIL′-Ə-kwist

13. ventriloquism

ven-TRIL′-Ə-kwiz-Əm

14. ventriloquistic

ven-tril′-Ə-KWIS′-tik

15. ventriloquize

ven-TRIL′-Ə-kwīz′

16. colloquial

kƏ-LŌ′-kwee-Əl

17. colloquialism

kƏ-LŌ′-kwee-Ə-liz-Əm

18. circumlocution

sur′-kƏm-lō-KY

ōō

′-shƏn

19. circumlocutory

sur′-kƏm-LOK′-yƏ-tawr′-ee

Can you work with the words?

1. taciturnity

a. unwillingness to talk, or

disclose, out of fear, shyness,

reserve, etc.

2. tacitness

b. talking, or a speech, “to

oneself”

3. reticence

c. art of throwing one’s voice

4. loquacity

d. unwillingness to engage in

conversation

5. soliloquy

e. informal expression used in

everyday conversation

6. ventriloquism

f. state of being understood

though not actually expressed

7. colloquialism

g. a talking around; method of

talking indirectly or in a

roundabout way

8. circumlocution

h. talkativeness

KEY: 1–d, 2–f, 3–a, 4–h, 5–b, 6–c, 7–e, 8–g

Do you understand the words?

1. A tacit understanding is put into words.

TRUE FALSE

2. Inhibited people are seldom reticent about expressing anger.

TRUE FALSE

3. A soliloquist expresses his thoughts aloud.

TRUE FALSE

4. A ventriloquistic performance on stage involves a dummy who

appears to be talking.

TRUE FALSE

5. A colloquial style of writing is ungrammatical.

TRUE FALSE

6. Circumlocutory speech is direct and forthright.

TRUE FALSE

7. Inarticulate people are generally given to loquaciousness.

TRUE FALSE

8. A soliloquy is a dialogue.

TRUE FALSE

KEY: 1–F, 2–F, 3–T, 4–T, 5–F, 6–F, 7–F, 8–F

Can you recall the words?

1. to speak to oneself

1. S__________________

2. to throw one’s voice

2. V__________________

3. unwillingness to engage in conversation

3. T__________________

4. unspoken

4. T__________________

5. referring to an indirect, roundabout style of expression (adj.)

5. C__________________

6. suitable for informal conversation

6. C__________________

7. talkativeness

7. L__________________

or L__________________

8. reluctance to express one’s feelings or thoughts

8. R__________________

or R__________________

9. a speech to oneself, especially in a play

9. S__________________

10. an indirect, roundabout expression

10. C__________________

SESSION 26

ORIGINS AND RELATED WORDS

1. a Spartan virtue

In ancient Sparta, originally known as Laconia, the citizens were

long-suffering, hard-bitten, stoical, and military-minded, and were

even more noted for their economy of speech than Vermonters, if

that is possible. Legend has it that when Philip of Macedonia was

storming the gates of Sparta (or Laconia), he sent a message to the

besieged king saying, “If we capture your city we will burn it to the

ground.” A one-word answer came back: “If.” It was now probably

Philip’s turn to be speechless, though history does not record his

reaction.

It is from the name Laconia that we derive our word laconic—

pithy, concise, economical in the use of words almost to the point of

curtness; precisely the opposite of verbose.

Like the man who was waiting at a lunch counter for a ham

sandwich. When it was ready, the clerk inquired politely, “Will you

eat it here, or take it with you?”

“Both,” was the laconic reply.

Or like the woman who was watching a lush imbibing dry

martinis at a Third Avenue bar in New York City. The drunk

downed the contents of each cocktail glass at one gulp, daintily

nibbled and swallowed the bowl, then finally turned the glass over

and ate the base. The stem he threw into a corner. This amazing

gustatory feat went on for half an hour, until a dozen stems were

lying shattered in the corner, and the drunk had chewed and

swallowed enough bowls and bases to start a glass factory. He

suddenly turned to the lady and asked belligerently, “I suppose you

think I’m cuckoo, don’t you?” “Sure—the stem is the best part,” was

the laconic answer.

(It was doubtless this same gentleman, in his accustomed state of

intoxication, who found himself painfully weaving his way along

Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills, California—he had somehow

gotten on a TWA jetliner instead of the subway—when he realized,

almost too late, that he was going to bump into a smartly dressed

young woman who had just stepped out of her Mercedes-Benz to go

window-shopping along the avenue. He quickly veered left, but by

some unexplainable magnetic attraction the woman veered in the

same direction, again making collision apparently inevitable. With

an adroit maneuver, the drunk swung to the right—the lady, by now

thoroughly disoriented, did the same. Finally both jammed on the

brakes and came to a dead stop, face to face, and not six inches

apart; and as the alcoholic fumes assailed the young lady’s nostrils,

she sneered at the reeking, swaying man, as much in frustration as

in contempt: “Oh! How gauche!” “Fine!” was his happy response.

“How goesh with you?” This answer, however, is not laconic, merely

confused.)

We have learned that -ness, -ity, and -ism are suffixes that

transform adjectives into nouns—and all three can be used with

laconic:

…with characteristic laconicness (lƏ-KON′-Ək-nƏs)

…her usual laconicity (lak′-Ə-NIS′-Ə-tce)

…his habitual laconism (LAK′-Ə-niz-Əm)

…with, for him, unusual laconicism (lƏ-KON′-Ə-siz-Əm)

A laconism is also the expression itself that is pithy and concise, as

the famous report from a naval commander in World War II: “Saw

sub, sank same.”

2. brilliant

Cogent is a term of admiration. A cogent argument is well put,

convincing, hardly short of brilliant. Cogency (KŌ′-jƏn-see) shows a

keen mind, an ability to think clearly and logically. The word

derives from the Latin verb cogo, to drive together, compel, force. A

cogent argument compels acceptance because of its logic, its

persuasiveness, its appeal to one’s sense of reason.

3. back to talk

You will recall that loquor, to speak, is the source of loquacity,

soliloquy, ventriloquism, colloquialism, circumlocution. This root is also

the base on which eloquent (EL′-Ə-kwƏnt), magniloquent (mag-NIL′-Ə-

kwƏnt), and grandiloquent (gran-DIL′-Ə-kwƏnt) are built.

The eloquent person speaks out (e-, from ex-, out), is vividly

expressive, fluent, forceful, or persuasive in language (“the

prosecutor’s eloquent plea to the jury”). The word is partially

synonymous with cogent, but cogent implies irresistible logical

reasoning and intellectual keenness, while eloquent suggests artistic

expression, strong emotional appeal, the skillful use of language to

move and arouse a listener.

Magniloquent (magnus, large) and grandiloquent (grandis, grand)

are virtually identical in meaning. Magniloquence or grandiloquence is

the use of high-flown, grandiose, even pompous language; of large

and

impressive

words;

lofty,

flowery,

over-elegant

phraseology. Home is a place of residence; wife is helpmate, helpmeet,

or better half; women are the fair sex; children are offspring or

progeny; a doctor is a member of the medical fraternity; people are the

species Homo sapiens, etc., etc.

Loquacious, verbose, voluble, and garrulous people are all talkative;

but each type, you will recall, has a special quality.

If you are loquacious, you talk a lot because you like to talk and

doubtless have a lot to say.

If you are verbose, you smother your ideas with excess words, with

such an overabundance of words that your listener either drops into

a state of helpless confusion or falls asleep.

If you are voluble, you speak rapidly, fluently, glibly, without

hesitation, stutter, or stammer; you are vocal, verbal, and highly

articulate.

If you are garrulous, you talk constantly, and usually aimlessly and

meaninglessly, about trifles. We often hear the word used in “a

garrulous old man” or “a garrulous old woman,” since in very

advanced age the mind may wander and lose the ability to

discriminate between the important and the unimportant, between

the interesting and the dull.

Verbose is from Latin verbum, word—the verbose person is wordy.

Voluble comes from Latin volvo, volutus, to roll—words effortlessly

roll off the voluble speaker’s tongue.

And garrulous derives from Latin garrio, to chatter—a garrulous

talker chatters away like a monkey.

The suffix -ness can be added to all these adjectives to form nouns.

Alternate noun forms end in -ity:

verbosity

(vƏr-BOS′-Ə-tee)

volubility

(vor-yƏ-BIL′-Ə-tee)

garrulity

(gƏ-R

ōō

L′-Ə-tee)

4. at large

We discovered magnus, large, big, great, in Chapter 9, in

discussing Magnavox (etymologically, “big voice”), and find it again

in magniloquent (etymologically, “talking big”). The root occurs in a

number of other words:

Magnanimous

(mag-NAN′-Ə-mƏs)—big-hearted,

generous,

forgiving (etymologically, “great-minded”). (Magnus plus animus,

mind.) We’ll discuss this word in depth in Chapter 12.

2. Magnate (MAG′-nayt)—a person of great power or influence, a

big wheel, as a business magnate.

3. Magnify—to make larger, or make seem larger (magnus plus -fy

from facio, to make), as in “magnify your problems.”

4. Magnificent—magnus plus fic-, from facio.

5. Magnitude—magnus plus the common noun suffix -tude, as in

fortitude, multitude, gratitude, etc.

6. Magnum (as of champagne or wine)—a large bottle, generally

two fifths of a gallon.

7. Magnum opus (MAG′-nƏm Ō′-pes)—etymologically, a “big

work”; actually, the greatest work, or masterpiece, of an artist,

writer, or composer. Opus is the Latin word for work; the plural of

opus is used in the English word opera, etymologically, “a number of

works,” actually a musical drama containing overture, singing, and

other forms of music, i.e., many musical works. The verb form

opero, to work, occurs in operate, co-operate, operator, etc.

5. words, words, words!

Latin verbum is word. A verb is the important word in a sentence;

verbatim (vƏr-BAY′-tim) is word-for-word (a verbatim report).

Verbal (VUR′-bƏl), ending in the adjective suffix -al, may refer

either to a verb, or to words in general (a verbal fight); or it may

mean, loosely, oral or spoken, rather than written (verbal agreement

or contract); or, describing people (“she is quite verbal”), it may

refer to a ready ability to put feelings or thoughts into words.

Working from verbal, can you add a common verb suffix to form a

word meaning to put into words? __________________

Verbiage (VUR′-bee-Əj) has two meanings: an excess of words

(“Such verbiage!”); or a style or manner of using words (medical

verbiage, military verbiage).

6. roll on, and on!

Volvo, volutus, to roll, the source of voluble, is the root on which

many important English words are based.

Revolve (rƏ-VOLV′)—roll again (and again), or keep turning

round. Wheels revolve, the earth revolves around the sun, the

cylinder of a revolver revolves, (The prefix is re-, back or again.)

The noun is revolution (rev-Ə-L

ōō

′-shƏn), which can be one such

complete rolling, or, by logical extension, a radical change of any

sort (TV was responsible for a revolution in the entertainment

industry), especially political (the American, or French, Revolution).

The adjective revolutionary (rev′-Ə-L

ōō

′-shƏn-air′-ee) introduces us to

a new adjective suffix, -ary, as in contrary, disciplinary, stationary,

imaginary, etc. (But -ary is sometimes also a noun suffix, as in

dictionary, commentary, etc.)

Add different prefixes to volvo to construct two more English

words:

1. involve—etymologically, “roll in” (“I didn’t want to get

involved!”). Noun: involvement.

2. evolve (Ə-VOLV′)—etymologically, “roll out” (e-, out); hence to

unfold, or gradually develop (“The final plan evolved from some

informal discussions”; “The political party evolved from a group of

interested citizens who met frequently to protest government

actions”).

By analogy with the forms derived from revolve, can you construct

the noun and adjective of evolve? Noun: __________________. Adjective:

__________________.

REVIEW OF ETYMOLOGY

PREFIX, ROOT, SUFFIX

MEANING

1. Laconia

Sparta

ENGLISH WORD _________________

2. -ness

noun suffix

ENGLISH WORD _________________

3. -ism

noun suffix

ENGLISH WORD _________________

4. -ity

noun suffix

ENGLISH WORD _________________

5. e- (ex-)

out

ENGLISH WORD _________________

6. -ent

adjective suffix

ENGLISH WORD _________________

7. -ence

noun suffix

ENGLISH WORD _________________

8. magnus

big

ENGLISH WORD _________________

9. grandis

grand

ENGLISH WORD _________________

10. verbum

word

ENGLISH WORD _________________

11. volvo, volutus

to roll

ENGLISH WORD _________________

12. garrio

to chatter

ENGLISH WORD _________________

13. animus

mind

ENGLISH WORD _________________

14. -fy

to make

ENGLISH WORD _________________

15. -tude

noun suffix

ENGLISH WORD _________________

16. opus

work

ENGLISH WORD _________________

17. opero

to work

ENGLISH WORD _________________

18. -al

adjective suffix

ENGLISH WORD _________________

19. -ize

verb suffix

ENGLISH WORD _________________

20. re-

again, back

ENGLISH WORD _________________

21. -ary

adjective suffix

ENGLISH WORD _________________

22. in-

ENGLISH WORD _________________

USING THE WORDS

Can you pronounce the words? (I)

1. laconicity

lak′-Ə-NIS′-Ə-tee

2. laconism

LAK′-Ə-niz-Əm

3. laconicism

lƏ-KON′-Ə-siz-Əm

4. eloquent

EL′-Ə-kwƏnt

5. eloquence

EL′-Ə-kwƏns

6. magniloquent

mag-NIL′-Ə-kwƏnt

7. magniloquence

mag-NIL′-Ə-kwƏns

8. grandiloquent

gran-DIL′-Ə-kwƏnt

9. grandiloquence

gran-DIL′-Ə-kwƏns

10. verbosity

vƏr-BOS′-Ə-tee

11. volubility

vol′-yƏ-BIL′-Ə-tee

12. garrulity

gƏ-R

ōō

′-lƏ-tee

13. cogency

KŌ′-jƏn-see

Can you pronounce the words? (II)

1. magnanimous

mag-NAN′-Ə-mƏs

2. magnate

MAG′-nayt

3. magnum opus

MAG′-nƏm Ō′-pƏs

4. verbatim

vƏr-BAY′-tim

5. verbal

VUR′-bƏl

6. verbalize

VUR′-bƏ-līz′

7. verbiage

VUR′-bee-Əj

8. revolve

rƏ-VOLV′

9. revolution

rev′-Ə-L

ōō

′-shƏn

10. revolutionary

rev′-Ə-L

ōō

′-shƏ-nair′-ee

11. evolve

Ə-VOLV′

12. evolution

ev′-Ə-LOO′-shƏn

13. evolutionary

ev′-Ə-L

ōō

′-shƏ-nair′-ee

Can you work with the words? (I)

1. laconicity

a. floweriness, pompousness, or

elegance in speech

2. eloquence

b. incessant chatter with little

meaning

3. magniloquence

c. big wheel; important or

influential person

4. verbosity

d. great artistic work;

masterpiece

5. volubility

e. a gradual unfolding or

development; “a rolling out”

6. garrulity

f. “a rolling round”; radical

change; political upheaval

7. magnum opus

g. great economy in speech

8. magnate

h. fluency, ease, and/or rapidity

of speech

9. revolution

i. great, artistic, or emotional

expressiveness

10. evolution

j. wordiness

11. cogency

k. persuasiveness through logic;

keen-mindedness in reasoning

KEY: 1–g, 2–i, 3–a, 4–j, 5–h, 6–b, 7–d, 8–c, 9–f, 10–e, 11–k

Can you work with the words? (II)

1. laconism

a. word for word

2. verbiage

b. to put into words

3. verbalize

c. causing, or resulting from,

radical change; new and

totally different

4. verbal

d. resulting or developing

gradually from (something)

5. verbatim

e. expressive; emotionally

moving

6. revolutionary

f. pithiness or economy of

expression; word or phrase

packed with meaning

7. evolutionary

g. big-hearted; generous,

forgiving

8. grandiloquent

h. referring or pertaining to, or

involving, words; oral, rather

than written

9. eloquent

i. using flossy, flowery, elegant,

or impressive phraseology

KEY: 1–f, 2–j, 3–b, 4–h, 5–a, 6–c, 7–d, 8–i, 9–e, 10–g

Do you understand the words?

1. Is laconicism characteristic of a verbose speaker?

YES NO

2. Does a magniloquent speaker use short, simple words?

YES NO

3. Does a frog evolve from a tadpole?

YES NO

4. Is an eloquent speaker interesting to listen to?

YES NO

5. Do verbose people use a lot of verbiage?

YES NO

6. Is volubility characteristic of an inarticulate person?

YES NO

7. Does verbosity show a careful and economical use of words?

YES NO

8. Is a verbal person usually inarticulate?

YES NO

9. Is a magnun opus one of the lesser works of a writer, artist, or

composer?

YES NO

10. Is a magnanimous person selfish and petty-minded?

YES NO

KEY: 1–no, 2–no, 3–yes, 4–yes, 5–yes, 6–no, 7–no, 8–no, 9–no, 10–

Can you recall the words?

1. gradually unfolding, resulting, or developing (adj.)

1. E__________________

2. causing, or resulting from, radical change (adj.)

2. R__________________

3. quality of conciseness and economy in the use of words

3. L__________________

or L__________________

4. expressiveness in the use of words

4. E__________________

5. turn round and round

5. R__________________

6. important person, as in the commercial world

6. M__________________

7. unselfish; generous; noble in motive; big-hearted; forgiving

7. M__________________

8. using words easily; vocal; articulate; referring to, or involving,

words; oral, rather than written

8. V__________________

9. style of word usage; type of words; overabundance of words

9. V__________________

10. wordiness; quality of using excess words

10. V__________________

11. elegance in word usage

11. M__________________

or G__________________

12. quality of chattering on and on about trivia, or with little

meaning

12. G__________________

13. fluency and ease in speech

13. V__________________

14. word for word

14. V__________________

15. masterpiece; great artistic work

15. M__________________O__________________

16. persuasiveness and forcefulness in speech or writing through

closely reasoned logic

16. C__________________

KEY: 1–evolutionary, 2–revolutionary, 3–laconism, laconicism,

laconicity, or laconicness, 4–eloquence, 5–revolve, 6–

magnate,

7–magnanimous,

8–verbal,

9–verbiage,

10–

verbosity, 11–magniloquence or grandiloquence, 12–garrulity,

13–volubility, 14–verbatim, 15–magnum opus, 16–cogency

(End of Session 26)

SESSION 27

ORIGINS AND RELATED WORDS

1. front and back—and uncles

The ventriloquist appears to talk from the belly (venter, ventris plus

loquor) rather than through the lips (or such was the strange

perception of the person who first used the word).

Venter, ventris, belly, is the root on which ventral (VEN′-trƏl) and

ventricle are built.

The ventral side of an animal, for example, is the front or anterior

side—the belly side.

A ventricle (VEN′-trƏ-kƏl) is a hollow organ or cavity, or, logically

enough, belly, as one of the two chambers of the heart, or one of the

four chambers of the brain. The ventricles of the heart are the lower

chambers, and receive blood from the auricles, or upper chambers.

The auricle (AW′-rƏ-kƏl), so named because it is somewhat ear-

shaped (Latin auris, ear), receives blood from the veins; the auricles

send the blood into the ventricles, which in turn pump the blood into

the arteries. (It’s all very complicated, but fortunately it works.)

The adjective form of ventricle is ventricular (ven-TRIK′-yƏ-lƏr),

which may refer to a ventricle, or may mean having a belly-like bulge.

Now that you see how ventricular is formed from ventricle, can you

figure out the adjective of auricle? __________________. How about the

adjective of vehicle? __________________. Of circle? __________________.

No doubt you wrote auricular (aw-RIK′-yƏ-lƏr), vehicular, and

circular, and have discovered that nouns ending in -cle from

adjectives ending in -cular.

So you can now be the first person on your block to figure out the

adjective derived from:

clavicle: __________________

cuticle: __________________

vesicle: __________________

testicle: __________________

uncle: __________________

The answers of course are clavicular, cuticular, vesicular, testicular

—and for uncle you have every right to shout “No fair!” (But where

is it written that life is fair?)

The Latin word for uncle (actually, uncle on the mother’s side) is

avunculus, from which we get avuncular (Ə-VUNG′-kyƏ-lƏr), referring

to an uncle.

Now what about an uncle? Well, traditional or stereotypical

uncles are generally kindly, permissive, indulgent, protective—and

often give helpful advice. So anyone who exhibits one or more of

such traits to another (usually younger) person is avuncular or acts

in an avuncular capacity.

So, at long last, to get back to ventral. If there’s a front or belly

side, anatomically, there must be a reverse—a back side. This is the

dorsal (DAWR′-sƏl) side, from Latin dorsum, the root on which the

verb endorse (en-DAWRS′) is built.

If you endorse a check, you sign it on the back side; if you endorse

a plan, an idea, etc., you back it, you express your approval or

support. The noun is endorsement (en-DAWRS′-mƏnt).

2. the noise and the fury

Vociferous derives from Latin vox, vocis, voice (a root you met in

Chapter 9), plus fero, to bear or carry. A vociferous rejoinder carries

a lot of voice—i.e., it is vehement, loud, noisy, clamorous, shouting.

The noun is vociferousness (vō-SIF′-Ə-rƏs-nƏs); the verb is to vociferate

(vō-SIF′-Ə-rayt′). Can you form the noun derived from the verb?

__________________.

3. to sleep or not to sleep—that is the question

The root fero is found also in somniferous (som-NIF′-Ə-rƏs),

carrying, bearing, or bringing sleep. So a somniferous lecture is so

dull and boring that it is sleep-inducing.

Fero is combined with somnus, sleep, in somniferous. (The suffix -

ous indicates what part of speech? __________________.)

Tack on the negative prefix in- to somnus to construct insomnia

(in-SOM′-nee-Ə), the abnormal inability to fall asleep when sleep is

required or desired. The unfortunate victim of this disability is an

insomniac (in-SOM′-nee-ak), the adjective is insomnious (in-SOM′-

nee-Əs). (So -ous, in case you could not answer the question in the

preceding paragraph, is an adjective suffix.)

Add a different adjective suffix to somnus to derive somnolent

(SOM′-nƏ-lƏnt), sleepy, drowsy. Can you construct the noun form of

somnolent? __________________ or__________________.

Combine somnus with ambulo, to walk, and you have

somnambulism (som-NAM′-byƏ-liz-Əm), walking in one’s sleep. With

your increasing skill in using etymology to form words, write the

term for the person who is a sleepwalker.__________________. Now add to

the word you wrote a two-letter adjective suffix we have learned, to

form the adjective: __________________.

4. a walkaway

An ambulatory (AM′-byƏ-lƏ-taw′-ree) patient, as in a hospital or

convalescent home, is finally well enough to get out of bed and walk

around. A perambulator (pƏ-RAM′-byƏ-lay′-tƏr), a word used more in

England than in the United States, and often shortened to pram, is a

baby carriage, a vehicle for walking an infant through the streets

(per-,

through).

perambulate

(pƏ-RAM′-byƏ-layt′)

is,

etymologically, “to walk through”; hence, to stroll around. Can you

write the noun form of this verb? __________________.

To amble (AM′-bƏl) is to walk aimlessly; an ambulance is so called

because originally it was composed of two stretcher-bearers who

walked off the battlefield with a wounded soldier; and a preamble

(PREE′-am-bƏl) is, by etymology, something that “walks before”

(pre-, before, beforehand), hence an introduction or introductory

statement, as the preamble to the U. S. Constitution (“We the

people …”), a preamble to the speech, etc; or any event that is

introductory or preliminary to another, as in “An increase in

inflationary factors in the economy is often a preamble to a drop in

the stock market.”

5. back to sleep

Somnus is one Latin word for sleep—sopor is another. A soporific

(sop′-Ə-RIF′-ik) lecture, speaker, style of delivery, etc. will put the

audience to sleep (fic- from facio, to make), and a soporific is a

sleeping pill.

6. noun suffixes

You know that -ness can be added to any adjective to construct

the noun form. Write the noun derived from inarticulate:

__________________. Inarticulate is a combination of the negative prefix in-

and Latin articulus, a joint. The inarticulate person has trouble

joining words together coherently. If you are quite articulate (ahr-

TIK′-yƏ-lƏt), on the other hand, you join your words together easily,

you are verbal, vocal, possibly even voluble. The verb to articulate

(ahr-TIK′-yƏ-layt′) is to join (words), i.e., to express your vocal

sounds—as in “Please articulate more clearly.” Can you write the

noun derived from the verb articulate? __________________.

Another, and very common, noun suffix attached to adjectives is,

as you have discovered, -ity. So the noun form of banal is either

banalness, or, more commonly, banality (bƏ-NAL′-Ə-tee).

Bear in mind, then, that -ness and -ity are common noun suffixes

attached to adjectives, and -ion (or -ation) is a noun suffix frequenty

affixed to verbs (to articulate—articulation; to vocalize—vocalization;

to perambulate—perambulation).

REVIEW OF ETYMOLOGY

PREFIX, ROOT, SUFFIX

MEANING

1. venter, ventris

belly

ENGLISH WORD _________________

2. loquor

to speak

ENGLISH WORD _________________

3. auris

ear

ENGLISH WORD _________________

4. avunculus

uncle

ENGLISH WORD _________________

5. dorsum

back

ENGLISH WORD _________________

6. vox, vocis

voice

ENGLISH WORD _________________

7. fero

to carry, bear

ENGLISH WORD _________________

8. somnus

sleep

ENGLISH WORD _________________

9. -ous

adjective suffix

ENGLISH WORD _________________

10. in-

negative suffix

ENGLISH WORD _________________

11. ambulo

to walk

ENGLISH WORD _________________

12. -ory

adjective suffix

ENGLISH WORD _________________

13. per-

through

ENGLISH WORD _________________

14. pre-

before, beforehand

ENGLISH WORD _________________

15. sopor

sleep

ENGLISH WORD _________________

16. fic- (facio)

to make or do

ENGLISH WORD _________________

17. -ness

noun suffix

ENGLISH WORD _________________

18. -ity

noun suffix

ENGLISH WORD _________________

19. -ion (-ation)

noun suffix attached to verbs

ENGLISH WORD _________________

20. -ent

adjective suffix

ENGLISH WORD _________________

21. -ence, -ency

noun suffix

ENGLISH WORD _________________

USING THE WORDS

Can you pronounce the words? (I)

1. ventral

VEN′-trƏl

2. ventricle

VEN′-trƏ-kƏl

3. auricle

AWR′-Ə-kƏl

4. ventricular

ven-TRIK′-yƏ-lƏr

5. auricular

aw-RIK′-yƏ-lƏr

6. avuncular

Ə-VUNG′-kyƏ-lƏr

7. dorsal

DAWR′-sƏl

8. endorse

en-DAWRS′

9. endorsement

en-DAWRS′-mƏnt

10. vociferousness

vō-SIF′-Ə-rƏs-nƏs

11. vociferate

vō-SIF′-Ə-rayt′

12. vociferation

vō-sif′-Ə-RAY′-shƏn

Can you pronounce the words? (II)

1. somniferous

som-NIF′-Ər-Əs

2. insomnia

in-SOM′-nee-Ə

3. insomniac

in-SOM′-nee-ak′

4. insomnious

in-SOM′-nee-Əs

5. somnolent

SOM′-nƏ-lƏnt

6. somnolence

SOM′-nƏ-lƏns

7. somnolency

SOM′-nƏ-lƏn-see

8. somnambulism

som-NAM′-byƏ-liz-Əm

9. somnambulist

som-NAM′-byƏ-list

10. somnambulistic

som-nam′-byƏ-LIST′-ik

Can you pronounce the words? (III)

1. ambulatory

AM′-byƏ-lƏ-tawr′-ee

2. perambulator

pƏ-RAM′-byƏ-lay′-tƏr

3. perambulate

pƏ-RAM′-byƏ-layt′

4. perambulation

pƏ-ram′-byƏ-LAY′-shƏn

5. amble

AM′-bƏl

6. preamble

PREE′-am-bƏl

7. soporific

sop-Ə-RIF′-ik

8. inarticulateness

in′-ahr-TIK′-yƏ-lƏt-nƏs

9. articulate

ahr-TIK′-yƏ-lƏt

10. banality

bƏ-NAL′-Ə-tee

Can you work with the words? (I)

1. ventral

a. unable to fall asleep

2. dorsal

b. pertaining to sleepwalking

3. somniferous

c. drowsy

4. insomnious

d. able to walk, after being

bedridden

5. somnolent

e. verbal, vocal

6. somnambulistic

f. like an uncle; kindly; protective

7. ambulatory

g. pertaining to one of the

chambers of the heart

8. articulate

h. referring to the front or belly

side

9. ventricular, auricular

i. sleep-inducing

10. avuncular

j. referring to the back side

KEY: 1–h, 2–j, 3–i, 4–a, 5–c, 6–b, 7–d, 8–e, 9–g, 10–f

Can you work with the words? (II)

1. ventricle, auricle

a. inability to fall asleep

2. endorsement

b. sleepwalking

3. vociferousness

c. introduction; preliminary or

introductory occurrence

4. insomnia

d. incoherence; sputtering;

inability to get words out

5. somnolence

e. chamber of the heart

6. somnambulism

f. sleeping pill

7. perambulator

g. support; approval

8. preamble

h. lack of originality; lack of

imagination

9. soporific

i. drowsiness

10. inarticulateness

j. baby buggy; stroller

11. banality

k. loudness; clamorousness

KEY: 1–e, 2–g, 3–k, 4–a, 5–i, 6–b, 7–j, 8–c, 9–f, 10–d, 11–h

Can you work with the words? (III)

1. endorse

a. one who cannot fall asleep

2. vociferate

b. sleepwalker

3. insomniac

c. walk aimlessly

4. somnolency

d. stroll through; walk around

5. somnambulist

e. to sign on the back; support;

approve of

6. perambulate

f. drowsiness

7. amble

g. say loudly and with great

vehemence

8. soporific

h. causing sleep

9. insomnious

i. wakeful; unable to fall asleep

KEY: 1–e, 2–g, 3–a, 4–f, 5–b, 6–d, 7–c, 8–h, 9–i

Do you understand the words?

1. Does an insomniac often need a soporific?

YES NO

2. Does a somnambulist always stay in bed when asleep?

YES NO

3. Are ambulatory patients bedridden?

YES NO

4. Does a preamble come after another event?

YES NO

5. Are articulate people verbal?

YES NO

6. Does banality show creativeness?

YES NO

7. Does an avuncular attitude indicate affection and protectiveness?

YES NO

8. Is vociferation habitual with quiet, shy people?

YES NO

9. Is a somnolent person wide awake?

YES NO

10. Is a somniferous speaker stimulating and exciting?

YES NO

KEY: 1–yes, 2–no, 3–no, 4–no, 5–yes, 6–no, 7–yes, 8–no, 9–no, 10–

Can you recall the words?

1. lack of imagination or originality in speech, actions, or style of

life; hackneyed or trite phraseology

1. B__________________

2. sleep-inducing

2. S__________________

or S__________________

3. unable to fall asleep (adj.)

3. I__________________

4. verbal, vocal, speaking fluently

4. A__________________

5. acting like an uncle

5. A__________________

6. referring to the front; anterior

6. V__________________

7. referring to the back; posterior

7. D__________________

8. approve of; support; sign on the back of

8. E__________________

9. shout vehemently

9. V__________________

10. one who cannot fall asleep

10. I__________________

11. drowsy; sleepy

11. S__________________

12. sleepwalker

KEY: 1–banality, 2–somniferous or soporific, 3–insomnious, 4–

articulate, 5–avuncular, 6–ventral, 7–dorsal, 8–endorse, 9–

vociferate, 10–insomniac, 11–somnolent, 12–somnambulist,

13–ambulatory, 14–amble, 15–preamble, 16–inarticulateness

CHAPTER REVIEW

A. Do you recognize the words?

1. Disinclined to conversation:

(a) loquacious, (b) laconic, (c) taciturn

2. Trite:

(a) inarticulate, (b) banal, (c) verbose

3. Rapid and fluent:

(a) voluble, (b) verbose, (c) garrulous

4. Forceful and compelling:

(a) vociferous, (b) cogent, (c) laconic

5. Unspoken:

(a) verbatim, (b) eloquent, (c) tacit

6. Using elegant and impressive words:

(a) verbose, (b) grandiloquent, (c) colloquial

7. Back:

(a) dorsal, (b) ventral, (c) somniferous

8. Sleep-inducing:

(a) soporific, (b) somnolent, (c) ventral

9. Inability to fall asleep:

(a) somnambulism, (b) ambulatory, (c) insomnia

10. Talkativeness:

(a) reticence, (b) ventriloquism, (c) loquacity

11. Expressing indirectly or in a roundabout way:

(a) circumlocutory, (b) colloquial, (c) laconic

12. Elegance in expression:

(a) magniloquence, (b) grandiloquence, (c) verbiage

13. Wordiness:

(a) laconism, (b) cogency, (c) verbosity

14. Big-hearted, generous, unselfish:

(a) grandiloquent, (b) magnanimous, (c) garrulous

15. Causing radical changes:

(a) evolutionary, (b) revolutionary, (c) ventricular

16. To shout vehemently:

(a) endorse, (b) perambulate, (c) vociferate

17. Like an uncle:

(a) ventricular, (b) auricular, (c) avuncular

18. Drowsy:

(a) somniferous, (b) somnolent, (c) soporific

19. Sleepwalking:

(a) insomnia, (b) somnolency, (c) somnambulism

20. Introduction:

(a) preamble, (b) perambulator, (c) evolution

KEY: 1–c, 2–b, 3–a, 4–b, 5–c, 6–b, 7–a, 8–a, 9–c, 10–c, 11–a, 12–a

and b, 13–c, 14–b, 15–b, 16–c, 17–c, 18–b, 19–c, 20–a

B. Can you recognize roots?

ROOT

MEANING

1. taceo

_________________

EXAMPLE taciturn

2. loquor

_________________

EXAMPLE loquacity

3. solus

_________________

EXAMPLE soliloquize

4. venter, ventris

_________________

EXAMPLE ventral

5. magnus

_________________

EXAMPLE magniloquent

6. grandis

_________________

EXAMPLE grandiloquent

7. verbum

_________________

EXAMPLE verbatim

8. volvo, volutus

_________________

EXAMPLE revolution

9. garrio

_________________

EXAMPLE garrulous

10. animus

_________________

EXAMPLE magnanimous

11. opus

_________________

EXAMPLE magnum opus

12. opero

_________________

EXAMPLE operator

13. auris

_________________

EXAMPLE auricle

14. avunculus

_________________

EXAMPLE avuncular

15. dorsum

_________________

EXAMPLE dorsal

16. vox, vocis

_________________

EXAMPLE vociferate

17. fero

_________________

EXAMPLE somniferous

18. ambulo

_________________

EXAMPLE preamble

19. sopor

_________________

EXAMPLE soporific

20. somnus

_________________

KEY: 1–to be silent, 2–to speak, 3–alone, 4–belly, 5–big, large,

great, 6–grand, 7–word, 8–to roll, 9–to chatter, 10–mind, 11–

work, 12–to work, 13–ear, 14–uncle, 15–back, 16–voice, 17–

to carry or bear, 18–to walk, 19–sleep, 20–sleep

TEASER QUESTIONS FOR THE AMATEUR

ETYMOLOGIST

1. The present participle (or -ing form) of the Latin verb opero, to

work, is operans, working. The form operandi means of working. Can

you figure out the literal meaning of the phrase modus operandi,

sometimes used to signify the characteristic methods or procedures

used by certain criminals? __________________.

2. Circum-, we have learned, is a prefix meaning around, as in

circumlocution, circumference, circumcision, circumnavigation, etc.

Thinking of the root scribo, scriptus, to write, can you figure out the

word meaning writing, or written material, around (the edge of

something)? __________________.

3. You know the roots somnus and loquor. Can you combine these

two roots to form an adjective meaning talking in one’s sleep?

__________________. Can you write the noun form of this adjective?

__________________.

4. We have discovered auris, ear, as in auricle. Can you figure out

the specialty of the physician called an aurist? __________________.

5. Verbal, from verbum, refers to words; oral, from os, oris, the

mouth, refers to spoken words or sounds. Can you analyze aural and

decide on its meaning? __________________.

6. A somnambulist walks in his sleep. What does a noctambulist do?

__________________.

7. Soporific, combining sopor, sleep, with fic- (from facio), to

make, means inducing or causing sleep. Use somnus, another root for

sleep, to construct a word that has the same form and meaning as

soporific: __________________.

8. Perambulate is to walk through. Use another Latin prefix to

construct a verb meaning to walk around __________________.

(Answers in Chapter 18)

BECOMING ALERT TO NEW IDEAS

Some chapters back I suggested that since words are symbols of

ideas, one of the most effective means of building your vocabulary is

to read books that deal with new ideas. Along that line, I further

suggested

that

the

fields

psychology,

psychiatry,

and

psychoanalysis would be good starting points, and I mentioned a

number of exciting books to work with.

Needless to say, you will not wish to neglect other fields, and so I

want to recommend, at this point, highly readable books in

additional subjects. All these books will increase your familiarity

with the world of ideas—all of them, therefore, will help you build a

superior vocabulary.

SEMANTICS

Language in Thought and Action, by S. I. Hayakawa

People in Quandaries, by Wendell Johnson

EDUCATION AND LEARNING

How to Survive in Your Native Land, by James Herndon

Education and the Endangered Individual, by Brian V. Hill

How Children Fail and What Do I Do Monday?, by John Holt

Teaching Human Beings, by Jeffrey Schrank

Education and Ecstasy, by George B. Leonard

Human Teaching for Human Learning, by George Isaac Brown

SEX, LOVE, MARRIAGE

Couple Therapy, by Gerald Walker Smith and Alice I. Phillips

Your Fear of Love, by Marshall Bryant Hodge

Sexual Suicide, by George F. Gilder

Intimacy, by Gina Allen and Clement G. Martin, M.D.

How to Live with Another Person, by David Viscott, M.D.

Pairing, by George R. Bach and Ronald M. Deutsch

The Intimate Enemy, by George R. Bach and Peter Wyden

The Rape of the Ape, by Allan Sherman (Humor)

The Hite Report, by Shere Hite

Sex in Human Loving, by Eric Berne, M.D.

WOMEN, FEMINISM, ETC.

Rebirth of Feminism, by Judith Hole and Ellen Levine

The Way of All Women, by M. Esther Harding

Knowing Woman, by Irene Claremont de Castillejo

Sexist Justice, by Karen De Crow

Our Bodies, Our Selves, by The Boston Women’s Health Book

Collective

CHILDREN, CHILD-RAISING, ETC.

Between Parent and Child and Between Parent and Teenager, by Dr.

Haim Ginott

Children Who Hate, by Fritz Redl and David Wineman

Parent Effectiveness Training, by Dr. Thomas Gordon

How to Parent, by Dr. Fitzhugh Dodson

Escape from Childhood, by John Holt

One Little Boy, by Dorothy W. Baruch

HEALTH

Save Your Life Diet Book, by David Reuben, M.D.

Folk Medicine, by D. C. Jarvis, M.D.

Get Well Naturally, by Linda Clark

Let’s Eat Right to Keep Fit, by Adelle Davis

PHILOSOPHY

The Way of Zen and What Does It Matter?, by Alan W. Watts

Love’s Body, by Norman O. Brown

BUSINESS, ECONOMICS, FINANCE

The Affluent Society, by John Kenneth Galbraith

Parkinson’s Law, by C. Northcote Parkinson

The Peter Principle, by Laurence J. Peter

Up the Organization, by Robert Townsend

SOCIOLOGY

Passages, by Gail Sheehy

Future Shock, by Alvin Toffler

Hard Times, by Studs Terkel

Roots, by Alex Haley

DEATH AND DYING

Life After Life, by Raymond A. Moody, Jr., M.D.

On Death and Dying, by Elizabeth Kubler Ross

All but one or two of these stimulating and informative books are

available in inexpensive paperback editions—most of them can be

found in any large public library. Any one of them will provide an

evening of entertainment and excitement far more rewarding than

watching TV, will possibly open for you new areas of knowledge

and understanding, and will undoubtedly contain so many of the

words you have learned in this book that you will again and again

experience the delicious shock of recognition that I spoke of in an

earlier chapter.

Additionally, you may encounter words you have never seen

before that are built on roots you are familiar with—and you will

then realize how simple it is to figure out the probable meaning of even

the most esoteric term once you have become an expert in roots, prefixes,

and suffixes.

(End of Session 27)