3 posts tagged “vocabulary”

• simulo: to copy

• similis: like or similar

simulate (v.): copy the real thing
dissimulate (v.): hide one's true feelings by making a pretense of opposite feelings

• e-: out

• nervus: nerve

enervate (v.): exhaust

• en-: in

• ergon: work

energy (n.)

• syn-: together or with

synergism (n.): in the process by which two or more substances or drugs, by working together, produce a greater effect by combination

• castigate: punish

castigate (v.): scold, criticize, rebuke, censure

• ab-:away

• nego-: not, no

self-abnegation (n.): self-denial
negate (v.): to deny the truth or existence of something

• coput, capitis: head

captain (n.): the head of any group
capital (n.): the "head city"

• capitulum: a little head-->the title or headings of a chapter

recapitulate (v.): summarize or review the main points

• vegeto: to live and grow

vegetate (v.): to do no more than stay alive, leading an inactive,unstimulating, emotionally and intellectually stagnate existence

• intimus: innermost

intimation (n.): a significance buried in the innermost core

• levis: light

• ad-: to

alleviate (v.): to make lighter

• re-: again

relieve (v.): to make light or easy

• e-, ex-: out

elevate (v.): to raise up

• miser: wretched

• con-: together or with

commiserate (v.): to share one's misery, to sympathize

• vacillo: to swing back and forth

vacillate (v.): to waver

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• -ous: full of
• sequor: to follow

obsequious (adj.): to act excessively courteous, pleasant, obliging, even subservient and humble

obsequies (n.): the mourners "follow after the corpse"-->burial ceremonies

subsequent (adj.): one that follows another

sequal (n.): a literary work that follows another, continuing the same story

sequence (n.): in order, one item following another

 

• queror: to complain

querulous (adj.): one who is full of complaints, constantly nagging

 

• cilium: eyelid
• super: above

supercilious (adj.): someone who constantly raises their eyebrows in disdain, contempt, and sneering arrogance

 

• strepo: to make a noise

obstreperous (adj.): one who is unruly, boisterous, resistant to authority, unmanageable--and in a noisy, troublesome manner

 

• pecus: cattle

impecunious (adj.): one without penus-->destitute, lack of money, habitually lack of cash

percuniary (adj.): pertaining to money

 

• cheval: horse

chivalrous (adj.): a modern man who has a knightly attitude to women

 

• noceo: to injure

innocuous (adj.): someone who causes no fear and is harmless

noxious (adj.): harmful, poisonous, unwholesome

 

• bibo: to drink

bibulous (adj.): one who has an overfondness for drinks with a pronounced alcoholic content

imbibe (v.): to drink in, soak up, absorb

bib (n.): upper part of an apron, or an apronlike napkin tied around a child's neck

 

• cado: to fall

cadaverous (adj.): someone who looks like a corpse, who is pale, gaunt, thin, haggard...

cadavar (n.): a corpse

• de-: down

decadent (adj.): "falling down"--> something that is deteriorating, becoming corrupt or demoralized

 

• doleo: to suffer or grieve

dolorous (adj.): one who is mournful and sad, whose melancholy comes from physical pain or mental distress

dolor (n.): a poetic synonym of grief

• con-:together

condole (v.): to suffer or grieve with

 

• vivo: to live

vivacious (adj.): full of joy of living

vivid (adj.): possessing the freshness of life; strong; sharp

revive (v.): bring back to life

 

• convivo: to live together

convivial (adj.): the kind of person who likes to attend feasts and banquets

 

• vita: life

vital (adj.): essential to life

vitamin (n.): one of the many nutritional elements on which life is depended

 

• fatigue (n.): tiredness

indefatigable (adj.): unable to be fatigued

 

ingenuous (adj.): frank, open

ingenious (adj.): shred; clever; inventive

 

• credo: to believe

credulous (adj.): a willingness to believe in almost anything or full of believingness

gullible (adj.): easily tricked

credo (n.): personal belief

creed (n.): a religious belief

credentials (n.): a document or documents proving a person’s right to a title or privilege

 

• specto: to look

spectacle (n.): something or someone seen

spectator (n.): a close observer; audience

inspect (v.): to observe carefully

retrospect (v.): to look into the past

 

• punctus: point

punctuate (v.): put points between sentences

punctual (adj.): right on the point of time

perspicacious (adj.): smart, sharp, able to look through and understand

prospect (n.): a forward look

• verto, versus: to turn

versatile (adj.): people who can turn their hands to things easily

stoical (adj.): people who bear their pain or sorrow without complaint

• trepido: to tremble

intrepid (n.): courage and fearlessness

trepidation (n.): great fear

• scintilla: a quick, bright spark

scintillate (v.): the idea that the spark remains

• urbs: city

urbane (adj.): the adjective of city-dwellers (refined, polished, courteous)

urban (adj.): an adjective that simply refers to cities

suburb (n.): residential sections or small communities close to a large city

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• penuria: need, neediness

penurious (adj.) stingy, niggardly

parsimonious (adj.) stingy (not as much as a penurious person)

indigent (adj.) not absolutely penniless, but they are forced to live in reduced circumstances

destitute (adj.) on the verge of starvation

• ad-: forward

• fluo: flow

affluent (adj.) more than comfortable, prosperous
fluent (adj.): the words flow smoothly
opulent (adj.): greater wealth than affluence, suggesting lavish expenditures and ostentatiously luxurious surroundings

vicarious (adj.) second-hand

• ephemera: dayfly (one short-lived creature)

ephemeral (adj.): unenduring

• e-: out

• vanesco: to vanish

• -esce: begin to

evanescent (adj.): fleeting; staying for a short period of time and vanishing

• eu-: good

• pheme: voice

euphemism: a word or expression that has been substituted for another that is likely to offend

• phone: sound

euphony: good sound

• logos: word or speech

eulogy: good speech
euphoria: good feeling, a sense of mental buoyancy and physical well-being

badinage (n.): half-teasing, non-malicious, frivolous banter, intended to amuse rather than wound
cliche (n.): a pattern of words which was once new and fresh but which now is so old, worn, and threadbare that only unimaginative writers and speakers ever use it

• platys: broad or flat

plateau (adj.): flat land
plate, platter (n.): flat dishes
platitude (n.): a flat statement, similar to cliche

• bovis: ox or cow

bovine (adj.): stolid, patient, unexcitable

• notos: a return

• algos: pain

nostalgia: pain stirred by memory storing pleasant experiences of the past

• kakos: bad, harsh

• phone: sound

cacophony (n.): unmusical, grating, ear-offending noises

• carnis: flesh

• voro: to devour

carnivorous (adj.): meat-eating
carnival (n.): outdoor activity with games, rides, side shows, and lots of food
carnage (n.): great destruction of life
carnal (adj.): pleasure or appetites of the flesh rather than the spirit-->lecherous, lascivious...
reincarnation (n.): rebirth or reappearance

• herba: herb

herbivorous (adj.): subsisting on grains, grasses, and other vegetation

• omnis-: all

omnivorous (adj.): eating everything, meat, grasses, fish, insects, and anything else digestible.

• potens, potentis: powerful

potential: possessing ability or power not yet exercised
omnipotent (adj.): all-powerful

• sciens: knowing

omniscient (adj.): all-knowing
omnipresent (adj.): present in all places at once

• clam: secretly

clandestine (adj.): secretly, stealthy

• taceo—to be silent

taciturn (adj.): silent, uncommunicative, reserved… permanently, habitually disinclined to talk

tacit (adj.): unspoken, unsaid (e.g. a tacit understanding)

reticent (adj.): prefers to be silent

 

• loquor: to speak

loquacious: love to talk

soliloquy: a speech to oneself

ventriloquist: someone excelling at “speaking from the belly” (venter, ventris, belly)

colloquial: suitable to everyday conversation (when people speak together)

eloquent: expressive, fluent, or persuasive in language (e-, from ex-, out)

 

• Laconia: the old name for Sparta, where the people were known for their economy of speech

laconic (adj.): concise, economical in the use of words almost to the point of curtness

verbose (adj.): too many words

verbum: word

verbal (adj.): verb, or words in general

 

• volvo, volutes: to roll

voluble (adj.): words effortlessly roll off the speaker’s tongue

garrulous (adj.): to chatter (garrio, to chatter)

revolve (v.): roll again and again, or keep turning around (e.g. the earth revolves around the sun)

revolution (n.): complete rollingàa radical change of any sort

involve (v.): to “roll in”

evolve (v.): to “roll out”àto unfold, or gradually develop

 

• cogent (adj.) clear and logical

 

• vox, vocis: voice

fero: to bear or carry

vociferous: carrying a lot of voiceàloud, noisy

 

• somnus: sleep

insomnia: the inability to fall asleep

 

• articulus: a joint

 

• Jean Martinet: a strict general

martinet (n.): someone asks an excessive, inhuman discipline from others

• sykon: fig

phanein: to show

sycophant (n.): someone who uses flattery, servile attentions, or any other form of insinuating themselves into someone’s good graces

• dilettare: to delight

dilettante (n.): someone who engage in a personal interest purely for amusement

virtuoso (n.) anyone who has developed consummate skill in an artistic field, especially music

 

• vir: man

virago: a masculine woman

 

• Nicolas Chauvin: a general who blindly worshipped Napoleon Bonaparte

chauvinist (n.): an exaggerated and blatant patriot

• pater, patris: father

patriotic (adj.): to love one’s country

patrimony (n.): an inheritance from one’s father (-mony, money)

paternity (n.): fatherfood

patriarch (n.): a venerable, fatherly old man

patricide (n.) the killing of one’s father (-cide, to kill)

• mater, matris: mother

matriarch (n.): the “mother-ruler”

maternity (n.): motherhood

matron (n.): an older woman

matrimony (n.): marriage

matricide (n.): the killing of one’s mother

 

• -cide: to kill

suicide (n.): killing oneself (sui-, of oneself)

fratricide (n.): killing one’s brother (frater, fratris, brother)

sororicide (n.) killing one’s sister (soror, sister)

homicide (n.): the killing of human beings

infanticide (n.): the killing of a newborn child (infant)

genocide (n.): the killing of a whole race or a nation (genos, race, kind)

 

• frater, fratris: brother

fraternal (adj.): brotherly

fraternity (n.): a men’s organization in a high school or college

sorority (n.): a women’s organization in a high school or college

 

• monos: one

mania (n.): madness

monomaniac (n.): someone who develops an abnormal obsession in respect to one particular thing

 

• phobia: morbid dread or fear

claustrophobia (n.): morbid dread of being physically hemmed in, of enclosed spaces, of crowds, etc.

 

• eikon: a religious image

klaein: to break

iconoclast (n.): someone who sneers at convention and tradition

 

• theos: God

atheist: someone who doesn’t believe in God and denies his existence

 

• gnostos: known

a-: negative prefix

agnostic: someone who considers it impossible to determine whether God exists or not

diagnosis: knowing through examination or testing (dia-, through)

 

• lechier: to lick

lecher (n.): someone obsessed with sexual activities

lecherous (adj.)

=libidinous (adj.)

=lascivious (adj.): wanton

=licentious (adj.)

=lewd (adj.): vile

=lustful (adj.)

 

• hypo: under

chondros: the cartilage of the breastbone

hypochondria (n.): someone who is morbidly, unceasingly, and unhappily anxious about health