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67 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Indo-European |
* Ancestry of the English language dating back 5000 years (writing to 1500 BCE; Old English to 600 CE).
* Most (but not all) languages spoken in Europe and some in India are in this family. * Modern families: Germanic, Celtic, Latin/Romance, Greek, Slavic, Sanskrit |
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Cognates |
words that have a common ancestor |
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Borrowing |
word that is borrowed directly from another language |
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Savant |
Older scholar |
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Amateur
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One who plays for the love of the activity. |
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Chef
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Origin: Latin caput “head” > French
Modern: Head cook |
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Protégé(e) |
Origin: Latin protego “protect” > French
Modern: A young man/woman who is assisted in his career by an influential person. |
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Fiancé(e) |
Origin: Latin fidere “trust” > French fiance “trust”
Modern: An engaged man/woman. |
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Raconteur
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Origin: Latin re "again” + computare “count, tell” > French
Modern: Storyteller |
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Émigré(e) |
Origin: Latin emigrare “move away” > French
Modern: Man/woman who is in exile |
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Divorcé(e) |
Origin: Latin divortium “divorce" > French
Modern: Man/woman who was formerly married |
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Encore
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Origin: French
Modern: Repeat performance |
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Matinee
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Origin: Latin matutinum “morning” > French
Modern: Afternoon performance |
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Faux pas |
Origin: Latin falsus “false” + passus “step” > French
Modern: Social blunder |
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Tour de force
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Origin: French
Modern: Clever performance |
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Fait accompli
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Origin: Latin factum “deed” + ad + complere “fill up” > French
Modern: Accomplished fact |
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Ennui
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Origin: French
Modern: Boredom |
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Gauche
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Origin: French “left”
Modern: Lacking social grace |
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Adriot
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Origin: Latin ad “toward” + dextra “right hand” > French
Modern: Skillful |
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Menage
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Origin: French
Modern: Household |
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Menagerie
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Origin: French
Modern: Collection of wild animals |
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Allegro
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Origin: Latin alacer “quick” > Italian
Modern: In fast time |
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Alto
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Origin: Latin altus “high” > Italian
Modern: Lowest singing voice for women and boys |
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Andante |
Origin: Latin andare “walk" > Italian
Modern: In moderate time |
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Crescendo
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Origin: Latin crescere “increase” > Italian
Modern: Gradually increasing in sound |
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Diminuendo
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Origin: Latin diminuere “decrease” > Italian
Modern: Gradually decreasing in sound |
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Forte
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Origin: Latin fortis “stong” > Italian
Modern: Loud |
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Largo
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Origin: Latin largus “large” > Italian
Modern: Stately manner of music |
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Piano |
Origin: Latin planus “smooth” > Italian
Modern: soft |
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Pianoforte |
Origin: Latin planus "smooth" + fortis "strong" > Italian
Modern: soft and loud |
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Soprano
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Origin: Latin supra “above” > Italian
Modern: Highest singing voice for women and boys |
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Alligator
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Origin: Latin ille “the” + lacertus “lizard” > Spanish el lagarto |
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Bonanza
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Origin: Vulgar Latin bonacia “prosperity” |
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Canyon
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Origin: Latin canna “tube” > Spanish canon |
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Cigar
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Origin: Maya sicar “to smoke tobacco” > Spanish cigarro |
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Loco
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Origin: Latin ulucus “owl” > Spanish |
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Mosquito |
Origin: Latin musca “fly” > Spanish |
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Mustang
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Origin: Latin mixtus “mixed, wild” > Spanish mestengo |
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Poncho |
Origin: Araucan (Chile) pontho > Spanish |
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Rodeo
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Latin rotare “move in a circle” > Spanish rodear “surround" |
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Savvy |
Origin: Latin sapere “be wise" > Spanish sabe “do you know?” |
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Blitzkrieg
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Origin: German motorized attack from WWII meaning "lightning war" |
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Boomerang
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Origin: Australian aborigine throwing stick |
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Canoe
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Origin: Carib Native canoa "small boat" > Spanish canoa |
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Hurricane
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Origin: West Indian Taino hurucan "a violent tropical cyclone" > Spanish huracan |
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Igloo
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Origin: Eskimo igdlu "winter shelter" |
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Kangaroo
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Origin: An Australian marsupial (bears young in its pouch). |
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Kayak
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Origin: small, double-ended boat used by the Eskimo |
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Sauerkraut
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Origin: German dish of picked chopped cabbage. |
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Skunk
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Origin: Abnaki Native American (Maine) segonku |
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Wigwam
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Origin: Algonquin Ojibway wigiwam "shelter" |
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Hybrid |
Origin: Latin hibrida "offspring of a tame sow and wild boar"
Modern: The offspring of two animals or plants of different species, or (less strictly) varieties; a half-breed, cross-breed, or mongrel. |
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Discombobulated |
Origin: Perhaps a humorous alteration of discompose (Latin dis "separate" + com "together" + posse "to put"), discomfit (Latin dis "separate" + conficere "make, do"), or discomfort (Latin dis "separate" + confortare "to strengthen").
Modern: to be disturbed, upset, disconcerted, or confused. |
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Paradigm |
Origin: ancient Greek παρα " beside" + δεῖγμα "sample, pattern"
Modern: A pattern or model, an example. |
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Scintilla |
Origin: classical Latin scintilla particle of fire, spark, something small from which a bigger thing can grow, glittering speck
Modern: a spark or sparkle |
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Lurid |
Origin: Latin lūridus "pale yellow, wan, ghastly"
Modern: Pale and dismal in color; wan and sallow; ghastly of hue. |
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Biweekly
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Origin: Latin bi "twice"
Modern: Every two weeks (or twice a week) |
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Semiweekly
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Origin: Latin semi "half"
Modern: Twice a week |
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Unconscionable
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Origin: conscious "knowing, aware"
Modern: Not guided by one’s conscious |
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Unconscious
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Origin: conscious "knowing, aware"
Modern: Not being conscious, being deprived of one’s senses |
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Tortuous
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Origin: Latin torqu/tort “twist”
Modern: twisted, full of curves |
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Tortured
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Origin: Latin torqu/tort “twist”
Modern: Severe pain |
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Primus inter pares
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“First among equals” |
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Ab ovo
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“From the egg," i.e. from the very beginning.
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Carpe diem |
"Enjoy (sieze) each day”
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Caveat emptor
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"Let the buyer beware”
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Quid pro quo |
"Something for something” |
