by Dwane | Mar 4, 2015 | Ebook, English, Latin, Vocabulary
Adhere: to stick to. This is the primary meaning. For example: The stamp adheres to the envelope. (If you are under 20 years of age, look it up.) There are several other meanings for adhere. Adhere also means, to be joined. Figuratively, the word means, to hold...
by Dwane | Mar 3, 2015 | Ebook, Education, English, Greek, Vocabulary
Paraphernalia: belongings; the stuff you need for a particular activity; equipment. From the Greek παρα (pará): beside, and φερνή (phernḗ): things in addition to a dowry. Φερνή derives from φέρω (phérō): I carry. Paraphernalia, which now means “stuff”, once upon a...
by Dwane | Mar 3, 2015 | Ebook, Education, English, Latin, Vocabulary
Adequate: sufficient; equal to the requirement, okay, passable, satisfactory, mediocre. Though it not longer carries this meaning in English, adequate once meant to equalize. The old meaning is closer to its Latin roots. In Latin the preposition ad means, to or...
by Dwane | Mar 2, 2015 | Education, English, Latin, Vocabulary
Abeyance: a temporary halt, a temporary suspension. A temporary period of disuse. Abeyance shows up in English for the first time in 1528. Initially, it has a legal meaning. This makes sense. After all, the word comes from the old French word abeiance. The French...
by Dwane | Feb 28, 2015 | English, Vocabulary
Instead of a word today, some negative inspiration. Pay attention to the words you use. People notice. “A couple of years ago, I was in a meeting trying to persuade some people of the merits of a business idea. The presentation seemed to be going well: the three...
by Dwane | Feb 27, 2015 | Ebook, Education, English, Greek, Visual Latin, Vocabulary
Metaphor: a short similitude; a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object. For example: The soldier was a lion in combat. From Greek μεταφερω (to transfer), which further derives from μετα (over) and φερω (carry). Mixed metaphors are fun. ...
