Periphery

Periphery: the circumference, outside the boundary, the edge, the outskirts.  If something is in your peripheral vision, you see it in the side of your line of view.  From Greek περιφέρεια: moving around.  The Greek word comes from two smaller Greek words.  The...

Online Class enrollment

Learn Latin, Greek, or English vocabulary derived from Latin and Greek. That is a mouthful. Online class enrollment begins this Friday! Just like HealthCare.gov, enrollment will remain open for a while. UnlikeHealthCare.gov, I will not force you to join a class...

English is not English

Over 60 percent of all English words have Greek or Latin roots; in the vocabulary of the sciences and technology, the figure rises to over 90 percent.  – Tamara Green in, The Greek and Latin Roots of English.

How to read a book a week

I am about to give you some advice that I do not intend to follow. Usually, this is not my modus operandi.  I tend to ask my students to do only what I myself am willing to do. I read this blog, however, and found it inspiring.   You might find it inspiring as well....

Abyss

abyss: a bottomless pit; an unfathomable depth; or even, a hopeless situation. From Greek ἄβυσσος (bottomless).  This word breaks down into ἀ (not) and βυθός (deep place). I’ve never seen this abyss, though I hope to while traveling “out West” this...