The Greek & Latin Roots of English (39 page)

58. The French word for money is
argent
. What should it be made of? __________

59.
Chlorophyll
makes the __________of a plant __________.

60. To what other Latin word is the Latin word
materia
related? __________ How might the two words be connected? ____________________

61. The earliest Greek philosophers were called the
physicists
because they explored questions about __________.

62. A
hydr
aulic pump is operated by __________.

63. A
dyne
is a measurement of __________.

64. A
calorie
is a measurement of __________.

65. His
hyperkinetic
activity made me crazy; he was constantly __________ __________.

66. What is a
leukocyte?
__________ __________What is an
erythrocyte?
__________ __________

67. Be careful that your car's
igni
tion does not cause a __________.

68. According to its root,
fervor
should mean __________ __________What is its current usage? ____________________

69.
Album
en is the __________of an egg.

70. What color should a
rubric
be? __________What was the original meaning of the word? __________ What is its current usage? ____________________

71. A
monochromatic
picture is done in a __________ __________.

72. If the doctor says you are
cyano
tic, you have turned __________.

73. An object that is
translucent
allows __________to pass __________ it.

74. He was
neutral
in their argument, because he supported __________ point of view.

75. A
luminary
is a leading __________in his profession.

76. Construct two sentences, each of which illustrates the possible different usages of the word
gravity
. Make sure that the sentences are grammatically correct.
 
____________________________________________________________
 
____________________________________________________________

77. I had hoped my novel would be my
magnum opus
, but all the reviewers said it was not a __________ __________.

78. What is the literal meaning of
extempore
? __________ __________What is its current usage? __________

79. What are two different usages of
nucleus
?
 
a. ______________________________
 
b. ______________________________

80.
Velocity
is the measure of the __________ of an object.

Geology and Geography

81. The
geo
centric theory posited that the __________ was at the center of the cosmos.

82. I am a
limn
ologist, and so I am always jumping into __________.

83. If the doctor tells you that you are suffering from
renal calculi
, what do you have? ____________________

84. When the student called her teacher a
fossil
, what did she mean? ____________________

85. Medieval
cartographers
often attempted to construct a
mappa mundi
. What was their profession __________, and what were they trying to create? ____________________

86. What is the literal meaning of
monolith
? What are two different current usages of this word?
 
____________________
 
____________________

87. If you are
petrified
, you feel as if you have been __________ into __________. What are two different current usages of this word?
 
____________________
 
____________________

88. The
Paleolithic
period is more commonly known as the __________ __________ Age.

89. What is the literal meaning of
megalith
? __________ __________ What is its current usage? ____________________

90. What is the literal meaning of
lapidary
? __________ __________ What do we mean if we say that someone writes in a
lapidary
style? ____________________

Meteorology

91. If I said it was a
pluvious
day, what would the weather be? __________

92. What is a more common name for the
Aurora Borealis
? __________ __________ What is the literal meaning of its name? __________ __________

93. His behavior might be described as
tempestuous
, because he was always __________.

94. The more common name for an
anemone
is a __________flower.

95. Some animals
hiber
nate in the __________.

96. When he asked me where we would
esti
vate, I told him our __________plans.

97. What continent was named the “
southern
unknown land” by nineteenth-century explorers? __________

98. An object that is
spherical
is shaped like a __________.

99. An idea that is
nebul
ous is so vague that it resembles a __________.

100. If your teacher gives you a
glacial
look, he is acting in an __________ manner.

Mathematics

101. At the end of his logical argument, he stated confidently, “
q.e.d
.” What did he mean? __________________________________________________________

102. A
mega
ton bomb carries an explosive force equal to __________ tons of TNT.

103. It is
axiomatic
that night follows day, i.e., it is a __________.

104. Your re
puta
tion reveals what others __________ about you.

105. What is the literal meaning of
virtual?
_____________ What is its current usage? ___________________

106. The
delet
erious effects of drugs can __________ you.

107. In editing a text, what is the meaning of
dele?
_______________

108. His erratic behavior caused everyone to fear that his mind was _______________.

IT'S AN ACADEMIC QUESTION

Sappho, Greek poet. Sixth century BCE (Naples Museum, Italy)

Demetrius summoned Stilpo, the philosopher, and asked him whether anyone had robbed him of anything “No one,” said Stilpo, “for I saw no one carrying away knowledge.”

PLUTARCH (first-century CE essayist),
The Life of Demetrius
, ch. 59

GREEK AND ROMAN EDUCATION

Although students may think that attending school is an occupation as difficult and demanding as any job, and what is more, an absolute necessity for future success, most ancient Greeks and Romans viewed education and learning beyond the basic skills as a luxury available only to those who had money, and therefore the leisure, to devote themselves to study and the pursuit of knowledge.

There were various forms of rudimentary instruction in classical Athens: reading and writing, poetry and music, and athletics—all for a fee. Although they never mandated universal compulsory education, many Greek cities gradually began to supervise education with the help of wealthy benefactors who provided endowments and paid teachers’ salaries. Pedagogy was grounded in memorization and recitation, and discipline was strict.