Origin – How People Live
The profession of the sociologist is sociology. Sociology is built on Latin socius, companion, plus logos, science, study. Socius is the source of such common words as associate, social, socialize,…
Roots – Words From volt, volv, volut
The basic meanings here are ‘roll, turn’. The bindweed plant gets its other name, convolvulus, from its winding and twisted growth. The ‘rolling’ or ‘turning back’ in words such as…
Origins – Words, words, words!
Latin verbum is word. A verb is the important word in a sentence; verbatim is word-for-word (a verbatim report). Verbal, ending in the adjectival suffix -al, may refer either to…
Variations on a Theme- Words from grav
The basic meanings of this root are ‘heavy, serious’. If you look grave, you have a serious expression. (The has nothing to do with the grave in which people are…
Variations on a Theme Words From ac, acr, acu
Acid is from the Latin adjective acidus, meaning sharp, sour. It has the same root as acer keen, sharp. Even in Latin acid(us) had both modern meaning: sour-tasting and sour…
Origins How To Give And Forgive
To condone is to forgive, overlook, pardon, or be uncritical of (an offence, or of an antisocial or illegal act). You yourself might or might not indulge in such behaviour…
Intelligent Learning – Grammar
Some words are restricted to very particular uses. If you have learnt a word in one grammatical context, don’t automatically assume that you can use it in another context. Suppose…
Origins – War
Militate derives from militis, one of the forms of the Latin noun meaning soldier or fighting man. If something militates against you, it fights against you, i.e., works to your…