Word Within the Word Lesson #11

ROOT / DEFINITION / EXAMPLES / ORIGIN
-i / plural / Bacilli, fungi, nuclei, alumni, magi, octopi, gemini, homunculi, literati / Latin
jus / law / justice, justify, unjust, jus soli, justiciary / Latin
lum / light / luminary, luminous, illuminate, luminiferous, superluminous / Latin
ann / year / annual, superannuated, anniversary, annuity, perennial / Latin
apo / away or up / apotheosis, apogee, apoplexy, apology, aphelion, apostasy / Greek
sen / old / senile, senior, senator, seniority, senescent / Latin
sol / alone / solitude, solitary, solo, soliloquy, desolate, solipsism, solifidian, consolidate / Latin
bas / low / bass, base, basic, basal, bassoon, debase, contrabase, abase, bas-relief / Latin
rogat / ask / interrogation, abrogate, derogatory, arrogate, supererogatory / Latin
parl / speak / parliament, parley, parlor, parlance, parlando / Latin
potent / power / potential, potentiometer, potentate, plenipotentiary, omnipotent / Latin
surg / rise / resurgence, insurgence, surge, surgent / Latin
log / word or reason / logic, neologism, philologist, logician, illogical, monologue / Greek
gram / writing / telegram, pentagram, hexagram, hologram, grammar / Greek
cant / sing / recant, cantata, incantation, descant, canticle, canto / Latin
reg / rule / regal, regiment, regulate, regent, interregnum, regicide, regime / Latin
pro / forward / provide, pronounce, program, prognosticate, prospect, prognosis, prolix / Greek
gyn / woman / androgynous, gynecologist, polygyny, misogynist, gynephobia / Greek
ag / to do / agile, agent, agency, agitate, aggression, aggrade, agree / Latin
act / to do / transact, react, action, activate, abreact, counteract, interact / Latin
mob / move / mobility, mobile, immobile, mobilize, demobilize / Latin
sess / sit / session, sessile, insessorial, sessility, obsessed / Latin
fic / make / fortification, fiction, prolific, horrific, soporific / Latin
nounce / tell / denounce, pronounce, announce, renounce, enunciate / Latin
andro / man / androgynous, android (droid), androgens, androphobia, polyandry / Greek

Using the context clues from the sentence and your understanding of the root, define the underlined words in the following sentences.

  1. Do bacilli and fungi have nuclei in their cells?
  2. Can a system of justice ever be unjust?
  3. The luminous moonlight illuminated the aluminum sculpture.
  4. The superannuated doorman celebrated his fiftieth anniversary.
  5. At the satellite’s apogee we could not find it with binoculars.
  6. The senior class president befriended the not-so-senile old man.
  7. On his solo transcontinental flight, he enjoyed the solitude.
  8. Basic instructions are included with each new bassoon.
  9. The interrogation was derogatory in tone.
  10. Several members of Parliament had a parley in the parlor.
  11. The plenipotentiary met twice with the potentate.
  12. The surge of the sea portended the resurgence of violence.
  13. The philologist delighted in inventing neologisms.
  14. The grammar in the telegram was not correct.
  15. During the holy man’s incantation, the spirit began to appear.
  16. There were no regal ceremonies in the interregnum.
  17. The doctor’s prognosis was not favorable.
  18. The musician’s androgynous appearance was widely imitated.
  19. The secret agent spilled the deadly chemical agent.
  20. There may be little time to act or react.
  21. When the National Guard was mobilized, the mobile units were ready.
  22. Dozens of chairs were arranged for the general session.
  23. Is that wall supposed to be beautification or fortification?
  24. Pronounce your announcement clearly.
  25. The metal android grappled with the furry anthropoid.

Mystery Questions #11

  1. Is a five-pointed star a pentagram?
  2. Do solifidians believe in salvation through faith alone?
  3. Is an interregnum the space between two armies?
  4. Can you close a business deal by abrogating it?
  5. Is a kindergarten child a superannuated individual?
  6. Is the moon at apogee near to or far from the earth?
  7. Is a neologism in the dictionary?
  8. Could a ruler send a plenipotentiary to transact official business?
  9. Is grinding poverty debasing?
  10. Can a senator be a victim of regicide?

ANALYSIS:

  1. What do you think the difference is between misanthropy and androphobia (a very rarely used word!)? Between misanthropy and misogyny? Break the words down and figure them out.
  2. What is the difference between a philosopher and a philologist? Between a regicide and an interregnum?

EVALUATION:

  1. When Galileo published his discovery that the solar system was helio-centric, the church forced him to recant. Do you think there is ever a time when an institution or society has a right to prevent a truth from being known? Does national or social interest come into direct conflict with our interest in discovering truths? How can such questions be decided?
  2. If you have made a firm, public commitment to some cause, do you have the right to abrogate your commitment if you begin to feel differently?

INTUITION:

  1. If you were the Macrocosmic Potentate and could make three changes in the universe, any three changes you wished, what would the changes be?
  2. If you could shrink in size to one millimeter or even smaller, and explore the world from a microcosmic perspective, what would you like to examine? What would bacilli and fungi look like on that scale?

EMOTION:

  1. Think about the subtle emotional connotations of the words solo, solitude, solitary, and desolate. What are the delicate shades of feeling that distinguish these words from each other and that allow you to choose among them in writing a poem or a short story?
  2. If you could be omnipotent for a day, how would you feel? Sacred? Excited? Stunned? What would your emotional response be?

Complete the following analogies.

1.BASE : ABASE ::6.PATRIARCH : MATRIARCH ::

a) prolific : soporifica) patrilineal : children

b) mobile : immobileb) monarchy : plutocracy

c) parley : parliamentc) ruler : ruled

d) fortification : fortifyd) father : mother

2.TELEGRAM : PENTAGRAM ::7.GYNEPHOBIA : ANDROPHOBIA ::

a) solifidian : desolatea) annual : perennial

b) epistle : parallelogramb) aphelion : perihelion

c) solitude : solipismc) bibliophile : agoraphobia

d) apotheosis : renunciationd) misogyny : misanthropy

3.ALUMNUS : ALUMNI ::8.PROLIX : PARLEY ::

a) cantata : canticlea) superannuated : life

b) luminous : superluminousb) regicide : interregnum

c) phenomenon : phenomenac) react : counteract

d) mobilize : immobiled) omnipotent : potentate

4.PENTAGRAM : HEXAGRAM ::9.ABROGATE : TRANSACT ::

a) senile : seniora) demobilize : mobilize

b) senescent : senileb) aggression : justice

c) bilateral : trilateralc) philologist : philosopher

d) prognosticate : prognosisd) bacilli : fungi

5.REGIME : INTERREGNUM ::10.MONOLOGUE : DIALOGUE ::

a) apogee : perigeea) solo : symphony

b) bassoon : baseb) resurgence : insurgence

c) prose : fictionc) nuclei : cells

d) notes : intervalsd) incantation : magi

Classic Words #11

1.From Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island

The captain had been struck dead by thundering ______.

  1. apoplexy
  2. senescence
  3. omnipotence
  4. incantation

2. From Charles Dicken’s David Copperfield

There was a black barge, or some other kind of ______boat, not far off.

  1. luminiferous
  2. sessile
  3. superannuated
  4. superrogatory

3. From William Makepeace Thackeray’s Vanity Fair

Honest William was left at George’s ______in London, to transact all the business.

  1. soporific
  2. plenipotentiary
  3. potentate
  4. luminary

4. From John Milton’s Paradise Lost

Raphael, the affable Arch-angel, had forewarn’d Adam by dire example to behave ______.

  1. interrogation
  2. solipsism
  3. apostasy
  4. bacilli

5. From Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass

Sprouts take and accumulate, stand by the curb ______and vital.

  1. prolific
  2. supererogatory
  3. superannuated
  4. prolix

TEST #11

Directions: For the following words, write the definition of the root in bold.

Word Within the Word Lesson #11

  1. ANDROid
  2. deNOUNCE
  3. FICtion
  4. SESSion
  5. MOBilize
  6. ACTion
  7. AGent
  8. GYNecologist
  9. PROvide
  10. REGicide
  11. CANTata
  12. teleGRAM
  13. LOGic
  14. reSURGence
  15. POTENTate
  16. PARLey
  17. interROGATion
  18. BASic
  19. SOLitary
  20. SENior
  21. APOgee
  22. ANNual
  23. LUMinary
  24. JUStify
  25. fungI
  26. ULTRAmarine
  27. ECTOthermic
  28. DIAlogue
  29. LUCidity
  30. GREGarious
  31. MEDIocre
  32. GYROscope
  33. TETRAhedron
  34. GEOthermal
  35. ENDOplasm
  36. PUTative
  37. DORMancy
  38. HYPOdermic
  39. TRANSport
  40. EXTRAordinary
  41. LUNAtic
  42. CHRONometer
  43. NEOlithic
  44. ORTHOpedist
  45. POLYphonic
  46. MALignant
  47. MISSile
  48. ANTIbody
  49. DEMOgraphic
  50. BENEdiction
  51. GENetics
  52. SACROsanct
  53. ALTimeter
  54. ISOthermal
  55. PALEOzoic
  56. MORTify
  57. PEDagogue
  58. CURSive
  59. UNIverse
  60. MUTAnt
  61. FUGitive
  62. NATive
  63. CARNivorous
  64. ETHNOcentrism
  65. HEXAgram
  66. HETEROdox
  67. FIDelity
  68. FRACTion
  69. LATeral
  70. LITHograph
  71. SENSation
  72. SANCTimonious
  73. GESTation
  74. METAmorphosis
  75. ANIMated
  76. NUMERous
  77. PACifist
  78. ACRimonious
  79. PLUrality
  80. GERMinate
  81. TANGent
  82. HYPERventilate
  83. COGNizant
  84. SURmount
  85. CORPulent
  86. MEGAlith
  87. MAGNificent
  88. HELIOtrope
  89. NECROphobia
  90. TACTician
  91. AUDItory
  92. PROTOtype
  93. MONOtonous
  94. ORNITHologist
  95. CENTRIfuge
  96. EQUAnimity
  97. BIOmorphic
  98. CIRCUMpolar
  99. Euphony
  100. THERMOnuclear

Word Within the Word Lesson #11