Vocabulary spelling level v g10

Word of the Week LESSON 1 Word Study Notebook Understand the Concept Keeping a word study notebook is a convenient way to log new words, their meanings and their spellings, as well as pr

Level V

Exceeding the Standards: Vocabulary & Spelling, Level V

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Introduction .v

Unit 1: Word Study Skills and Research Tools Lesson 1: Word Study Notebook 1

Lesson 2: Word Study Skills 3

Lesson 3: PAVE 5

Lesson 4: Using Dictionaries and Thesauruses 7

Time Out for Test Practice: Word Study Skills and PAVE; Synonyms 9

Unit 2: Word Parts and Determining Meaning Lesson 5: Prefixes, Roots, and Suffixes 11

Lesson 6: Words with Multiple Meanings 13

Lesson 7: Connotation and Denotation 15

Lesson 8: Context Clues 17

Time Out for Test Practice: Defining Word Parts; Using Context Clues 19

Unit 3: Word Origins and Language Lesson 9: Word Origins 21

Lesson 10: Place Names 23

Lesson 11: Word Families from Greek and Latin Roots 25

Lesson 12: English Words from French 27

Lesson 13: English Words from Spanish 29

Lesson 14: English Words from Asian Languages 31

Lesson 15: English around the World 33

Lesson 16: Informal and Archaic Language 35

Lesson 17: Academic Language 37

Time Out for Test Practice: Borrowed Words; Word Parts from Greek and Latin 39

Unit 4: Spelling and Word Classification Lesson 18: Categorizing and Classifying Vocabulary 41

Lesson 19: Semantic Mapping 43

Lesson 20: Spelling Rules and Tips 45

Lesson 21: More Spelling Patterns—Plurals, ei/ie, ceed/sede/cede 47

Lesson 22: Spelling Patterns with Affixes 49

Time Out for Test Practice: Spelling with Affixes; Using Spelling Patterns 51

Unit 5: Clarifying Meaning

Lesson 23: Syntax 53

Lesson 24: Commonly Confused Words 55

Lesson 25: Using Mnemonic Devices 57

Lesson 26: Word Meanings in Synonyms, Antonyms, Homophones, and Homographs 59

Time Out for Test Practice: Commonly Confused Words; Words with Multiple Meanings 61

Unit 6: Word Use and Standardized Test Preparation Lesson 27: Literal and Figurative Meanings 63

Lesson 28: Idioms, Metaphors, and Similes 65

Lesson 29: Allusions 67

Lesson 30: Language in the Media 69

Lesson 31: Standardized Test Preparation 71

Lesson 32: Expanding and Applying Your Word Knowledge 74

Time Out for Test Practice: Idioms and Figures of Speech; Analogies; Sentence Completion 76

Answer Key 78

The Exceeding the Standards resource books provide in-depth language arts instruction to enrich students’ skills development beyond the level of meeting the standards Exceeding the Standards:

Vocabulary & Spelling offers meaningful ways to incorporate word study into the language arts

classroom

Vocabulary & Spelling presents thirty-two lessons, designed to be used weekly, that cover a broad

range of topics from etymology to context clues to spelling patterns These lessons are aligned with

the units of the Mirrors & Windows: Connecting with Literature program and may be used alone or as supplements to the Vocabulary & Spelling workshops in the Student Edition Each lesson incorporates

words from selections in the corresponding unit of the textbook By using these lessons in conjunction with the literature program, you will help your students become better readers, writers, speakers, and spellers

Each lesson in Vocabulary & Spelling includes the following components:

• A Word of the Week, selected from the corresponding textbook unit, highlights a word that

students may find particularly meaningful or interesting

• Grammar instruction on one or more topics is followed by a Try It Yourself section that allows

students to practice what they are learning

• Just For Fun activities encourage students to play with words, reminding them that language can be

fun and interesting

• Tip boxes in the margin throughout the lesson clarify definitions, offer additional information, and

give helpful suggestions

• A Time Out for Test Practice at the end of each unit provides students with the opportunity to

assess what they have learned and to practice test-taking skills by answering sample standardized test questions in a multiple-choice format

It is essential that vocabulary instruction include a variety of strategies to develop students’

word-study skills Lessons in Vocabulary & Spelling provide many different ways of exploring and

studying words, word parts, semantic families, and spelling patterns and rules Activating students’

prior knowledge of words and of essential concepts related to words helps students make associations between new terms and words they already know

The activities in Vocabulary & Spelling will help you actively engage students in working with

words As their curiosity about word exploration grows, your students will become increasingly confident in their ability to attack, learn, and experiment with new words

Related Program Resources

For more vocabulary and spelling instruction, including charts of common prefixes, suffixes, and

word roots, refer to the Mirrors & Windows Student Edition Language Arts Handbook, Section 2:

Vocabulary & Spelling Additional vocabulary development activities integrated with the literature

selections are included in the Meeting the Standards unit resource books and in Differentiated

Instruction for English Language Learners

Teaching Tips

Word study encompasses not only vocabulary and spelling, but also the strategies language users employ to unlock meanings and internalize spellings Effective instruction in word study gives students tools for learning new vocabulary and spelling independently in the long term The following teaching

tips can help you ensure that your students get the most from the lessons in Vocabulary & Spelling.

Teach Word Attack Strategies

There are a number of strategies good readers employ when they are confronted with an unfamiliar

word These strategies include:

For many of us, these strategies have become second nature, and we are hardly conscious of using

them To students, however, they are not so obvious; strategic word decoding takes place mostly

internally and silently, word attack strategies are largely invisible, and uninitiated students may never

witness them in action Research suggests that students need explicit instruction in these strategies to

become proficient readers and effective writers The lessons in Vocabulary & Spelling provide such

explicit instruction

Create a Word-Rich Environment

The essential backdrop to an effective word study program is a classroom where words are clearly

valued The following are some ideas for creating such a classroom

• Word Wall Post a variety of vocabulary words and/or words of the week in your classroom to

provide students with repetition and recycling of the terms you want them to internalize Use it

as the basis of word games such as bingo, Jeopardy, and twenty questions, as well as collaborative

storytelling

• Class Dictionary Have students keep a class dictionary by taking turns entering words studied in

class, providing definitions, illustrating terms, writing contextual sentences, and searching for

real-world uses of the words

• Classroom Library Provide a broad range of reading materials, giving students time for sustained

silent reading, and modeling avid reading yourself, to build students’ vocabularies

• Word Processing Language Tools Encourage students to make use of language features built into

word processing programs, such as dictionaries and thesauruses

• Online Word Games Schedule time for your students to learn new vocabulary with online word

games and other technology tools

• Language Mentor Share your own interest in words by drawing students’ attention to interesting

words in the news or in pop culture and by modeling how you approach words that are new to you

Foster Curiosity

The key to incorporating meaningful word study into your language arts classroom is to encourage

dialogue with your students about how words create meaning Your own curiosity about language

is infectious and will encourage your students to become inquisitive “word detectives” motivated to

solve the mystery of word meanings

About Spelling “Rules”

Some students benefit from memorizing what are sometimes called spelling rules; others are

frustrated by the number of exceptions to each rule To reflect the prevalence of exceptions, the term

spelling pattern has been used instead of spelling rule in this resource In addition to introducing

students to spelling patterns, you can help them become stronger spellers by following the same

teaching tips mentioned above: modeling the use of strategies, creating a word-rich classroom, and

fostering curiosity

avaricious (<a v@ >ri sh@s) adj.,

greedy, especially for wealth

Many observers thought that the financial crisis of 2008 was the result of avaricious stock brokers, bankers, and insurance executives.

Avaricious is the adjectival form of

the noun avarice and is ultimately

derived from the Latin word ave–re,

which means to crave One of the most well-known avaricious

characters in literature is Ebenezer Scrooge, from Charles Dickens’s

1843 classic A Christmas Carol

People who are willing to injure others to gain or maintain wealth are characterized as avaricious

Sometimes the word avaricious

is used to imply that a person has an obsession with money

Other times it is used to suggest that a person’s focus on wealth verges on madness Synonyms

of avaricious include greedy, covetous, and rapacious.

Word of the Week

LESSON 1

Word Study Notebook

Understand the Concept

Keeping a word study notebook is a convenient way to log new words, their meanings and their spellings, as well as prefixes, suffixes, word roots, and other concepts You can use your word study notebook to write down words that you have trouble remembering how to spell

You may even want to set part of your notebook aside for vocabulary play in your own writing

When you record a new word in your notebook, include its definition, pronunciation, and origins, along with an example sentence

or drawing to help you remember it

Here is a sample page from a word study notebook

As you learn more and more words, you will also become a better speaker and

a better writer, able to express yourself more easily and vividly.

Tip

Word: miasma (pl miasmas or miasmata)Pronunciation: \m8 az> m@\

Origins: New Latin, from Greek word miainein, “to pollute”

Definition: Unhealthy, polluting vapor or fogSentence: The miasma of tobacco smoke in that coffee shop makes me ill

Try It Yourself

Browse through a magazine or newspaper until you find a word that is unfamiliar to you Use the space below to create your own word study notebook entry for the unfamiliar word To find the correct definition and pronunciation, consult a dictionary Hint: You don’t need to write down all the definitions of the the word—just the one that seems to fit the way it was used in the original sentence

Just for Fun

Who or what is a doomster? What does it mean to commit verbicide?

You might not encounter or use such quirky words very often, but it is fun to know their meanings Create entries for the following words, or peruse your dictionary for other odd words to add to your word study notebook

doomsterverbicidegeophagyizzardstygian

Think about how you

want to use your word

study notebook Then, take some

time to organize it For example,

you may divide it into different

sections—one section for new

vocabulary you encounter, one for

common prefixes, suffixes, and

word roots, one for words that you

often have trouble spelling, and

one for fun words and word facts.

Tip

Here’s one item to get

you started on the “Fun

Word Facts” section of your word

study notebook:

One of the longest place

names in the world is probably

that of

Llanfairpwllgwyngyll-

gogerychwyrndrobwyll-llantysiliogogogoch, a town in

northern Wales It is called Llanfair

or Llanfair PG for short.

Tip

Every week, review the

entries in your word study

notebook Try to incorporate

these words into your speech and

inquiry (in kwir> @) n.,

investigation into a matter of public interest

He launched the inquiry because

he believed the senator was lying.

The word inquiry stems from the

Latin word quaerere, which means

“seek.” Other words that share this Latin base include inquire, inquest, question, and inquisitive.

Word of the Week

LESSON 2

Word Study Skills

Understand the Concept

When reading, you will often encounter words that are new to you It can be tempting to skip over them and keep going, but if that’s your only strategy, you’ll probably end up missing a lot of what you read!

You will better understand and enjoy what you read if you follow these simple strategies for decoding unfamiliar words

Use Context Clues

When you encounter an unfamiliar word, you can figure out what it

means by looking at the context, or the words around it

example It was a good replica because it was almost identical to

the original painting

You may not know what replica means, but from the clues in the

surrounding text, you can probably guess that a replica is a copy or imitation of something else

Use Text Support

Look for pictures, diagrams, charts, sidebars, and other features that help explain or support ideas in the text These items may help illustrate unfamiliar terms Read the following passage from a medical textbook

Healthy joints are capable of rotation; that is, turning around an axis Types of rotation movements include supination, pronation, eversion, and inversion Supination allows the palm of the hand

to turn up Pronation allows it to turn down See Figure 23.10.

Look for Familiar Word Parts

Examine the unfamiliar word You may find that it contains a familiar prefix, suffix, or word root that provides a clue to its meaning For

example, if you know that kilo is Latin for “one thousand,” you can figure out the meanings of such words as kilowatt, kilometer, and kilogram.

Text support is commonly found in magazine and newspaper articles and is especially necessary in educational material, such as textbooks

Text support includes pictures, diagrams, charts, captions, section headings, and sidebars A sidebar

is a short text piece that is found alongside the main story

Tip

Use a Dictionary

Sometimes, the fastest way to find out the meaning of an unfamiliar word is to look in the dictionary However, keep in mind that many words have more than one meaning Be ready to combine some of the other strategies with this one in order to figure out which definition is the right one

Consider the following sentence:

The company had invested heavily in emergent technologies

The dictionary offers several possible definitions for the word emergent:

1 arising unexpectedly; calling for prompt attention

2 rising out of or as if out of a fluid

3 arising as a natural or logical consequence

4 newly formed or standing outBecause there are four possibilities, you must decide which best fits in this particular context The fourth definition is the one that works best here

Try It Yourself

E X E R C I S E A

Use context clues to estimate the meaning of the underlined word

The county fair was incredibly prosaic, so we spent our time trying to find something that would entertain us or seem even the least bit exciting

1 What do you think prosaic means?

2 What information in the passage helped you guess the meaning of the word?

E X E R C I S E B

In your notebook, explain how the illustrations in Figure 23.10 help you

to understand the meanings of unfamiliar terms

E X E R C I S E C

Use your knowledge of word parts to define each of the following words

in your notebook You may refer to page 1041 of your student textbook for examples of common word parts

is used in the sentence

1 He brought a relic back from his travels

2 Sasha didn’t want to rifle through her sister’s suitcase

3 Hanna was going out to cull the flock

A prefix is a word part

found at the beginning of a

word; a suffix is found at the end

Prefixes and suffixes add meaning

to a base word or root A word

root is a word part that is not a

prefix or suffix and contains more

of the core meaning of the word.

Tip

Look up the following words in

a dictionary Then, on your own

paper, draw a picture for each one

that would help a reader better

understand the word’s meaning

callously (ka> l@s l7) adv.,

insensitively; uncaringly

She handled the situation rather callously, so I don’t know if I can forgive her.

The word callously comes from

the Latin word callosus, meaning

Understand the Concept

PAVE is a good way to help yourself remember the meaning of a new

word PAVE stands for Predict, Associate, Verify, and Evaluate When

you encounter an unfamiliar word, first copy the sentence in which the word appears Then follow the steps below:

Predict Try to predict the word’s meaning based on the context

and on your prior knowledge of the word or its parts Write down your prediction

Associate Write a sentence of your own using the word Associating

the word with a sentence will help you remember the meaning of the word

Verify Next, check the meaning of the word by using a dictionary

or by asking your teacher A dictionary may offer multiple meanings for the same word If you use a dictionary, select and write down the most appropriate definition

Evaluate Finally, evaluate the sentence you wrote using the word

Does it do a good job of capturing the meaning of the word?

Rewrite the sentence if necessary If you wish, draw an image that will help you remember the word

Try It Yourself

Use PAVE to learn the underlined words in the sentences below

1 The sea air was redolent of salt and dead fish

Predict Associate

Verify Evaluate

Flip through a dictionary and find

a word you’ve never seen before

Be sure you understand what it means; then, write a paragraph with the word hidden somewhere

in it Exchange paragraphs with a partner Your partner must, first of all, guess which word you were

“hiding,” and secondly, use PAVE to figure out the meaning of the word.Just for Fun

2 Subatomic physics is beyond the ken of the average person—it is just not a subject most people know anything about.

Predict Associate

Verify Evaluate

3 Bob did not have time to collect his thoughts, so his acceptance speech was rather desultory

Predict Associate

Verify Evaluate

4 Punk rockers attempted to subvert mainstream rock-and-roll music, which they believed had become cheesy and overly commercial

Predict Associate

Verify Evaluate

5 Foreign policy was not the president’s forte, but she relied on her ambassadors and other experienced advisors to help compensate for her weak point

Predict Associate

Verify Evaluate

Use context clues to

predict the meaning of an

unfamiliar word Context clues

are words and phrases in the

surrounding text that hint at the

meaning of a word

Comparison clues help show

the meaning of a word or idea

by restating it in a different way

or by giving examples Question

2 contains a comparison clue

Contrast clues help show the

meaning of a word through giving

its opposite, or antonym Contrast

clues may use words such as but,

however, although, or yet Question

5 contains a contrast clue.

Tip

You do not need to stop

reading every time you

run across an unfamiliar word

Usually, you can still get the gist of

the passage and continue on.

Tip

After using PAVE to

discover the meaning of

a new word, try to use that new

word in your everyday speech as

often as possible over a

three-day period This might make your

friends look at you strangely, but

it will help you feel comfortable

using the word and better

understand its meaning.

Tip

eccentric (ik sen> trik) adj.,

odd or unusual in behavior or appearance

Everyone knew Mrs Garish because of her wacky house and eccentric clothes.

The word eccentric comes from

the Greek ex, meaning “out of,”

and kentron, meaning “center.”

Synonyms include the words

quirky, oddball, and bizarre

Antonyms include conformist, traditionalist, and dull.

Word of the Week

LESSON 4

Using Dictionaries and Thesauruses

Understand the Concept

The most important resources for word study are the dictionary and the thesaurus Many different kinds of dictionaries and thesauruses (or

thesauri) can be found in the reference section of your library

Using a Dictionary

Standard dictionaries of English provide the spelling, pronunciation, definitions, and other information about most words you will encounter in your reading and listening

Try It Yourself

E X E R C I S E A Use a dictionary to find the origins, or etymology, of each of the

following words Then explain each word’s origins (being sure to define any abbreviations) and make note of when the word entered English

The dictionary also provides information about how a word is generally

used A usage label may tell you, for example, that a word is slang—

that is, used only in informal language—or that it is only used in a

certain dialect (such as British English) If a word or a definition of a word is no longer in common usage, it will be labeled as archaic; if it is

no longer used at all, it will be labeled obsolete (obs.)

dor • ky adj (1983) slang : foolishly stupid tel • ly n [by shortening and altering] (1939) dial chiefly

Tip

Some words have quite wacky origins Find a dictionary of word origins at your local library or on the Internet, and browse until you find some particularly interesting entries Copy down five words, along with their etymology, in your word study notebook.

Just for Fun

2 Find an entry in the dictionary that includes a list of synonyms

Copy down the main entry and synonyms

3 Find a word or definition of a word that is labeled as archaic or

obsolete.

4 Find a word or definition that is labeled slang

5 Find a dictionary entry that includes a usage note

Using a Thesaurus

A thesaurus, a reference book that contains lists of synonyms and

antonyms, is a useful companion to the dictionary The thesaurus is especially helpful when you can’t think of the exact word to convey your meaning, or when you want to enliven your writing by using a variety of words For example, suppose you had written the following sentence about poet e e cummings:

Modern poet e e cummings was famous for his strange use of punctuation

You decide that strange is not exactly the right word Looking it up

in the thesaurus, you find many synonyms, including odd, unusual,

extraordinary, uncommon, eccentric, unconventional, and bizarre Your

revised sentence might read as follows:

Modern poet e e cummings was famous for his unconventional use of punctuation

Try It Yourself

E X E R C I S E C

In the sentences below, replace the overused word great with a

more precise and appropriate synonym Write your answers in your notebook

1 We had a great time at the party

2 The great mountain loomed up before the climbers

3 Sammy Sosa is a great baseball player

4 Lisa’s weekend was going great until she remembered she had a test on Monday

5 The senator lay awake all night worrying about the great decision she would have to make the next day

When using a thesaurus

be sure you choose a

synonym that fits the context of

your sentence and that has the

right connotations, or shades

of meaning Also, beware of

choosing a word just because it

sounds impressive Sometimes

the right word is the simpler one

the thesaurus provides

antonyms for most words

Antonyms for strange include

regular, conventional,

run-of-the-mill, usual, and ordinary.

Tip

Review Language Arts

Handbook 2.4, Using

a Dictionary, on page 1046

of the student textbook The

diagram identifies the parts of a

dictionary entry and will help you

locate the main entry of a word,

its pronunciation, etymology,

definition(s), example phrases,

synonyms, other forms, and its

part-of-speech label

Tip

Time Out for Test Practice

Word Study Skills and PAVE

_ 1 The dictionary entry for the word

alcove contains the notation n after

the pronunciation key What does the

n stand for in this entry?

A the part-of-speech label

B the pronunciation of the word

C the origins of the word

D other forms of the word

E the definition of the word _ 3 Which of the following statements

is correct based on the information provided in questions 1 and 2?

A The word alcove is from the French word alcôve.

B The first recorded use of alcove

labeled nonstandard in a dictionary?

A It means it is considered incorrect

in standard, formal English

B It means it is considered archaic and is not commonly used today

C It means it is considered a false statement or used as propaganda

D It means it is mainly used as an irregular verb

E All of the above

_ 5 Which of the following is an example

E All of the above

_ 6 You would use a thesaurus when

A you want to find the definition of

A Present, Attack, Verify, Essay

B Perceive, Analyze, Verify, Elaborate

C Predict, Associate, Verify, Evaluate

E Plan, Assign, Verify, Explain _ 8 When you check the definition of an

unknown word using a dictionary, which step in the PAVE process are you performing?

_ 9 In the PAVE process, after you

have verified the definition of the unknown word, your next step would

C use your prior knowledge to define the word to the best of your ability

D use context clues to determine whether your definition was correct

E None of the above

Synonyms

In the following questions, select the best replacement for each

underlined word

_ 1 His unconventional use of

punctuation, combined with his strange habit of writing in all lowercase letters, makes his poetry unusual and incredible

A perplexing

B peculiar

C mysterious

D exotic _ 2 He rose from obscurity to become

one of the greatest and most favorite president of the United States

A beloved

B darling

C supreme

D reviled _ 3 Abraham Lincoln was a potent

_ 4 With his athletic leadership,

Abraham Lincoln succeeded in freeing the slaves and keeping the Union together

A strong

B muscular

C strapping

D feeble _ 5 If I could encounter any person from

history, I would choose Abraham Lincoln

A detect

B meet

C accost

D confront _ 6 It is favorable that we know so much

eloquent (el> @ kw@nt) adj.,

marked by forceful and fluent expression; vividly or movingly expressive

The speaker’s eloquent words left everyone feeling moved and inspired

Eloquent contains the Latin word

root loqu (also spelled locut),

meaning “to speak.” This root

is found in the words elocution,

meaning the art of public speaking, loquacious, an adjective

meaning excessively talkative, and

circumlocution, the act of talking

in circles to confuse listeners or evade an issue

Eloquent can be used to

describe other kinds of expression, such as writing, acting, singing, and visual art, as well as speech

For example, one may refer to an

“eloquent writer” or an “eloquent performance.”

Word of the Week

LESSON 5

Prefixes, Roots, and Suffixes

Understand the Concept

One way to figure out the meaning of a word is to break it down into its

parts The parts of a word are called morphemes Each part contains a

chunk of meaning For example, the word prediction can be broken down into three morphemes: the prefix pre-, meaning “before,” the word root

dict, meaning “say,” and the suffix -ion, meaning “action or process.”

Together, these morphemes make a word that means “the action of telling about something before it happens.” You can probably think of

many other words that contain the morphemes pre-, dict, and -ion

There are four main types of word parts: prefixes, suffixes, word

roots, and base words A prefix is a letter or group of letters added to

the beginning of a word to change its meaning

example un- (unnecessary, unavailable, uneasy)

A suffix is a letter or group of letters added to the end of a word to

change its meaning

example -ify (purify, magnify, glorify)

A word root is a word part that contains more meaning than a prefix or

suffix Most word roots cannot stand on their own as words, but must combine with other word roots, prefixes, or suffixes

example spect (spectator, spectacle, perspective, respect)

A base word is a word in its own right to which a prefix or suffix may

be added to change its meaning

example read (reread, reader, unreadable)Page 1041 of your student textbook contains charts of common prefixes, suffixes, and word roots, and their meanings Study these charts before you complete the following exercise

Try It Yourself

E X E R C I S E A

In your notebook, list five words that contain each of the following word parts

example dict, word root meaning “say”

predict, diction, dictionary, dictator, dictation

1 dis-, prefix meaning “not”

2 trans-, prefix meaning “across”

3 cred, word root meaning “believe; trust”

4 scrib, word root meaning “write”

Some word parts are known as combining forms This means that they have characteristics of both affixes (prefixes or suffixes) and roots One example is the word part -ology It may appear to be

a simple suffix, but it actually combines the word root log plus

the suffix -y.

Tip

5 -ment, suffix meaning “action or process; state or quality; product

or thing”

E X E R C I S E B

In your notebook, break each of the following words down into its morphemes, or word parts Tell whether each part is a prefix, suffix, word root, or base word Also, give the meaning of each word part,

as found in your Charts of Common Word Parts Finally, using the dictionary and your knowledge of the word parts, write a definition of the word

example transgress trans / gress

Definition: To transgress means to go beyond what is permitted or what

Just for Fun

Play a dice game with word parts! Divide the class into teams Each team should have two dice Label the sides of one die with the following prefixes:

re-, in-, con-, pro-, trans-, de-

Label each side of the other die with the following word roots:

quest, fer, form, voke, verse, duceThen, when all teams are ready, start rolling the dice to form new

words For example, rolling re- and duce will give you the word reduce

Whoever comes up with the most real words in the least amount of time wins the game You may set a time limit of three minutes If you like this game, make up your own version with different prefixes, suffixes, and word roots

Morphemes can be

bound or free Prefixes,

suffixes, and most word roots

are called bound morphemes

because they cannot stand on

their own as words Base words

are called free morphemes

because they can stand on

their own The word workshop,

for example, contains two free

morphemes, work and shop The

word worker contains one free

morpheme, work, and one bound

morpheme, the suffix -er

Tip

The opposite of extrovert

is introvert There is even

such a thing as an ambivert,

which means “one who has

characteristics of both an extrovert

and an introvert.” (Ambi- is a prefix

meaning “both.”)

Tip

As you learn more

prefixes, suffixes, and

word roots, write them down in

your word study notebook, along

with a definition and example.

Tip

inclination (in kl@ n6> sh@n) n.,

tendency to do something

Since the townspeople knew

he was guilty, they had little inclination to help the man.

The word inclination has multiple

meanings It can mean a “natural disposition or character,” “an act or the action of bending or inclining,”

“a deviation from the true vertical

or horizontal,” and, as in the sentence above, “a tendency to a particular aspect, state, character,

or action.”

Word of the Week

LESSON 6

Words with Multiple Meanings

Understand the Concept

Many words in the English language have more than one meaning For

example, consider the word bluff It has at least six different meanings

and can be used as an adjective, noun, or verb

1bluff adj 1 : rising steeply with a broad front 2 :

naturedly frank and outspoken

2bluff n a high steep bank or cliff

3bluff v to deceive or frighten by pretending to have strength

or confidence once does not really have

4bluff n 1 a : an act or instance of bluffing b : the practice of

bluffing 2 : one who bluffs

If you run across a word that does not seem to make sense in context, consider whether that word may have another meaning that would make sense Can the word be used as more than one part of speech, for example, as either a noun or a verb? Does it have a broader meaning than the one that came to your mind? For example, read the following passage from James Joyce’s short story “Araby”:

North Richmond Street, being blind, was a quiet street except at the hour when the Christian Brothers’ School set the boys free

An uninhabited house of two stories stood at the blind end, detached from its neighbors

The most common meaning for blind is “lacking the sense of sight.”

However, that meaning obviously does not apply here Consulting a

dictionary, you might find that the word blind can also be an adjective

meaning “having only one opening or outlet.”

Try It Yourself

E X E R C I S E A

1 Choose two definitions of the word bluff and write a sentence

illustrating each meaning in your notebook

2 Look up the word blind in your dictionary How many definitions are there for blind as an adjective? For blind as a verb? What is one meaning for blind as a noun? Write your answers in your

notebook

Words that have completely different, unrelated meanings, but are spelled the same, are sometimes called homographs By this definition, bluff (a cliff) and bluff (to deceive) can be called

homographs However, the words that we typically think of as homographs are also pronounced differently and stem from

completely different roots

Tip

Keep in mind that some words not only have multiple meanings, but also have different pronunciations Be sure you know how to pronounce the word before you use it in conversation.

Tip

E X E R C I S E B

In the following activity, you will see the same word used in several different sentences Write down the meaning that applies to each sentence in your notebook

example

I did not want to hamper his investigation

The dog would steal dirty socks from the hamper

Definition 1: to interfere with the operation ofDefinition 2: a large basket usually with a cover for storing materials (usually laundry)

1 Art looked out the window and saw a cardinal perched on the fence

One of the cardinal rules of business is “The customer is always right.”

2 The criminal was charged with fencing stolen car stereos

Aaron had to practice fencing for his role as the sword-slashing

D’Artagnan in the school production of The Three Musketeers.

3 In Act 2, scene 2 of Shakespeare’s famous play, Romeo and Juliet wax eloquent on the subject of love

The moon waxes and wanes

4 Mr Jacobs took out a loan from the bank because he needed some capital to start up a new business

Capital punishment is illegal in some states

5 It was evident from the stranger’s proud bearing that she was a powerful woman

We stopped for a moment to gain our bearings, then resumed our hike

The wheel bearings in my car began to squeal

Just for Fun

How do you suppose habit came to mean both an addiction and the

headgear worn by Catholic nuns? Think of a word with multiple

meanings, such as seal, pupil, watch, cardinal, or moor Then draw two

or more illustrations, each representing a different meaning of that word Next, explain how the meanings are related—or not related For

example, incense came from the Latin word encendere, meaning “to

set on fire.” From there it came to mean “something burned to release

a fragrance” or “to make someone burning mad.” On the other hand,

the three meanings of the word moor are not related They stem from

different roots

In general, all words gain

their different senses of

meaning by being used over a

period of time.

Tip

There are several ways in

which words gain multiple

meanings Over time, a word may

• acquire a broader meaning

• gain several narrow or

specialized meanings

• gain positive or negative

connotations

• come to be used as a different

part of speech (a noun, for

example, may gain another

meaning as a verb)

Tip

erratic (i ra> tik) adj., having no

fixed purpose

His actions have become more and more erratic and now I don’t know what to do.

The word erratic has a fairly

neutral connotation, while some of its synonyms, such as

bizarre, oddball, and weird, have

negative ones Other synonyms with more positive connotations include eccentric, singular, and changeable.

Word of the Week

LESSON 7

Connotation and Denotation

Understand the Concept

A denotation of a word is its dictionary definition A word’s connotations are all the associations it has in addition to its literal

meaning Connotations may be positive, negative, or neutral For

example, the words vintage and old both mean something that has been around for a long time Old is rather neutral An old car could be worn and beat-up, or it could be a shined-up classic Obsolete is negative It connotes something that is no longer useful or acceptable Vintage, a

word that comes from wine-making, connotes something that, like a fine wine, has become more valuable with age

negative That computer is obsolete; you should get a newer

model

neutral There was an old car parked outside the house

positive That boutique sells vintage clothes

It is important to be aware of a word’s connotations as well as its denotations Your word choice may imply a certain meaning that you did not intend to convey, so it is important to choose your words wisely

Try It Yourself

Circle the word or words that would best describe each of the following people, objects, or situations Explain your answers You may use a dictionary to help you

1 A child who innocently asks a lot of questions might be described

as which of the following?

curious inquisitive nosy snoopy

2 A politician who has accepted a bribe might be described as which

of the following?

crooked villainous corrupt devious

3 Which word would you use to respectfully describe people in a nursing home?

elderly vintage aged old

Look through a dictionary or thesaurus until you find a group

of synonyms that have different connotations Put these words in order from positive to negative, with more neutral words in the middle You might start with a word like silly, fake, or flighty.

vintage, antique, timeworn, old, antiquated, obsolete, worn-outJust for Fun

4 You think your dad is far too tight with his money Which word would you use to describe him?

thrifty frugal miserly conservative

5 Which word would you use to describe a friend whom you admire for having a different style?

strange different unique quirky

6 Which word could you use to describe a young child who doesn’t tell the truth?

liar perjurer fibber fabricator

7 Which word best describes a delicious meal in a fancy restaurant?

exquisite fine delicate admirable

8 Which word best describes an honest businessperson?

merchant dealer trader trafficker

9 You read in the newspaper of someone who has committed a terrible crime Which word would probably be used to describe this person?

mean nasty contemptible obnoxious

10 Someone has taken your lunch money You laid it on the desk in front of you and turned to reach for your backpack, and it was gone Which word would best describe what happened to the money?

smuggled pilfered filched embezzled

The dictionary will often explain the differences in connotations between words with a similar meaning For example, if you look up the word

shrewd, you may find a description of the differences between shrewd, sagacious, perspicacious, and astute All of these words mean “having

good judgment.” However, they have more subtle shades of meaning,

or connotations Shrewd suggests one who has a sharp eye and is clever and wily, while sagacious suggests one who has a far-seeing wisdom

Perspicacious and astute have different shades of meaning as well.

Some words start out

as neutral or positive,

but gain negative connotations

over time For example, the word

gossip once meant a godparent

(from God-sibb, meaning related

through God) Over time, it gained

the meaning of one who spreads

stories about people, perhaps

because godparents were often

distant relatives who were only

seen once in a great while During

their infrequent visits, they would

likely spend a long time

chit-chatting and sharing the latest

news about family members

Similarly, the word hussy once

was a neutral word meaning

“housewife” before it took on the

negative connotations it has today.

the connotations as well as the

denotations of the words they use.

Tip

Based on the context clues in the sample sentence, a reader might guess that reticent means “quiet”

or “reserved.” The word reticent comes from the Latin re- and tace–re, which means “to be silent”

Word of the Week

LESSON 8

Context Clues

Understand the Concept

When you encounter an unfamiliar word in your reading, you can often

use the context, or the words and sentences around it, to figure out the

meaning of the word

Try It Yourself

Read the following passage from a letter written by Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) The letter was written in 1901, in response to an invitation in which Clemens was asked to travel to Missouri Use context clues to guess the meaning of the underlined vocabulary words

Invitations which a brisk young fellow should get, and which would transport him with joy, are delayed and impeded and obstructed until they are fifty years overdue when they reach him.

When I was a boy in Missouri I was always on the lookout for invitations but they always miscarried and went wandering through the aisles of time; and now they are arriving when I am old and rheumatic and can’t travel and must lose my chance

I have lost a world of delight through this matter of delaying invitations Fifty years ago I would have gone eagerly across the world to help celebrate anything that might turn up It would have made no difference to me what it was, so that I was there and allowed a chance to make a noise

The whole scheme of things is turned wrong end to Life should begin with age and its privileges and accumulations, and end with youth and its capacity to splendidly enjoy such advantages As things are now, when in youth a dollar would bring a hundred pleasures, you can’t have it When you are old, you get it and there is nothing worth buying with it then.

It’s an epitome of life The first half of it consists of the capacity to enjoy without the chance; the last half consists of the chance without the capacity.

I am admonished in many ways that time is pushing me inexorably along I am approaching the threshold of age; in

1977 I shall be 142 This is no time to be flitting about the earth I must cease from the activities proper to youth and begin

Provide some “context” for an unfamiliar word! Browse through a dictionary and locate a word that is unfamiliar to you Write the word

in the center of a blank white sheet of paper Add information about the word all around it

Include antonyms, synonyms, sentences using the word (some may be clippings from a newspaper or magazine, some may be your own examples), and images that will help you remember the word’s meaning.

Just for Fun

to take on the dignities and gravities and inertia proper to that season of honorable senility which is on its way and imminent

that show comparison, such as

like, similarly, and in the same

way and expressions that show

contrast, such as but, in contrast,

unlike, and on the other hand

These expressions can provide

clues to an unfamiliar word Read

the examples below and use

context clues to figure out the

meanings of the words renowned,

scribe, and sedentary.

Mark Twain, like most renowned

scribes, was often asked to speak

at special events

 

Twain was a great traveler in

his youth, but became more

sedentary in his old age.

Tip

Sometimes a closer look

at the passage containing

the unfamiliar word will uncover

clues that reveal its meaning

For example, Clemens’s habit

of repeating an idea might help

you figure out the meanings of

the second and third underlined

words Looking at word parts

can also provide clues as to the

meaning of words

Tip

Time Out for Test Practice

Defining Word Parts

Use your knowledge of word parts when answering the following questions

For each question, select the answer that best completes each sentence

_ 1 The prefix semi-, as in the word

_ 5 The suffix -able or -ible, as in the

words arguable and irritable, means

A capable of

B finished

C characterized by

D possessing the qualities of

_ 6 The suffix -ic, as in the word acidic,

_ 9 The word root urb, as in the

words urban and suburban, means

auto, as in the word autonomous,

mono, as in the word monotone,

Using Context Clues

Use context clues to choose the definition that best fits each underlined word

_ 1 The doctor determined that Joan’s

vision problems were due to a deficiency of vitamin A

A inadequate supply

B overabundance

C diagnosis

D side effect _ 2 I made sure I left the living room

intact; I did not want to be accused of messing anything up before the big party

A disastrous

B untouched

C tangible

D leisurely _ 3 After working with a tutor for a

few months, Dajon became a more proficient reader

A skilled

B untrained

C risky

D exciting _ 4 The archaic car looked to be one of

the first automobiles ever built

A shiny

B valuable

C black

D old _ 5 The assiduous student never seemed

to take a break from schoolwork

A hardworking

B lazy

C intelligent

D stylish _ 6 Benjamin Franklin worked as an

apprentice for his brother and subsequently started his own newspaper

A previously

B later

C nonetheless

D as a result

_ 7 The soon-to-be father accompanied

his wife to her prenatal exams

A birthing

B child-rearing

C time after birth

D time before birth _ 8 Motorists were frustrated when miles

of road construction impeded the flow of traffic

A sped up

B repaired

C stalled

D ignored _ 9 The hermit’s seclusion from other

people was a personal choice—he could have just as easily decided to live among people

A defense

B isolation

C acceptance

D conclusion _ 10 I read the entire trilogy on my flight

from the United States to Japan

A series of three books

B series of four books

C collection of horror stories

D collection of haiku _ 11 We grew legumes in our garden so

that we’d have the fun of picking our own peas and beans

absolve (@b z5lv>) v., to set free

from obligation; to forgive

To get him to testify, the court absolved Norman of his actions and involvement with the crime

The word absolve is a Middle

English word derived from the Latin word absolvere, which is

formed from ab- plus solvere,

which means “to loosen.” This is

an example of a word’s etymology.

Word of the Week

LESSON 9

Word Origins

Understand the Concept

The English language is expanding constantly It would be virtually impossible to know all of the words in the English language, however, maintaining a large vocabulary will help you read and write proficiently Understanding the origins of words will help you unlock their meanings and assist you in recognizing related words

Becoming familiar with the etymologies of words is an effective way

to recognize connections between them Etymology is the study of the

origins of words You will find the etymologies of most words in any good dictionary These entries will indicate where the word originated and may explain how the word has changed over time For example, the

entry for the word steal includes the following text: “[ME stelen, fr OE

stelan; akin to OHG stelan to steal].” This can be interpreted as “from

the Middle English word stelen, which is derived from the Old English

stelan; akin to the Old High German word stelan, meaning ‘to steal.’”

Many words in the English language came from other languages

and are known as borrowed words As new things were introduced

into the English-speaking society, they often retained their original non-English names This continues to happen today For example, immigrants often introduce new words from their native language

when they move to English-speaking countries The words hamster,

kindergarten, and nickel are all words that German immigrants

introduced into the English language Try to think of common words that might have come from a non-English-speaking culture

Two other terms are important to know when building one’s

vocabulary: eponyms and acronyms An eponym describes a word

that was named after a specific person or place Examples include foods (Caesar salad), adjectives (narcissist, after Narcissus of Greek mythology), diseases (Lou Gehrig’s disease), and even time periods (Nixon Era)

Acronyms are words that are formed using the first letter or

letters from a term or phrase These words are often created when the title of something is long or complicated and must be said or written repeatedly Examples include: ER (emergency room); CD-ROM (compact disk, read-only material); and NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)

Jot down a few words that you believe are examples of eponyms Attempt to explain who or what they are named after and verify your guesses by looking them up

calico (ka> li k9) n., cotton cloth

imported from India

When the shipment of calico arrived, James could not wait to buy some for his grandmother.

The word calico comes from the

name Calicut Calicut is a city and

seaport in India where Europeans first obtained the material This is

an example of an eponym.

Word of the Week

LESSON 10

Place Names

Understand the Concept

You already know that the English language contains borrowed words,

or words from other languages What you may not realize is that many names in the United States are also borrowed words They come from British English, Spanish, French, Dutch, and Native American words, as well as from the names of important places and figures in world history

The names of cities, as well as the names of natural landmarks, also came from a variety of sources Many rivers, lakes, and mountains, as well as some of our biggest cities, took Native American names Other cities, such as East Berlin, Pennsylvania, and Memphis, Tennessee, were named after the great cities of the Old World When naming the infant cities and colonies after familiar places back home, settlers often added the qualifier “New,” as in New York, New Jersey, and New England

Try It Yourself

E X E R C I S E A

Can you guess where each of the following state names came from? Use

a dictionary, encyclopedia, or another source to check your responses

Write the source of the state’s name and the meaning or definition of the name on the line given

“place,” and -onym, meaning

A From Native American languages

B From the names of people

C From French

D From Spanish

2 Do you find areas that have a large number of names from a particular source? Explain Why do you think this is so?

If you were asked to rename your

town or city, what would you

name it? Why?

Just for Fun

Many common elements

in place names can be

traced back to Anglo-Saxon and

Viking origins For example, town

names that end in boro, borough,

or burgh come from Anglo-Saxon

words meaning “an old fortified

site.” The suffix -ton, also found in

many town names, means “farm”

or “settlement.” Below are some

more suffixes commonly used in

-worth (from the Anglo-Saxon

word for “farm”)

Tip

archaic (5r k6> ik) adj., out of

date

The word was archaic since it had been out of print since the early 1700s.

The word archaic is made up

of the Greek word part archa,

meaning “ancient or beginning,”

and the adjective suffix –ic,

meaning “having characteristics of.” Other words in the archa

family include archetype, archaeology, and archaism.

Word of the Week

LESSON 11

Word Families from Greek and Latin Roots

Understand the Concept

Many words in English, particularly those having to do with science and technology, have been created using words or word parts from

ancient Greek and Latin The word telephone, for instance, was formed from the Greek words tele, meaning “far away,” and phone, meaning

“voice.” Of course, the word telephone never existed in ancient Greek

Nor did the words television and telethon Ancient Greek and Latin

word roots are being used all the time to name things that the ancients never dreamed of

The following table shows some words formed from Greek and Latin word parts Notice that the words formed from Latin word parts are more common, though the words from Greek are nearly identical in meaning

dys-trophy mal-nutrition bad-nourishment

peri-phrasis circum-locution around-say

poly-glottal multi-lingual many-tongued

Words that share the same root are known as word families Knowing

the root can help you determine the meanings and spelling of the words that share that root For example, the following words share the Greek

word root chron, meaning “time”:

chronic: something, as an illness, that continues or recurs

over a long period of time

chronicle: an account of events given in the order of the time

they occurred

chronological: describes something arranged in the order of time chronometer: a type of extremely accurate clock

Your teacher may provide you with charts of common word parts

Study these before completing the following exercise

The word morpheme,

meaning “word part”

or “word form,” is derived from the Greek root morph, meaning

“form.” Other words in this family are polymorph, metamorphosis,

and amorphous Can you guess

the meanings of these words?

Tip

Try It Yourself

What does perspiration have in common with spirit? Find out in the

following exercise Identify the Latin or Greek word part that each group of words has in common, and tell what that word part means

Finally, look up any of the words in each group that are unfamiliar to you As a class, discuss how the words might have stemmed from the same source, even if their meanings are substantially different today

1 oncology geology lexicology astrology biology

2 veracity veritable verisimilitude verify

verdict

3 perspire inspire respiration spirometer spirit

4 verbiage verbose verbicide adverb proverb

5 perimeter pericardium perihelion peripheral periscope

Make up your own words using

Greek and Latin word parts from

your Word Parts Charts For

example, you might combine the

root -phile with chocolate to create

the word chocophile, meaning

“one who loves chocolate.” You

may be surprised to find that

some of your “made-up” words

are actually in the dictionary!

Just for Fun

Refer to your Word Parts

Charts as you complete

this activity.

Tip

austere (0 stir> or 0 ster>)

adj., stern and cold in appearance

or manner; markedly simple or unadorned; morally strict

His son was austere in his approach to strangers and young children.

The word austere is a Middle

English word that originally came from the Greek word auste–ros,

meaning “harsh or severe.” From Greek, it came into Latin as

austerus, then into Anglo-French

as austere

Word of the Week

LESSON 12

English Words from French

Understand the Concept

Although English is primarily a Germanic language, one related to

German, Danish, and Swedish, it has borrowed countless words from

the Latin-based Romance languages—from French most of all In fact,

it has been estimated that half of the words in English were originally taken from French

To understand this odd mixture, you need some history For over

500 years, England was ruled by the Anglo-Saxon people, Germanic tribes who came over from Europe in ad 449 and conquered the native Britons Then, in 1066, the island was taken over by invaders

from Normandy, an area in northern France This so-called Norman Conquest brought on the Medieval Period During this time English

became a lower-class language in England, while Norman French was the language of the nobles

Below are some of the words borrowed from French during the Medieval Period Since the Norman conquerors were the ruling class, many of the words they introduced were related to power and prestige,

as well as art, fashion, and food

Some Words Borrowed from FrenchPolitics assembly, crown, empire, government, realm, reign,

sovereignFinancial Matters account, agent, bargain, estate, heir, merchant,

revenuePower Relationships allegiance, authority, homage, oppress, pedigree,

servantLaw accuse, assault, attorney, convict, evidence, felony,

justice, legal, perjury, treason, verdictWar army, defense, lieutenant, siege, surrenderManners cavalier, courteous, debonair, dignity, loyaltyReligion baptism, devotion, faith, virtue

Architecture and Furnishings balcony, dungeon, furniture, pavementFine Clothing apparel, attire, costume, dress, fashion, garments,

gownLeisure, Entertainment,

and the Arts art, dance, harmony, sculpture, tournamentFood banquet, feast, roast, salad, supper

You can find the etymology, or origins,

of most words in a standard dictionary Look for the etymology

in brackets to the right of the of-speech label, as in the example below

part-pedigree (pe> d@ gr7) n., [ME pedegru, from MF pie de grue

crane’s foot, for its resemblance

to a family tree chart] (15c) an ancestral line; a distinguished ancestry

Note: ME stands for “Middle English” and MF means “Middle French.” Your dictionary will provide a list of abbreviations used and what they stand for.

Tip

Although new words entered English from French, many of the original English words also survived Notice that the words derived from French tend to sound more formal Because the French-speaking Normans

were the ruling class, the words they used still carry connotations, or

associations, of formality and sophistication

Words from Old English Words from French

1 Rather than purchase the volume, Bob concealed it under his apparel and purloined it

2 The marriage ceremony will commence at 7:00 at the mansion

3 My companions notified me that they desired to dine

French words continued to enter the language long after the Norman rulers lost power in the year 1154 Words borrowed in recent centuries are more likely to have the original French spelling, complete with accents, because they have not been fully “Anglicized.” These words

include à la carte, café, and rendevous.

E X E R C I S E B

Use the dictionary to look up the following words of French origin

Write down the definition and pronunciation of each word in your notebook and use the word in an original sentence

1 faux pas 4 coup d’état

The French used the term

pie de grue, or “crane’s

foot,” to describe a person’s

ancestry or family tree After the

English borrowed the term, its

spelling and pronunciation were

changed over time to create the

more English-sounding word

pedigree Many other words from

French were changed in this way

Tip

English contains so many words

borrowed from French that you

should be able to read French no

problem, right? Check out a French

newspaper or magazine from the

library or the French classroom at

school, and skim through of the

articles How many words do you

recognize? Copy them down in

your notebook Then, tell a partner

what you think the article is about

Just for Fun

renegade (re> n@ g6d) n., one

who deserts a faith or cause

to join up with the enemy; an individual who rejects lawful behavior

adj., describing someone who

has deserted a cause or rejected tradition

The evil dictator was defeated

by a renegade band of soldiers, who had deserted his army in order to fight for justice.

Renegade comes from the

Spanish word renegado, meaning

one who denies or renounces something.

Word of the Week

LESSON 13

English Words from Spanish

Understand the Concept

The Spanish were some of the first Europeans to explore the Americas

Upon arriving to a new land and coming into contact with Native American cultures, they found many things for which they didn’t have words They created new Spanish words to name new things, or they borrowed from native languages Later, English-speaking people were introduced to these Spanish and Native American words and adopted them as part of their language

Below are some words the Spanish gave us for plants and animals

of the Americas Note that many were originally from Native American languages such as Nahuatl, Arawak, Taino, Quechua, and Carib

alligator armadillochinchillachile (Nahuatl)chocolate (Nahuatl)cocoa (Nahuatl)cockroach

condor (Quechua)coyote (Nahuatl)iguana (Arawak &

Carib)guava (Arawak)llama (Quechua)manatee (Taino)

mosquito mustangpapaya (Arawak)potato (Taino)puma (Quechua)tomato (Nahuatl)vanilla

English-speakers in the Americas continued to borrow from Spanish, especially as they began to move farther west, into land that had been settled by Spanish ranchers and missionaries The American southwest—including the territory we know today as Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming— was until the mid-1800s a part of Mexico, and settlers who moved there picked up many Spanish words Among these were vocabulary pertaining to the ranching life in the “Wild West,” as well as words for foods, music, and natural landmarks

adobe aficionadobarrio bonanza bronco burrocanyoncomrade desperadoembargo enchiladaguerrilla guitar

hammock (Taino)hoosegow (slang) hurricane (Taino) incommunicado junta

lasso machete mesa patio pintoplazaponcho (Araucanian)

pronto ranch renegade rodeo serape sierra siesta sombrero stampede tornado vigilante

Many words borrowed from Spanish were originally borrowed by Spanish speakers from Native American languages

Tip

Use a Spanish-English dictionary

or ask a Spanish-speaking friend

to find one or more words from Spanish that have not yet been incorporated into English Pick words that you like based on meaning or sound Use each in a sentence.

Just for Fun

person at your school

Interview that person to find out

what additional Spanish words he

or she knows of that are regularly

used in the English language.

Tip

English words enter

Spanish as well—creating

hybrid terms such as lonche

(Mexican-Spanish for lunch) In

some American communities,

English and Spanish have mixed

together so thoroughly that locals

describe their conversational

language as “Spanglish.” This

process may seem alarming

to some, but it is nothing new

The English language has been

borrowing and adopting foreign

words for centuries.

Tip

kowtow (kou> tou) v., try to win

the favor of someone by fawning over them, showing exaggerated respect and deference; to kneel down and touch the forehead to the ground in token of homage

Ben was so in love with Marsha that he kowtowed to her every whim

Kowtow comes from the word kòutóu, a Chinese word used in

the Beijing area To the Chinese,

it meant to kneel down and touch one’s head on the floor as a sign

of deep respect English-speaking people who were not familiar with this custom thought it seemed very exaggerated, so they used the word kowtow in a negative

way, to refer to the actions of someone who is fawning or overly accommodating.

Word of the Week

LESSON 14

English Words from Asian Languages

Understand the Concept

When you think of words borrowed from Asian languages, you may first think of words for foods and martial arts that have become popular

in the United States However, Asian languages such as Chinese and Japanese have contributed a wide variety of words to English Below is a sampling

Words from Asian LanguagesJapanese aikido, bonsai, futon, geisha, hara-kiri, honcho,

karaoke, judo, jujitsu, kamikaze, karate, kimono, ninja, origami, ramen, rickshaw, sake, samurai, shogun, soy, sushi, tatami, tsunami, tycoonChinese chop suey, chop-chop, chopstick, chow, feng shui,

gung ho, kowtow, kumquat, kung fu, mah jongg, shanghai, t’ai chi, tea, typhoon, wok, yen

Malay (Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei) amok, bamboo, cockatoo, compound (enclosed settlement), gecko, gingham, gong (also Jav.),

ketchup, orangutan, paddy, sarongJavanese (Malaysia) batik

Tagalog (Philippines) boondocksPolynesian Languages

Hawaiian Tahitian Tongan

hula, luau, ukulele tattoo

taboo

Try It Yourself

Use context clues to determine the meaning of each underlined word

Then check your guess by looking in the dictionary Copy down the

word’s definition as well as the etymology (explanation of the word’s

origins) in your notebook

example The family lived in a compound outside of Bangkok,

isolated from the city

compound: a fenced or walled-in area containing a

group of buildings and especially residences By folk

etymology from Malay kampung, group of buildings,

village

Locate the following on a map: Japan, China, Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, the Philippines, Tahiti, and Tonga.

Tip

1 An undersea earthquake generated a 75-foot tsunami that destroyed many homes in the coastal community

2 The restaurant held a karaoke night every Saturday

3 Lucy takes judo at a local martial arts school

4 The children ran amok in the backyard, letting out some of their boundless energy

5 Mark didn’t really want to go to the party the night before the SAT, but his friends shanghaied him into it

6 Donald Trump is a real-estate tycoon

7 After the coach’s pep talk, the team was gung ho to get out there and win the game

8 Harriet stopped by the vending machine to satisfy her yen for chocolate

9 In Japan, wearing shoes in the house is taboo; you must take them off at the door

10 I bought this batik sarong while on vacation in the Yucatan

Just for Fun

Imagine that you have received this letter from a friend Fill in the blanks with words of Asian origin

so upset The only good thing is, the here is pretty good and we get to eat for free.

Your Bud

The word compound,

meaning a settlement

or neighborhood enclosed by

walls or gates, came from the

Malay word kampung English

speakers changed it into a word

they already knew so that it would

be easier to pronounce When a

word is transformed into another,

similar-sounding word or words,

this is called folk etymology

Another example of a word that

has undergone folk etymology

is cockroach It came from the

Spanish cucaracha.

Tip

loaf (l9f>) n., Brit slang, head Jeremy didn’t use his loaf when

he drove after drinking.

Loaf is short for loaf of bread,

a phrase which rhymes with

head This whimsical phrase is

an example of Cockney rhyming slang in which a word is replaced

by an expression that rhymes with

it Frequently the first word of the expression is used alone Cockney

is an English dialect that originated

in the East End of London It is the dialect spoken by Eliza Doolittle, the heroine of George Bernard Shaw’s famous play Pygmalion.

Word of the Week

LESSON 15

English around the World

Understand the Concept

English is spoken all over the world Among the many countries that claim English as the primary language are the United States, the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales), Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Belize, and Nigeria Many other nations, such as India and Singapore, count English among several official languages

However, English is not the same in every place If you have ever had a conversation with someone from, say, Scotland, you may have realized that American and British English have grown apart since

the Mayflower landed here nearly 400 years ago The two dialects, or

versions, of English differ so greatly in pronunciation, spelling, and vocabulary that you might need subtitles to watch a British movie, or footnotes to read a British novel

Following are some examples of how British English and American English differ

British English American English

air hostess flight attendant

elevenses morning coffee break

of Great Britain That is, Great Britain conquered and ruled these countries.

British English American English

British spellings often differ from American spellings Words ending

in -ize are often spelled -ise in Britain (recognise, visualise, organise)

Words ending in -or are often spelled -our (colour, flavour, favourite)

And words ending in -er are sometimes spelled with an -re in British English (centre, theatre) Following are a few more examples:

British Spelling American Spelling

judgement, acknowledgement judgment, acknowledgment

English speakers in other countries often use the British, rather than American, spellings of words They also may use British terms rather than American words

Try It Yourself

The following sentences include dialect from outside the United States

Try to “translate” each sentence into American English

1 Father sped up to overtake the lorry on the motorway

2 Look at that bloke on the telly!

3 Grandmother had me don my posh frock for the party

4 The Nelsons went on holiday to Paris

5 Denise got her hair cut today; don’t you like how the fringe frames her eyes?

6 Bobby hit his loaf when he fell while running down the pavement

7 Jason shares a flat with his cousin, a bloke from Southampton

8 After changing the baby, Sarah yelled for Vern to take the soiled nappy to the dustbin

9 Mirna went to the chemist to have her prescription refilled

10 After spending the afternoon toiling over the cooker, Mrs Burns went to relax a moment in the garden

Just for Fun

To further investigate the differences between British and American English, find a dictionary of British English on the Internet or your local library Jot down a few British terms and their definitions and share them with your classmates

Is there such a thing as

“standard English”—one

version of the language that is

considered correct? Well, yes

and no There is a standard,

formal English that is taught in

schools everywhere and is used in

business and politics This version

of English does not include slang

and colloquialisms that differ

from region to region, so it can be

understood by almost everyone

However, there are differences—

most notably in the way words are

pronounced and spelled There is

no “standard” accent Most people

agree that a Caribbean accent is

just as “correct” as a British one.

Tip

In Australia, teeth are

called “choppers,”

mosquitoes are called “mozzies,”

and your friend is your “digger” or

your “mate.”

In South Africa, a mountain is a

“berg,” a tree is a “boom,” and

“Howzit?” means “How are you?”

In Ireland, an untidy person is

a “flipper,” and “gob” means

“mouth.”

In Singapore, to “zap” something

means to make a photocopy of it.

In Jamaica, “tall hair” means long

hair.

In Trinidad, to “lime” means to

hang around or loiter

Tip