chapter-14

HOW TO TALK ABOUT COMMON

PHENOMENA AND OCCURRENCES

(Sessions 39–41)

TEASER PREVIEW

What word aptly describes:

dire poverty?

emotion experienced without direct participation?

something which lasts a very short time?

an inoffensive word for an unpleasant idea?

light and easy banter?

someone who is cowlike in his stolidity?

homesickness?

harsh sound?

a meat-eating animal?

something kept secret?

SESSION 39

This world, Robert Louis Stevenson once claimed—with, I think,

questionable logic—is so full of a number of things that we should

all be as happy as kings.

I doubt very strongly that happiness comes from the outside, or

that kings are necessarily happy. But I will go this far (and no

further) with Stevenson: the world is certainly full of a number of

things. For instance, poverty and misery, hospitals and insane

asylums, slums and racial restrictions, cut-down forests and once

fertile lands becoming progressively more arid, war and death and

taxes and bumbling diplomats. I know that Stevenson had a

different sort of thing in mind, for romantic poets tend to view the

world through rose-tinted spectacles, but it is often necessary to

counter one extreme with another—and I simply wish to set the

record straight.

In this chapter we are going to discuss a number of things to be

found in the world and in the minds of its inhabitants—poverty and

wealth; secondhand emotions; the relativity of time; praise of

various sorts; small talk and how to indulge in it; animals; longings

for the past; sounds; eating habits; and many kinds and conditions

of secrecy.

As you see, when you start exploring ideas, as we constantly do in

these chapters, you never know what will turn up.

IDEAS

1. for want of the green stuff

There are those people who are forced (often through no fault of

their own) to pursue an existence not only devoid of such luxuries

as radios, television sets, sunken bathtubs, electric orange-juice

squeezers, automobiles, Jacuzzis, private swimming pools, etc., but

lacking also in many of the pure necessities of living—sufficient

food,

heated

homes,

hot

water,

vermin-

and

rodent-free

surroundings, decent clothing, etc.

Such people live:

in penury

2. at least watch it

All normal people want and need love and at least a modicum of

excitement in their lives—so say the psychologists. If no one loves

them, and if they can find no one on whom to lavish their own love,

they may often satisfy their emotional longings and needs by getting

their feelings secondhand—through reading love stories, attending

motion pictures, watching soap operas, etc.

These are:

vicarious feelings

3. time is fleeting

During the late winter and early spring of 1948–49, great

numbers of people went practically berserk joining and forming

“pyramid clubs.” If you have not heard of this amazing

phenomenon, I won’t attempt to describe it in any of its multifarious

ramifications, but the main point was that you paid two dollars,

treated some people to coffee and doughnuts, and shortly thereafter

(if you were gullible enough to fall for this get-rich-quick scheme)

supposedly received a return of some fantastic amount like $2,064

for your investment.

For a short time, pyramid clubs were a rage—soon they had

vanished from the American scene.

Anything that lasts for but a short time and leaves no trace is:

ephemeral

4. how not to call a spade…

Words are only symbols of things—they are not the things

themselves. (This, by the way, is one of the basic tenets of

semantics.) But many people identify the word and the thing so

closely that they fear to use certain words that symbolize things that

are unpleasant to them.

I know that this is confusing, so let me illustrate.

Words having to do with death, sex, certain portions of the

anatomy, excretion, etc. are avoided by certain people.

These people prefer circumlocutions—words that “talk around” an

idea or that mean or imply something but don’t come right out and

say so directly.

For example:

WORD

CIRCUMLOCUTION

die

expire; depart this life; pass away; leave

this vale of tears

sexual intercourse

(intimate) relations; “playing house”;

“shacking up”

prostitute

lady of the evening; fille de joie; painted

woman; lady of easy virtue; fille de nuit;

streetwalker; hooker

house of prostitution

house of ill-fame; bawdyhouse; house of ill-

repute; bagnio; brothel; bordello; “house”;

“massage parlor”

buttocks, behind

derrière; rear end; butt; tail

breasts

bosom; bust; curves

toilet

powder room; little girl’s room; facilities;

washroom; lavatory; head

The left-hand column is the direct, non-pussyfooting word. The

right-hand column is made up of:

euphemisms

5. small talk

“Whenever I’m in the dumps, I get a new suit.”

“Oh, so that’s where you get them!”

“Lend me a dime—I want to phone one of my friends.”

“Here’s a quarter—call them all.”

“The doctor says I have snoo in my blood!”

“Snoo? What’s snoo?”

“Not a darn! What’s new with you?”

“What are twins?”

“Okay, what are twins?”

“Womb mates!”

“I took a twip yesterday.”

“A twip?”

“Yes, I took a twip on a twain!”

These are examples of:

badinage

6. everything but give milk

You’ve seen a cow contentedly munching its cud. Nothing seems

capable of disturbing this animal—and the animal seems to want

nothing more out of life than to lead a simple, vegetable existence.

Some people are like a cow—calm, patient, placid, phlegmatic,

vegetable-like. They are:

bovine¹

7. good old days

Do you sometimes experience a keen, almost physical, longing for

associations or places of the past?

When you pass the neighborhood in which you were born and

where you spent your early years, do you have a sharp, strange

reaction, almost akin to mild nausea?

When you are away from home and friends and family, do

pleasant remembrances crowd in on your mind to the point where

your present loneliness becomes almost unbearable, and you

actually feel a little sick?

This common feeling is called:

nostalgia

8. sounds that grate

Some sounds are so harsh, grating, and discordant that they

offend the ear. They lack all sweetness, harmony, pleasantness.

Traffic noises of a big city, electronic rock music, chalk squeaking

on a blackboard.…

Such blaring, ear-splitting, or spine-tingling sounds are called:

cacophonous

9. eating habits

Lions, tigers, wolves, and some other mammals subsist entirely on

flesh. No spinach, salad greens, whole-wheat cereals, sugar, or

spices—just good, red meat.

These mammals are:

carnivorous

10. private and public

There are certain things most of us do in private, like taking a

bath. Some people like to engage in other activities in complete

privacy—eating, reading, watching TV, sleeping, for example.

The point is that, while these activities may be conducted in

privacy, there is never any reason for keeping them secret.

But there are other activities that are kept not only private, but

well-shrouded in secrecy and concealed from public knowledge.

These activities are unethical, illegal, or unsafe—like having an

affair with someone whose spouse is your best friend, betraying

military secrets to the enemy, trading in narcotics, bribing public

officials, etc.

Arrangements, activities, or meetings that fall under this category

are called:

clandestine

USING THE WORDS

Can you pronounce the words?

1. penury

PEN′-yƏ-ree

2. vicarious

vī-KAĪR′-ee-Əs

3. ephemeral

Ə-FEM′-Ə-rƏl

4. euphemism

ōō

′-fƏ-miz-Əm

5. badinage

BAD′-Ə-nƏj

6. bovine

BŌ′-vīn′

7. nostalgia

nƏ-STAL′-jƏ

8. cacophony

kƏ-KOF′-Ə-nee

9. carnivorous

kahr-NIV′-Ər-Əs

10. clandestine

klan-DES′-tin

Can you work with the words?

1. penury

a. impermanent

2. vicarious

b. banter

3. ephemeral

c. homesickness

4. euphemism

d. meat-eating

5. badinage

e. circumlocution

6. bovine

f. harsh noise

7. nostalgia

g. poverty

8. cacophony

h. secret

9. carnivorous

i. placid; stolid; cowlike

10. clandestine

j. secondhand

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

Do you understand the words? (I)

1. Do wealthy people normally live in penury?

YES NO

2. Is a vicarious thrill one that comes from direct participation?

YES NO

3. Do ephemeral things last a very short time?

YES NO

4. Is a euphemism the substitution of an inoffensive term for

another of the same meaning that may sound offensive, vulgar,

or indelicate?

YES NO

5. Does badinage show lighthearted frivolity?

YES NO

6. Are bovine people high-strung and nervous?

YES NO

7. Does one get a feeling of nostalgia for past occurrences and

relationships?

YES NO

8. Is cacophony pleasant and musical?

YES NO

9. Do carnivorous animals eat meat?

YES NO

10. Is a clandestine meeting conducted in secrecy?

YES NO

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

10–yes

Do you understand the words? (II)

1. penury—affluence

SAME OPPOSITE

2. vicarious—actual

SAME OPPOSITE

3. ephemeral—eternal

SAME OPPOSITE

4. euphemism—less offensive word

SAME OPPOSITE

5. badinage—light, teasing talk

SAME OPPOSITE

6. bovine—high-strung

SAME OPPOSITE

7. nostalgia—longing for the past

SAME OPPOSITE

8. cacophony—euphony

SAME OPPOSITE

9. carnivorous—herbivorous

SAME OPPOSITE

10. clandestine—hidden

SAME OPPOSITE

KEY: 1–O, 2–O, 3–O, 4–S, 5–S, 6–O, 7–O, 8–O, 9–O, 10–S

(The new words used in this test will be discussed in later sections

of this chapter.)

Can you recall the words?

1. harsh sound

1. C__________________

2. having a short life

2. E__________________

3. dire poverty

3. P__________________

4. substitution of an indirect or pleasant word or phrase for a

possibly offensive one of the same meaning

4. E__________________

5. experienced as a spectator, rather than as a participant

5. V__________________

6. acute feeling of homesickness

6. N__________________

7. light, half-teasing banter

7. B__________________

8. subsisting solely on meat

8. C__________________

9. cowlike; stolid

9. B__________________

10. secret; concealed

10. C__________________

SESSION 40

ORIGINS AND RELATED WORDS

1. money, and what it will buy

The modern world operates largely by means of a price structure

—wealth and poverty are therefore words that indicate the

possession, on the one hand, or the lack, on the other, of money.

Penury, from Latin penuria, need, neediness, is dire, abject poverty,

complete lack of financial resources. It is one of the two strongest

English words there are to denote absence of money. The adjective

form, penurious (pƏ-NY

ŏŏ

r′-ee-Əs or pƏ-N

ŏŏ

R′ ee-Əs), strangely

enough, may mean poverty-stricken, but more commonly signifies

stingy, close-fisted, niggardly; so sparing in the use of money as to

give the appearance of penury.

Penurious is a synonym of parsimonious (pahr′-sƏ-MŌ′-nee-Əs), but

is much stronger in implication. A parsimonious person is stingy; a

penurious person is twice as stingy. Penury, then, is poverty;

penuriousness is stinginess, excessive frugality. The noun form of

parsimonious is parsimony (PAHR′-sƏ-mō′-nee).

A somewhat milder word than penury for poverty (if you can

imagine a mild degree of poverty) is indigence (IN′-dƏ-jƏns). Indigent

(IN′-dƏ-jƏnt) people are not absolutely penniless—they are simply

living in reduced circumstances, forgoing many creature comforts,

forced to undergo the type of hardships that may accompany a lack

of sufficient funds.

On the other hand, a close synonym of penury, and one of equal

strength, is destitution (des′-tƏ-T

ōō

′-shƏn). Destitute (DES′-tƏ-t

ōō

people do not even have the means for mere subsistence—as such,

they are perhaps on the verge of starvation. Penury and destitution

are not merely straitened circumstances—they are downright

desperate circumstances.

To turn now to the brighter side of the picture, the possession of

money, especially in increasing amounts, is expressed by affluence

(AF′-l

ōō

-Əns). Affluent (AF′-l

ōō

-Ənt) people, people of affluence, or

those living in affluent circumstances, are more than comfortable; in

addition, there is the implication that their wealth is increasing.

People who live in affluence probably own large and costly homes,

run big, new cars, belong to expensive golf or country clubs, etc.

A much stronger term is opulence (OP′-yƏ-lƏns), which not only

implies much greater wealth than affluence, but in addition suggests

lavish expenditures and ostentatiously luxurious surroundings.

People of opulence own estates; drive only outrageously expensive

and specially equipped cars (Rolls-Royces, Mercedes-Benzes,

Porsches, etc.); have a corps of servants, including a major-domo;

belong to golf and yacht and country clubs, etc., etc. Embroider the

fantasy as much as you wish to. Opulent (OP′-yƏ-lƏnt) may describe

people, surroundings, styles of life, or the like.

Affluent is a combination of the prefix ad-, to, toward (changing to

af- before a root beginning with f), plus the Latin verb fluo, to flow

—affluence is that delightful condition in which money keeps

flowing to us, and no one ever turns off the spigot. Other words

from the same root, fluo, to flow, are fluid, influence, confluence (a

“flowing together”), fluent (the words flow smoothly), etc.

Opulent is from Latin opulentus, wealthy. No other English words

derive from this root.

2. doing and feeling

If you watch a furious athletic event, and you get tired, though the

athletes expend all the energy—that’s vicarious fatigue.

If your friend goes on a bender, and as you watch him absorb one

drink after another, you begin to feel giddy and stimulated, that’s

vicarious intoxication.

If you watch a mother in a motion picture or dramatic play suffer

horribly at the death of her child, and you go through the same

agony, that’s vicarious torment.

You can experience an emotion, then, in two ways: firsthand,

through

actual

participation;

vicariously,

becoming

empathetically involved in another person’s feelings.

Some people, for example, lead essentially dull and colorless lives.

Through their children, through reading or attending the theater,

however, they can experience all the emotions felt by others whose

lives move along at a swift, exciting pace. These people live at

second hand; they live vicariously.

3. time is relative

Elephants and turtles live almost forever; human beings in the

United States have a life expectancy in general of sixty-eight to

seventy-six years (though the gradual conquest of disease is

constantly lengthening our span);² dogs live from seven to ten years;

and some insects exist for only a few hours or days.

One such short-lived creature is the dayfly, which in Greek was

called ephemera. Hence anything so short-lived, so unenduring that

it scarcely seems to outlast the day, may be called ephemeral.

A synonym of ephemeral is evanescent (ev-Ə-NES′-Ənt), fleeting,

staying for a remarkably short time, vanishing. Something

intangible, like a feeling, may be called evanescent; it’s here, and

before you can quite comprehend it, it’s gone—vanished.

The noun is evanescence (ev′-Ə-NES′-Əns); the verb is to evanesce

(ev-Ə-NES′).

Evanescent is built on the prefix e- (ex-), out, the root vanesco, to

vanish, and the adjective suffix -ent.

The suffix -esce often, but not always, means begin to. -Escent may

mean becoming or beginning to. Thus:

adolescent—beginning to grow up;

beginning to become an adult

evanesce—begin to vanish

convalesce—begin to get well after illness

putrescent—beginning to rot;

beginning to become putrid

obsolescent—becoming obsolete

4. an exploration of various good things

A euphemism is a word or expression that has been substituted for

another that is likely to offend—it is built on the Greek prefix eu-,

good, the root pheme, voice, and the noun suffix -ism.

(Etymologically, “something said in a good voice!”) Adjective:

euphemistic (y

ōō

′-fƏ-MIS′-tik)

Other English words constructed from the prefix eu-:

1. euphony (YOO′-fƏ-nee)—good sound; pleasant lilt or rhythm

(phone, sound)

Adjective: euphonic (y

ōō

-FON′-ik) or euphonious (y

ōō

-FŌ′-nee-Əs)

2. eulogy (Y

ōō

′-lƏ-jee)—etymologically, “good speech”; a formal

speech of praise, usually delivered as a funeral oration. Logos in this

term means word or speech, as it did in philology (Chapter 6). Logos

more commonly means science or study, but has the alternate

meaning in eulogy, philology, monologue, dialogue, epilogue (words

upon the other words, or “after-words”), and prologue (words before

the main part, “before-words,” or introduction).

Adjective: eulogistic (y

ōō

-lƏ-JIS′-tik); verb: eulogize (Y

ōō

-lƏ-jīz′);

person who delivers a eulogy: eulogist (Y

ōō

-lƏ-jist)

3. euphoria (y

ōō

-FAWR′-ee-Ə)—good feeling, a sense of mental

buoyancy and physical well-being

Adjective: euphoric (y

ōō

-FAWR′-ik)

4. euthanasia (y

ōō

′-thƏ-NAY′-zhƏ)—etymologically, “good death”;

method of painless death inflicted on people suffering from

incurable diseases—not legal at the present time, but advocated by

many people. The word derives from eu- plus Greek thanatos, death.

5. exploration of modes of expression

Badinage is a half-teasing, non-malicious, frivolous banter,

intended to amuse rather than wound. Badinage has a close

synonym, persiflage (PUR′-sƏ-flahzh′), which is a little more derisive,

a trifle more indicative of contempt or mockery—but still totally

unmalicious.

In line with badinage and persiflage, there are four other forms of

expression you should be familiar with: cliché (klee-SHAY′), bromide

(BRŌ′-mīd′), platitude (PLAT′-Ə-t

ōō

d), and anodyne (AN′-Ə-dīn′).

A cliché is a pattern of words which was once new and fresh, but

which now is so old, worn, and threadbare that only banal,

unimaginative speakers and writers ever use it. Examples are: fast

and furious; unsung heroes; by leaps and bounds; conspicuous by its

absence; green with envy; etc. The most devastating criticism you can

make of a piece of writing is to say, “It is full of clichés”; the most

pointed insult to a person’s way of talking is, “You speak in clichés.”

A bromide is any trite, dull, and probably fallacious remark that

shows little evidence of original thinking, and that therefore

convinces a listener of the total absence of perspicacity on the part

of the speaker.

For instance, some cautious, dull-minded individual might warn

you not to take a chance in these words: “Remember it’s better to be

safe than sorry!”

Your sneering response might be: “Oh, that old bromide!”

A platitude is similar to a cliché or bromide, in that it is a dull, trite,

hackneyed, unimaginative pattern of words—but, to add insult to

injury (cliché), the speaker uses it with an air of novelty—as if he

just made it up, and isn’t he the brilliant fellow!

An anodyne, in the medical sense, is a drug that allays pain

without curing an illness, like aspirin or morphine. Figuratively, an

anodyne is a statement made to allay someone’s fears or anxieties,

not believed by the speaker, but intended to be believed by the

listener. “Prosperity is just around the corner” was a popular

anodyne of the 1930s.

A bromide is also a drug, formerly used as a sedative. Sedatives

dull the senses—the statement labeled a bromide comes from a

speaker of dull wit and has a sedative effect on the listener. The

adjective is bromidic (brō-MID′-ik), as in “his bromidic way of

expressing himself.”

Platitude derives from Greek platys, broad or flat, plus the noun

suffix -tude. Words like plateau (flat land), plate and platter (flat

dishes), and platypus (flat foot) all derive from the same root as

platitude, a flat statement, i.e., one that falls flat, despite the

speaker’s high hopes for it. The adjective is platitudinous (plat′-Ə-T

ōō

-dƏ-nƏs), as in, “What a platitudinous remark.”

Anodyne is a combination of the negative prefix an- with Greek

odyne, pain. Anodynes, as drugs, lessen pain; as statements, they are

intended to reduce or eliminate emotional pain or anxiety.

REVIEW OF ETYMOLOGY

PREFIX, ROOT, SUFFIX

MEANING

1. penuria

need, neediness

ENGLISH WORD _____________

2. ad- (af-)

to, toward

ENGLISH WORD _____________

3. fluo

to flow

ENGLISH WORD _____________

4. opulentus

wealthy

ENGLISH WORD _____________

5. ephemera

dayfly

ENGLISH WORD _____________

6. e-, ex-

out

ENGLISH WORD _____________

7. vanesco

to vanish

ENGLISH WORD _____________

8. -esce

begin to

ENGLISH WORD _____________

9. -ent

adjective suffix

ENGLISH WORD _____________

10. -ence

noun suffix

ENGLISH WORD _____________

11. eu-

good

ENGLISH WORD _____________

12. pheme

voice

ENGLISH WORD _____________

13. -ism

noun suffix

ENGLISH WORD _____________

14. phone

sound

ENGLISH WORD _____________

15. -ic

adjective suffix

ENGLISH WORD _____________

16. -ous

adjective suffix

ENGLISH WORD _____________

17. logos

word, speech

ENGLISH WORD _____________

18. -ize

verb suffix

ENGLISH WORD _____________

19. thanatos

death

ENGLISH WORD _____________

20. platys

broad or flat

ENGLISH WORD _____________

21. an-

negative prefix

ENGLISH WORD _____________

22. odyne

pain

ENGLISH WORD _____________

USING THE WORDS

Can you pronounce the words? (I)

1. penurious

pƏ-NY

ŏŏ

R′-ee-Əs or

pƏ-N

ŏŏ

R′-ee-Əs

2. penuriousness

pƏ-NY

ŏŏ

R′-ee-Əs-nƏs or

pƏ-N

ŏŏ

R′-ee-Əs-nƏs

3. parsimonious

pahr′-sƏ-MŌ′-nee-Əs

4. parsimony

PAHR′-sƏ-mō′-nee

5. indigence

IN′-dƏ-jƏns

6. indigent

IN′-dƏ-jƏnt

7. destitution

des′-tƏ-T

ōō

′-shƏn

8. destitute

DES′-tƏ-t

ōō

9. affluence

AF′-l

ōō

-Əns

10. affluent

AF′-l

ōō

-Ənt

11. opulence

OP′-yƏ-lƏns

12. opulent

OP′-yƏ-lƏnt

Can you pronounce the words? (II)

1. evanescent

ev′-Ə-NES′-Ənt

2. evanescence

ev′-Ə-NES′-Əns

3. evanesce

ev′-Ə-NES′

4. euphemistic

ōō

-fƏ-MIS′-tik

5. euphony

YOO′-fƏ-nee

6. euphonic

ōō

-FON′-ik

7. euphonious

ōō

-FŌ′-nee-Əs

8. eulogy

YOO′-lƏ-jee

9. eulogistic

ōō

′-lƏ-JIS′-tik

10. eulogize

ōō

′-lƏ-jīz′

Can you pronounce the words? (III)

1. euphoria

ōō

-FAWR′-ee-Ə

2. euphoric

ōō

-FAWR′-ik

3. euthanasia

ōō

′-thƏ-NAY′-zha

4. persiflage

PUR′-sƏ-flahzh′

5. cliché

klee-SHAY′

6. bromide

BRŌ′-mīd′

7. bromidic

brō-MID′-ik

8. platitude

PLAT′-Ə-t

ōō

9. platitudinous

plat′-Ə-TOO′-dƏ-nƏs

10. anodyne

AN′-Ə-dīn′

Can you work with the words? (I)

1. penurious

a. poor; of limited means

2. indigent

b. inoffensive

3. affluent

c. flat, trite

4. evanescent

d. feeling tiptop

5. euphemistic

e. wealthy

6. euphonious

f. pleasant in sound

7. euphoric

g. stingy; tight-fisted

8. platitudinous

h. fleeting

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

Can you work with the words? (II)

1. parsimony

a. lavish luxury

2. destitution

b. painless death

3. opulence

c. pleasant sound

4. evanescence

d. trite remark

5. euphony

e. impermanence

6. euphoria

f. feeling of well-being

7. euthanasia

g. stinginess

8. platitude

h. poverty

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

Can you work with the words? (III)

1. anodyne

a. light, teasing banter

2. bromide

b. tightfistedness

3. persiflage

c. statement intended to allay

anxiety

4. eulogy

d. poverty, want

5. penuriousness

e. high, formal praise

6. indigence

f. wealth

7. affluence

g. trite statement

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

Can you work with the words? (IV)

1. parsimonious

a. begin to vanish

2. destitute

b. stingy, frugal

3. opulent

c. highly praising

4. vicarious

d. hackneyed phrase

5. euphonic

e. ostentatiously wealthy

6. eulogistic

f. stilted in expression

7. evanesce

g. pleasant-sounding

8. eulogize

h. in want

9. bromidic

i. secondhand

10. cliché

j. praise

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

Do you understand the words? (I)

1. Do penurious people satisfy their extravagant desires?

YES NO

2. Is penuriousness the characteristic of a miser?

YES NO

3. If you are parsimonious with praise, do you lavish it on others?

YES NO

4. Are people with extremely low incomes forced to live a life of

parsimony?

YES NO

5. Is indigence a sign of wealth?

YES NO

6. Are indigent people often aided by state welfare?

YES NO

7. If you live in a state of destitution, do you have all the money

you need?

YES NO

8. Is a completely destitute person likely to have to live in want?

YES NO

9. Does a person of affluence generally have petty money worries?

YES NO

10. Are opulent surroundings indicative of great wealth?

YES NO

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

yes

Do you understand the words? (II)

1. Can you engage in vicarious exploits by reading spy novels?

YES NO

2. Does an evanescent feeling remain for a considerable time?

YES NO

3. Do parents generally indulge in euphemisms in front of young

children?

YES NO

4. Is poetry generally euphonious?

YES NO

5. Does a sincere eulogy indicate one’s feeling of admiration?

YES NO

6. Is euphoria a feeling of malaise?

YES NO

7. Is euthanasia practiced on animals?

YES NO

8. Is persiflage an indication of seriousness?

YES NO

9. Does a liberal use of clichés show original thinking?

YES NO

10. Is an anodyne intended to relieve fears?

YES NO

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

10–yes

Do you understand the words? (III)

1. Is a platitude flat and dull?

YES NO

2. If a person uses bromides, is he likely to be an interesting

conversationalist?

YES NO

3. If you indulge in persiflage, are you being facetious?

YES NO

4. Are the works of Beethoven considered euphonious?

YES NO

5. Can parents receive a vicarious thrill from their children’s

triumphs?

YES NO

KEY: 1–yes, 2–no, 3–yes, 4–yes, 5–yes

Can you recall the words?

1. a statement, usually untrue, meant to alleviate fear

1. A__________________

2. light banter

2. P__________________

3. a hackneyed phrase

3. C__________________

4. fleeting—lasting a very short time (adj.)

4. E__________________

5. laudatory—delivered in tones of formal praise (adj.)

5. E__________________

6. process of painlessly putting to death a victim of an incurable

disease

6. E__________________

7. stingy (adj.)

7. P__________________

or P__________________

8. in want (adj.)

8. D__________________

9. wealth

9. A__________________

10. immense wealth

10. O__________________

11. adverb describing the manner of responding empathetically to

another’s acts

11. V__________________

12. stinginess (noun)

12. P__________________

or P__________________

13–14. poverty

13. I__________________

14. D__________________

15. impermanence

15. E__________________

16. pleasing sound

16. E__________________

17. substituting inoffensive words (adj.)

17. E__________________

18. sense of well-being

18. E__________________

19. trite remark

19. B__________________

20. banal remark

20. P__________________

21. begin to vanish (v.)

21. E__________________

22. poverty-stricken (adj.)

22. I__________________

23–24. wealthy (two adjs.)

23. A__________________

24. O__________________

25. feeling tiptop (adj.)

25. E__________________

26. pleasant in sound (adj.)

26. E__________________

or E__________________

27. formal praise

27. E__________________

28. trite (adj.)

28. B__________________

KEY: 1–anodyne, 2–persiflage, 3–cliché, 4–evanescent, 5–eulogistic,

6–euthanasia, 7–parsimonious or penurious, 8–destitute, 9–

affluence, 10–opulence, 11–vicariously, 12–parsimony or

penuriousness, 13–indigence, 14–destitution, 15–evanescence,

16–euphony, 17–euphemistic, 18–euphoria, 19–bromide, 20–

platitude, 21–evanesce, 22–indigent, 23–affluent, 24–opulent,

25–euphoric, 26–euphonic or euphonious, 27–eulogy, 28–

bromidic, 29–platitudinous, 30–eulogize

(End of Session 40)

SESSION 41

ORIGINS AND RELATED WORDS

1. people are the craziest animals

Bovine, placid like a cow, stolid, patient, unexcitable, is built on

the Latin word for ox or cow, bovis, plus the suffix -ine, like, similar

to, or characteristic of. To call someone bovine is of course far from

complimentary, for this adjective is considerably stronger than

phlegmatic, and implies a certain mild contempt on the part of the

speaker. A bovine person is somewhat like a vegetable: eats and

grows and lives, but apparently is lacking in any strong feelings.

Humans are sometimes compared to animals, as in the following

adjectives:

1. leonine (LEE′-Ə-nīn′)—like a lion in appearance or temperament.

2. canine (KAY′-nīn′)—like a dog. As a noun, the word refers to

the species to which dogs belong. Our canine teeth are similar to

those of a dog.

3. feline (FEE′-līn′)—catlike. We may speak of feline grace; or

(insultingly) of feline temperament when we mean that a person is

“catty.”

4. porcine (PAWR′-sīn′)—piglike.

5. vulpine (VUL′-pīn′)—foxlike in appearance or temperament.

When applied to people, this adjective usually indicates the

shrewdness of a fox.

6. ursine (UR′-sīn′)—bearlike.

7. lupine (L

ōō

′-pīn)—wolflike.

8. equine (EE′-kwīn′)—horselike; “horsy.”

9. piscine (PIS′-īn′)—fishlike.

All these adjectives come from the corresponding Latin words for

the animals; and, of course, each adjective also describes, or refers

to, the specific animal as well as to the person likened to the animal.

1. leo

lion

2. canis

dog

3. felis

cat

4. porcus

pig

5. vulpus

fox

6. ursus

bear

7. lupus

wolf

8. equus

horse

9. piscis

fish

The word for meat from a pig—pork—derives, obviously, from

porcus. Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, the Great Bear and the Little Bear,

the two conspicuous groups of stars in the northern sky

(conspicuous, of course, only on a clear night), are so labeled

because in formation they resemble the outlines of bears. The

feminine name Ursula is, by etymology, “a little bear,” which,

perhaps, is a strange name to burden a child with. The skin disease

lupus was so named because it eats into the flesh, as a wolf might.

2. you can’t go home again

Nostalgia, built on two Greek roots, nostos, a return, and algos,

pain (as in neuralgia, cardialgia, etc.), is a feeling you can’t ever

understand until you’ve experienced it—and you have probably

experienced it whenever some external stimulus has crowded your

mind with scenes from an earlier day.

You know how life often seems much pleasanter in retrospect?

Your conscious memory tends to store up the pleasant experiences

of the past (the trauma and unpleasant experiences may get buried

in the unconscious), and when you are lonely or unhappy you may

begin to relive these pleasant occurrences. It is then that you feel

the emotional pain and longing that we call nostalgia.

The adjective is nostalgic (nos-TAL′-jik), as in “motion pictures

that are nostalgic of the fifties,” or as in, “He feels nostalgic whenever

he passes 138th Street and sees the house in which he grew up.”

3. soundings

Cacophony is itself a harsh-sounding word—and is the only one

that exactly describes the unmusical, grating, ear-offending noises

you are likely to hear in man-made surroundings: the New York

subway trains thundering through their tunnels (they are also, these

days in the late 1970s, eye-offending, for which we might coin the

term cacopsis, noun, and cacoptic, adjective), the traffic bedlam of

rush hours in a big city, a steel mill, an automobile factory, a blast

furnace, etc. Adjective: cacophonous (kƏ-KOF′-Ə-nƏs).

These words are built on the Greek roots kakos, bad, harsh, or

ugly, and phone, sound.

Phone, sound, is found also in:

1. telephone—etymologically, “sound from afar”

2. euphony—pleasant sound

3. phonograph—etymologically, “writer of sound”

4. saxophone—a musical instrument (hence sound) invented by

Adolphe Sax

5. xylophone—a musical instrument; etymologically, “sounds

through wood” (Greek xylon, wood)

6. phonetics (fƏ-NET′-iks)—the science of the sounds of language;

the adjective is phonetic (fƏ-NET′-ik), the expert a phonetician (fō′-nƏ-

TISH′-Ən)

7. phonics—the science of sound; also the method of teaching

reading by drilling the sounds of letters and syllables

4. the flesh and all

Carnivorous combines carnis, flesh, and voro, to devour. A

carnivorous animal, or carnivore (KAHR′-nƏ-vawr′), is one whose

main diet is meat.

Voro, to devour, is the origin of other words referring to eating

habits:

1. herbivorous (hur-BIV′-Ər-Əs)—subsisting on grains, grasses, and

other vegetation, as cows, deer, horses, etc. The animal is a herbivore

(HUR′-bƏ-vawr′). Derivation: Latin herba, herb, plus voro, to devour

2. omnivorous (om-NIV′-Ər-Əs)—eating everything: meat, grains,

grasses, fish, insects, and anything else digestible. The only species

so indiscriminate in their diet are humans and rats, plus, of course,

some cats and dogs that live with people (in contrast to felines and

canines—lions,

tigers,

bobcats,

wolves,

etc.—that

are

not

domesticated). Omnivorous (combining Latin omnis, all, with voro,

plus the adjective suffix -ous) refers not only to food. An omnivorous

reader reads everything in great quantities (that is, devours all kinds

of reading matter).

3. voracious (vaw-RAY′-shƏs)—devouring; hence, greedy or

gluttonous; may refer either to food or to any other habits. One may

be a voracious eater, voracious reader, voracious in one’s pursuit of

money, pleasure, etc. Think of the two noun forms of loquacious.

Can you write two nouns derived from voracious? (1) __________________,

(2) __________________.

5. “allness”

Latin omnis, all, is the origin of:

1. omnipotent (om-NIP′-Ə-tƏnt)—all-powerful, an adjective usually

applied to God; also, to any ruler whose governing powers are

unlimited, which allows for some exaggeration, as King Canute the

Great proved to his sycophantic courtiers when he ordered the tide

to come so far up the beach and no further. He got soaking wet!

(Omnis plus Latin potens, potentis, powerful, as in potentate, a

powerful ruler; impotent (IM′-pƏ-tƏnt), powerless; potent, powerful;

and potential, possessing power or ability not yet exercised). Can you

write the noun form of omnipotent?

2. omniscient (om-NISH′-Ənt)—all-knowing: hence, infinitely wise.

(Omnis plus sciens, knowing.) We have discussed this adjective in a

previous chapter, so you will have no problem writing the noun:

__________________.

3. omnipresent (om′-nƏ-PREZ′-Ənt)—present in all places at once.

Fear was omnipresent in Europe during 1939 just before World War

II. A synonym of omnipresent is ubiquitous (y

ōō

-BIK′-wƏ-tƏs), from

Latin ubique, everywhere. The ubiquitous ice cream vendor seems to

be everywhere at the same time, tinkling those little bells, once

spring arrives. The ubiquitous little red wagon rides around

everywhere in airports to refuel departing planes. “Ubiquitous

laughter greeted the press secretary’s remark,” i.e., laughter was

heard everywhere in the room. The noun forms are ubiquity (y

ōō

-BIK′-

wƏ-tee) or __________________. (Can you think of the alternate form?)

4. omnibus (OM′-nƏ-bƏs)—etymologically, “for all, including all.”

In the shortened form bus we have a public vehicle for all who can

pay; in a John Galsworthy omnibus we have a book containing all of

Galsworthy’s works; in an omnibus legislative bill we have a bill

containing all the miscellaneous provisions and appropriations left

out of other bills.

6. more flesh

Note how carnis, flesh, is the building block of:

1. carnelian (kahr-NEEL′-yƏn)—a reddish color, the color of red

flesh.

2. carnival (KAHR′-nƏ-vƏl)—originally the season of merrymaking

just before Lent, when people took a last fling before saying “Carne

vale!” “Oh flesh, farewell!” (Latin vale, farewell, goodbye). Today a

carnival is a kind of outdoor entertainment with games, rides, side

shows, and, of course, lots of food—also any exuberant or riotous

merrymaking or festivities.

3. carnal (KAHR′-nƏl)—most often found in phrases like “carnal

pleasures” or “carnal appetites,” and signifying pleasures or

appetites of the flesh rather than of the spirit—hence, sensual,

lecherous, lascivious, lubricious, etc. The noun is carnality (kahr-

NAL′-Ə-tee).

4. carnage (KAHR′-nƏj)—great destruction of life (that is, of

human flesh), as in war or mass murders.

reincarnation

(ree′-in-kahr-NAY′-shƏn)—a

rebirth

reappearance. Believers in reincarnation maintain that one’s soul

persists after it has fled the flesh, and eventually reappears in the

body of a newborn infant or animal, or in another form. Some of us,

according to this interesting philosophy, were once Napoleon,

Alexander the Great, Cleopatra, etc. The verb is to reincarnate (ree-

in-KAHR′-nayt), to bring (a soul) back in another bodily form.

6. incarnate (in-KAHR′-nƏt)—in the flesh. If we use this adjective

to call someone “the devil incarnate,” we mean that here is the devil

in the flesh. Or we may say that someone is evil incarnate, that is,

the personification of evil, evil invested with human or bodily form.

The verb to incarnate (in-KAHR′-nayt) is to embody, give bodily

form to, or make real.

7. dark secrets

Clandestine comes from Latin clam, secretly, and implies secrecy or

concealment in the working out of a plan that is dangerous or

illegal. Clandestine is a close synonym of surreptitious (sur′-Əp-TISH′-

Əs), which means stealthy, sneaky, furtive, generally because of fear

of detection.

The two words cannot always, however, be used interchangeably.

We may speak of either clandestine or surreptitious meetings or

arrangements; but usually only of clandestine plans and only of

REVIEW OF ETYMOLOGY

PREFIX, ROOT, SUFFIX

MEANING

1. -ine

like, similar to, characteristic of

ENGLISH WORD _____________

2. leo

lion

ENGLISH WORD _____________

3. felis

cat

ENGLISH WORD _____________

4. porcus

pig

ENGLISH WORD _____________

5. canis

dog

ENGLISH WORD _____________

6. vulpus

fox

ENGLISH WORD _____________

7. ursus

bear

ENGLISH WORD _____________

8. lupus

wolf

ENGLISH WORD _____________

9. equus

horse

ENGLISH WORD _____________

10. piscis

fish

ENGLISH WORD _____________

11. nostos

a return

ENGLISH WORD _____________

12. algos

pain

ENGLISH WORD _____________

13. -ic

adjective suffix

ENGLISH WORD _____________

14. kakos

bad, harsh, ugly

ENGLISH WORD _____________

15. phone

sound

ENGLISH WORD _____________

16. xylon

wood

ENGLISH WORD _____________

17. carnis

flesh

ENGLISH WORD _____________

18. voro

to devour

ENGLISH WORD _____________

19. herba

herb

ENGLISH WORD _____________

20. omnis

all

ENGLISH WORD _____________

21. -ous

adjective suffix

ENGLISH WORD _____________

22. potens, potentis

powerful

ENGLISH WORD _____________

23. sciens

knowing

ENGLISH WORD _____________

24. ubique

everywhere

ENGLISH WORD _____________

25. -ity

noun suffix

ENGLISH WORD _____________

26. vale

farewell

ENGLISH WORD _____________

27. -al

adjective suffix

ENGLISH WORD _____________

28. re-

again, back

ENGLISH WORD _____________

29. -ate

verb suffix

ENGLISH WORD _____________

30. in-

ENGLISH WORD _____________

31. clam

secretly

ENGLISH WORD _____________

32. -ent

adjective suffix

ENGLISH WORD _____________

33. -ence

noun suffix

ENGLISH WORD _____________

USING THE WORDS

Can you pronounce the words? (I)

1. leonine

LEE′-Ə-nīn′

2. canine

KAY′-nīn′

3. feline

FEE′-līn′

4. porcine

PAWR′-sīn′

5. vulpine

VUL′-pīn′

6. ursine

UR′-sīn′

7. lupine

ōō

′-pīn′

8. equine

EE′-kwīn′

9. piscine

PIS′-īn′

10. nostalgic

nos-TAL′-jik

Can you pronounce the words? (II)

1. cacophonous

kƏ-KOF′-Ə-nƏs

2. phonetics

fƏ-NET′-iks

3. phonetic

fƏ-NET′-ik

4. phonetician

fō-nƏ-TISH′-Ən

5. carnivore

KAHR′-nƏ-vawr′

6. herbivore

HUR′-bƏ-vawr′

7. herbivorous

hur-BIV′-Ər-Əs

8. omnivorous

om-NIV′-Ər-Əs

9. voracious

vaw-RAY′-shƏs

10. voracity

vaw-RAS′-Ə-tee

11. omnipotent

om-NIP′-Ə-tƏnt

12. impotent

IM′-pƏ-tƏnt

13. impotence

IM′-pƏ-tƏns

14. omnipotence

om-NIP′-Ə-tƏns

Can you pronounce the words? (III)

1. omniscient

om-NISH′-Ənt

2. omniscience

om-NISH′-Əns

3. omnipresent

om′-nƏ-PREZ′-Ənt

4. omnipresence

om′-nƏ-PREZ′-Əns

5. ubiquitous

ōō

-BIK′-wƏ-tƏs

6. ubiquity

ōō

-BIK′-wƏ-tee

7. ubiquitousness

ōō

-BIK′-wƏ-tƏs-nƏs

8. omnibus

OM′-nƏ-bƏs

Can you pronounce the words? (IV)

1. carnelian

kahr-NEEL′-yƏn

2. carnal

KAHR′-nƏl

3. carnality

kahr-NAL′-Ə-tee

4. carnage

KAHR′-nƏj

5. reincarnation

ree′-in-kahr-NAY′-shƏn

6. reincarnate (v.)

ree′-in-KAHR′-nayt

7. incarnate (adj.)

in-KAHR′-nƏt

8. incarnate (v.)

in-KAHR′-nayt

9. surreptitious

sur′-Əp-TISH′-Əs

10. surreptitiousness

sur′-Əp-TISH′-Əs-nƏs

Can you work with the words? (I)

1. leonine

a. doglike

2. canine

b. greedy, devouring

3. feline

c. foxlike

4. porcine

d. all-powerful

5. vulpine

e. stealthy, clandestine

6. ursine

f. lionlike

7. voracious

g. all-knowing

8. omnipotent

h. bearlike

9. omniscient

i. catlike

10. surreptitious

j. piglike

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

Can you work with the words? (II)

1. nostalgic

a. harsh-sounding

2. cacophonous

b. eating everything

3. herbivorous

c. lewd, lecherous, lubricious

4. omnivorous

d. found everywhere

5. ubiquitous

e. homesick

6. carnal

f. grass-eating

7. incarnate

g. in the flesh

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

Can you work with the words? (III)

1. phonetics

a. universality

2. carnivore

b. a color

3. voracity

c. infinite power

4. omnipotence

d. furtiveness; stealth; sneakiness

5. omniscience

e. lechery, lasciviousness,

lubricity

6. omnipresence

f. infinite wisdom

7. omnibus

g. science of speech sounds

8. carnelian

h. slaughter

9. carnality

i. a collection of all things

10. carnage

j. greediness

11. surreptitiousness

k. meat-eater

12. reincarnation

1. a return to life in a new body

or form

KEY: 1–g, 2–k, 3–j, 4–c, 5–f, 6–a, 7–i, 8–b, 9–e, 10–h, 11–d, 12–l

Can you work with the words? (IV)

1. lupine

a. fishlike

2. equine

b. powerless

3. piscine

c. wolflike

4. phonetician

d. bring back into a new body or

form

5. impotent

e. occurrence, or existence,

everywhere

6. ubiquity

f. horselike

7. reincarnate (v.)

g. expert in speech sounds

8. incarnate (v.)

h. embody; make real; put into

bodily form

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

Do you understand the words? (I)

1. A person of leonine appearance looks like a tiger.

TRUE FALSE

2. Canine habits refers to the habits of dogs.

TRUE FALSE

3. Feline grace means catlike grace.

TRUE FALSE

4. Porcine appearance means wolflike appearance.

TRUE FALSE

5. Vulpine craftiness means foxlike craftiness.

TRUE FALSE

6. Ursine means bearlike.

TRUE FALSE

7. Nostalgic feelings refer to a longing for past experiences.

TRUE FALSE

8. Cacophonous music is pleasant and sweet.

TRUE FALSE

9. An elephant is a carnivore.

TRUE FALSE

10. Deer are herbivorous.

TRUE FALSE

KEY: 1–F, 2–T, 3–T, 4–F, 5–T, 6–T, 7–T, 8–F, 9–F, 10–T

Do you understand the words? (II)

1. An omnivorous reader does very little reading.

TRUE FALSE

2. A voracious eater is gluttonous.

TRUE FALSE

3. True omnipotence is unattainable by human beings.

TRUE FALSE

4. No one is omniscient.

TRUE FALSE

5. Fear of economic ruin was practically omnipresent in the early

nineteen-thirties.

TRUE FALSE

6. When an airplane lands for refueling, the ubiquitous little red

gasoline wagon comes rolling up.

TRUE FALSE

7. An author’s omnibus contains all his published writings.

TRUE FALSE

8. Carnelian is a deep blue color.

TRUE FALSE

9. Carnality is much respected in a puritanical society.

TRUE FALSE

10. There is considerable carnage in war.

TRUE FALSE

11. A surreptitious glance is meant to be conspicuous.

TRUE FALSE

12. A person who is evil incarnate is a vicious character.

KEY: 1–F, 2–T, 3–T, 4–T, 5–T, 6–T, 7–T, 8–F, 9–F, 10–T, 11–F, 12–T

Can you recall the words?

I—adverbs

1–2. secretly (two forms)

1. C__________________

2. S__________________

3. in a harsh and noisy manner

3. C__________________

4. in a homesick manner

4. N__________________

5. in a greedy, devouring manner

5. V__________________

KEY: 1–clandestinely, 2–surreptitiously, 3–cacophonously, 4–

nostalgically, 5–voraciously

II—nouns

1. greediness

1. V__________________

2. unlimited power

2. O__________________

3. infinite knowledge

3. O__________________

4. a gathering of all things

4. O__________________

5. lechery; indulgence in fleshly pleasures

5. C__________________

6. slaughter

6. C__________________

7. stealthiness; secretiveness

7. S__________________

8. harsh sound

8. C__________________

9. science of speech sounds

9. P__________________

10. a return to life in new form

10. R__________________

KEY: 1–voracity, 2–omnipotence, 3–omniscience, 4–omnibus, 5–

carnality, 6–carnage, 7–surreptitiousness, 8–cacophony, 9–

phonetics, 10–reincarnation

III—adjectives

1. lionlike

1. L__________________

2. doglike

2. C__________________

3. catlike

3. F__________________

4. cowlike

4. B__________________

5. foxlike

5. V__________________

6. bearlike

6. U__________________

7. homesick

7. N__________________

8. grating in sound

8. C__________________

9. meat-eating

9. C__________________

10. grass-eating

10. H__________________

11. all-eating; indiscriminate

11. O__________________

12. devouring; greedy

12. V__________________

KEY: 1–leonine, 2–canine, 3–feline, 4–bovine, 5–vulpine, 6–ursine,

7–nostalgic, 8–cacophonous, 9–carnivorous, 10–herbivorous,

11–omnivorous, 12–voracious, 13–incarnate

IV. more adjectives

1. all-powerful

1. O__________________

2. all-knowing

2. O__________________

3. present or existing everywhere

3. O__________________

4. found everywhere

4. U__________________

5. lewd, lascivious, lecherous

5. C__________________

6. secret

6. C__________________

KEY: 1–omnipotent, 2–omniscient, 3–omnipresent, 4–ubiquitous, 5–

carnal, 6–clandestine

V. final mop-up

1. wolflike

1. L__________________

2. horselike

2. E__________________

3. fishlike

3. P__________________

4. referring to speech sounds

4. P__________________

5. expert in speech sounds

5. P__________________

6. powerless

6. I__________________

7–8. existence everywhere

7. U__________________

or U__________________

8. O__________________

9. to bring back into another body or form

9. R__________________

10. to embody, make real, or put into bodily form

10. I__________________

KEY: 1–lupine, 2–equine, 3–piscine, 4–phonetic, 5–phonetician, 6–

impotent, 7–ubiquity or ubiquitousness, 8–omnipresence, 9–

reincarnate, 10–incarnate

CHAPTER REVIEW

A. Do you recognize the words?

1. Utter want:

(a) affluence, (b) opulence, (c) penury

2. Experienced secondhand:

(a) ephemeral, (b) vicarious, (c) evanescent

3. Inoffensive circumlocution:

(a) badinage, (b) persiflage, (c) euphemism

4. Homesick:

(a) nostalgic, (b) bromide, (c) clandestine

5. Meat-eating:

(a) herbivorous, (b) voracious, (c) carnivorous

6. Stingy:

(a) indigent, (b) parsimonious, (c) opulent

7. Extreme financial need:

(a) destitution, (b) affluence, (c) parsimony

8. Great and increasing wealth:

(a) penuriousness, (b) affluence, (c) omnipresence

9. Remaining for a short time:

(a) euphemistic, (b) evanescent, (c) eulogistic

10. Sweet-sounding:

(a) euphonious, (b) cacophonous, (c) euphoric

11. Praise glowingly:

(a) evanesce, (b) eulogize, (c) reincarnate

12. Sense of physical well-being:

(a) euthanasia, (b) euphoria, (c) persiflage

13. Hackneyed expression:

(a) anodyne, (b) badinage, (c) cliché

14. catlike:

(a) leonine, (b) feline, (c) canine

15. Bearlike:

(a) vulpine, (b) ursine, (c) porcine

16. All-knowing:

(a) omnipotent, (b) omniscient, (c) omnipresent

17. Found everywhere:

(a) ubiquitous, (b) omnivorous, (c) omnibus

18. Destruction:

(a) carnage, (b) carnality, (c) reincarnation

19. Stealthy:

(a) voracious, (b) surreptitious, (c) incarnate

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

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

B. Can you recognize roots?

MEANING

ROOT

1. penuria

_________________

EXAMPLE penury

2. fluo

_________________

EXAMPLE affluent

3. opulentus

_________________

EXAMPLE opulent

4. ephemera

_________________

EXAMPLE ephemeral

5. vanesco

_________________

EXAMPLE evanescent

6. pheme

_________________

EXAMPLE euphemism

7. phone

_________________

EXAMPLE phonetics

8. logos

_________________

EXAMPLE eulogy

9. thanatos

_________________

EXAMPLE euthanasia

10. platys

_________________

EXAMPLE platitude, platypus

11. odyne

_________________

EXAMPLE anodyne

12. leo

_________________

EXAMPLE leonine

13. felis

_________________

EXAMPLE feline

14. porcus

_________________

EXAMPLE porcine

15. canis

_________________

EXAMPLE canine

16. vulpus

_________________

EXAMPLE vulpine

17. lupus

_________________

EXAMPLE lupine

18. equus

_________________

EXAMPLE equine

19. piscis

_________________

EXAMPLE piscine

20. nostos

_________________

EXAMPLE nostalgia

21. algos

_________________

EXAMPLE nostalgic

22. kakos

_________________

EXAMPLE cacophonous

23. xylon

_________________

EXAMPLE xylophone

24. carnis

_________________

EXAMPLE carnivorous

25. voro

_________________

EXAMPLE omnivorous

26. herba

_________________

EXAMPLE herbivorous

27. omnis

_________________

EXAMPLE omnipotent

28. potens, potentis

_________________

EXAMPLE impotent

29. sciens

_________________

EXAMPLE omniscience

30. ubique

_________________

EXAMPLE ubiquitous

31. vale!

_________________

EXAMPLE carnival

KEY: 1–want, neediness, 2–to flow, 3–wealthy, 4–dayfly, 5–to

vanish, 6–voice, 7–sound, 8–word, speech, 9–death, 10–flat,

broad, 11–pain, 12–lion, 13–cat, 14–pig, 15–dog, 16–fox, 17–

wolf, 18–horse, 19–fish, 20–a return, 21–pain, 22–bad, harsh,

ugly, 23–wood, 24–flesh, 25–to devour, 26–herb, 27–all, 28–

powerful, 29–knowing, 30–everywhere, 31–farewell!, 32–

secretly

TEASER QUESTIONS FOR THE AMATEUR

ETYMOLOGIST

1. American poet William Cullen Bryant wrote a poem in 1811

called Thanatopsis. You are familiar with both roots in the word. Can

you figure out the meaning? __________________.

2. If you wanted to coin a word for the study or science of death

and dying, what would you come up with? __________________.

3. Pheme, as you know from euphemism, means voice. This root

derives from a Greek verb phanai, to speak, which, as it traveled

through Latin, Old French, and Middle English, finally took on the

spelling phet-, phec-, or phes-. And you recall that the Greek prefix

pro- means beforehand or ahead (as in prognosis, prologue, etc.). Can

you now combine elements to form a word meaning:

(a) to say beforehand; to foretell (an occurrence before it

actually happens)? __________________.

(b) the foretelling of such an occurrence? __________________.

4. Can you combine a Latin prefix and root to form words of the

same meaning?

(a) to foretell: __________________.

(b) the act of foretelling: __________________.

5. An eminent psychoanalyst, Richard Karpe of Connecticut, has

coined the term nostopathy (nos-TOP′-Ə-thee) for an emotional

disorder he diagnosed among a number of his patients who were

returning veterans of World War II and of the Korean and Vietnam

wars. You know both roots in the word. Can you figure out the

meaning? __________________.

6. Coin a word that means:

(a) the killing of foxes: __________________.

(b) the killing of wolves: __________________.

(d) the killing of bears: __________________.

7. Figure out an adjective that means:

(a) fish-eating: __________________.

(b) insect-eating: __________________.

8. Have you ever wondered whether the Canary Islands were

named after the Latin root canis, dog? They were. Large, wild dogs

inhabited the area. Pretty songbirds also abounded there. What were

these birds called? __________________.

9. A new verb was coined some years ago, based on the Latin root

potens, potentis, meaning (of a drug) to make more effective or

powerful; to augment the effect of another drug. Can you figure out

what this verb would be? __________________.

(Answers in Chapter 18)

GETTING USED TO NEW WORDS

Reference has been made, in previous chapters, to the intimate

relationship between reading and vocabulary building. Good books

and the better magazines will not only acquaint you with a host of

new ideas (and, therefore, new words, since every word is the

verbalization of an idea), but also will help you gain a more

complete and a richer understanding of the hundreds of words you

are learning through your work in this book. If you have been doing

a sufficient amount of stimulating reading—and that means, at

minimum, several magazines a week and at least three books of

non-fiction a month—you have been meeting, constantly, over and

over again, the new words you have been learning in these pages.

Every such encounter is like seeing an old friend in a new place.

You know how much better you understand your friends when you

have a chance to see them react to new situations; similarly, you

will gain a much deeper understanding of the friends you have been

making among words as you see them in different contexts and in

different places.

My recommendations in the past have been of non-fiction titles,

but novels too are a rich source of additions to your vocabulary—

provided you stay alert to the new words you will inevitably meet in

reading novels.

The natural temptation, when you encounter a brand-new word in

a novel, is to ignore it—the lines of the plot are perfectly clear even

if many of the author’s words are not.

I want to counsel strongly that you resist the temptation to ignore

the unfamiliar words you may meet in your novel reading: resist it

with every ounce of your energy, for only by such resistance can

you keep building your vocabulary as you read.

What should you do? Don’t rush to a dictionary, don’t bother

underlining the word, don’t keep long lists of words that you will

eventually look up en masse—these activities are likely to become

painful and you will not continue them for any great length of time.

Instead, do something quite simple—and very effective.

When you meet a new word, underline it with a mental pencil.

That is, pause for a second and attempt to figure out its meaning

from its use in the sentence or from its etymological root or prefix, if

it contains one you have studied. Make a mental note of it, say it

aloud once or twice—and then go on reading.

That’s all there is to it. What you are doing, of course, is

developing the same type of mind-set toward the new word that you

have developed toward the words you have studied in this book.

And the results, of course, will be the same—you will begin to

notice the word occurring again and again in other reading you do,

and finally, having seen it in a number of varying contexts, you will

begin to get enough of its connotation and flavor to come to a fairly

accurate understanding of its meaning. In this way you will be

developing alertness not only to the words you have studied in this

book, but to all expressive and meaningful words. And your

vocabulary will keep growing.

But of course that will happen only if you keep reading.

I do not wish to recommend any particular novels or novelists,

since the type of fiction one enjoys is a very personal matter. You

doubtless know the kind of story you like—mystery, science fiction,

spy, adventure, historical, political, romantic, Western, biographical,

one or all of the above. Or you may be entranced by novels of ideas,

of sexual prowess, of fantasy, of life in different segments of society

from your own. No matter. Find the kind of novel or novelist you

enjoy by browsing in the public library or among the thousands of

titles in bookstores that have a rich assortment of paperbacks as

well as hardbacks.

And then read! And keep on the alert for new words! You will

find them by the hundreds and thousands. Bear in mind: people with

rich vocabularies have been reading omnivorously, voraciously, since

childhood—including the ingredients listed in small print on bread

wrappers and cereal boxes.

(End of Session 41)

1 Remember Ogden Nash’s delightful definition?

The cow is of the bovine ilk,

One end moo, the other end milk.

2 Latest figures, 1978, for the United States: males, 68.5 years; females, 76.4 years.