The Greek & Latin Roots of English (34 page)

B. Fill in the blank with the literal meaning of the underlined word or part of word. Make sure that the sentence is grammatically correct. If you are unsure of the meaning, check your unabridged dictionary.

21. He was so aggressive that when he “went for the
jugular
,” everyone around covered their __________.

22. A
platypus
is a mammal distinguished by its __________ __________.

23. A
pachyderm
is a mammal distinguished by its __________ __________.

24. A
dyspeptic
individual is grouchy, perhaps because he has __________ __________.

25. A
sclerotic
individual is one whose ideas have become __________.

26. The queen received a __________ at her
coronation
.

27. His
inspiring
speech allowed me to __________ __________ his knowledge and wisdom.

28. What is the meaning of
atrophy
in medical terminology? __________

29. What is its meaning in the following sentence? “Her desire for fame and fortune
atrophied
as her acting career blossomed.” __________

30. A
pneometer
is ____________________ __________.

31.
Histology
is the __________ __________.

32. I was insulted when my friend said I had
cerebromalacia
.Why? ____________________

33. A
phagocyte
is a __________that has the ability to __________ various substances.

34. A
leptorrhine
individual has a __________ __________.

35. A
brachycephalic
individual has a __________ __________.

36. The trademark
Xerox
was given to a process of __________ copying.

37. An omo
phagous
animal__________ raw food.

38. The
pylorus
acts as a __________between the stomach and duodenum.

39. The
lymphatic
system is composed mainly of __________.

40.
Myeloma
is a __________that originates in the __________.

41.
Peptic
enzymes aid in the __________ of food.

42. I went to a
tricho
logist when I wanted to change the color of my __________.

43. What is the etymological connection between the
jejunum
and
jejune
behavior? __________________________________________________

44.
Nutrients
provide __________ for the body.

45. A
noct
urnal creature is active during the __________.

46. If the doctor in the emergency room yells “
stat!
” she needs help __________.

47. Someone suffering from leuko
penia
has a__________ white blood cells.

48. His bald
ovate
-shaped head reminded me of an __________.

49. When we describe an idea as
embryonic
, what do we mean? ____________________

50. When we describe someone's attitude as
insular
, what do we mean? ____________________

C. The Latin verb
digero
is a compound of
dis-
(apart) +
gero-gerere-gestum
(carry, bear). What are the literal meanings and current usages of the following words?

D.
Take a deep breath
…

What are the literal meanings and current usages of the following words?

Footnotes

1
.Medical and anatomical terms already given in chapter 12 are not repeated here.

2
. The pylorus is the opening between the stomach and duodenum.

3
. The duodenum gets its name from its size, about twelve (duodeni) finger-breadths in length.

4
. The jejunum is the middle portion of the small intestine. Ancient medical theory stated that after death, it was empty.

5
. Literally, “all-flesh.”

SCIENCE
and
MATHEMATICS

The Greek philosopher Socrates (469–399 BCE)

Man is not taught by the gods to know things whole from the outset; little by little advances are made with time and with trouble
.

XENOPHANES (sixth-century BCE philosopher)

ANCIENT AND MODERN SCIENCE

All mankind have an instinctive desire for knowledge
.

ARISTOTLE, Metaphysics

Most of the vocabulary of modern science and technology is derived from Greek and Latin roots. Many of these terms are, of course, learned borrowings, since the ancient world's concepts of, and postulates about, physical reality were really quite different from those of modern science. Nevertheless, the questions that the ancient Greeks and Romans asked about the nature of the world—how it worked and of what sort of material it was made of—determined the course of European scientific inquiry to the modern period. And the recognition that the Greeks and Romans were the primary source of the European intellectual tradition led the modern physical sciences to reach back to their classical roots in order to construct their specialized vocabularies. In addition, the use of Greek and Latin roots has allowed for the creation of a common scientific language that transcends linguistic barriers.

THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

Nature does not go by any hard or fast law
.

THEOPHRASTUS (fourth-century BCE philosopher and scholar)

Biology is the study of life or living matter in all its forms. The system of classification of plants and animals that modern biology uses was devised by Carl van Linne (Linnaeus), an eighteenth-century Swedish scientist who organized the varieties of plants and animals by giving each a double Latin name, the first word denoting the genus, the second, the species.

Zoology

The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing
.

ARCHILOCHUS (seventh-century BCE Greek poet)

Zoology is that branch of biology that studies the behavior, physiology, and classification of animals.