A Course On Words Unit 2

Front 1

Class of Word

Back 1

Types of words that act alike, i.e. nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, etc.

Front 2

Morphological Criteria

Back 2

Changes in a word's shape/form (morphology) that help identify that word's class

Front 3

Syntactical Criteria

Back 3

Word order rules which identify class of word.

Front 4

Noun Criteria

Back 4

-Morphological: can be singular (one) or plural (more than one) in number; often indicated by the suffix 's' at the end of the word.
-Syntactical: occupy certain slots/positions; most can be preceded by function words known as noun markers such as the, a, many, that, these.

-Noun modifier- when a noun modifies another noun.

Front 5

Adjective Criteria

Back 5

-Morphological: modified with -er/-est (longer adjectives prefer more/most).
-Syntactical: can come between a noun marker and the noun; can be preceded by the word "seem."

-Purpose: to modify nouns (a.k.a. the head).

Front 6

Phrase

Back 6

Group of words

Front 7

Verb Criteria

Back 7

-Morphological: Changes in tense to differentiate form and meaning (past, present, etc.).
-Syntactical Criteria: word order is always: subject-verb-object.

Front 8

Transitive Verb

Back 8

Verb that takes an object.

Front 9

Intransitive Verb

Back 9

Verb that does not take an object.

Front 10

Adverb Criteria

Back 10

-Morphological: some words can add the suffix -ly.
-Generally answer: how? when? where?

Front 11

Alchemist

Back 11

Possible origins: 1. Arabic al-kīmiyā' < al "the" + kīmiyā'; 2. Hellenistic Greek "χυμεία", the study of plant infusions/juices or Coptic Egyption "Keme", the word for Egypt, where they transmuted gold and silver; 3. Post-classical Latin "alchemia"

Modern Meaning: A person who tries to transmute baser metals into gold.

Front 12

Pandemonium

Back 12

Origin: Greek παν- “all”+ δαίμων “demon”

Early meaning: The abode of all demons; hell, the infernal regions.

Modern meaning: disorder, confusion, chaos, wickedness.

Front 13

Lunatic

Back 13

Origin: Latin luna.

Early meaning: affected with the kind of insanity that was supposed to have recurring periods dependent on the changes of the moon.

Modern meaning: insane, crazy, mad.

Front 14

Punch

Back 14

Origin: Sanskrit, lit. "five nectars (of the gods)", combination of five medicaments, so called on account of its five ingredients, i.e. milk, curd, butter (probably ghee), honey, sugar.

Modern meaning: A drink made from a mixture of alcoholic and/or non-alcoholic ingredients.

Front 15

Decimate

Back 15

Origin: Latin decimāre to take the tenth; a practice in the ancient Roman army to select by lot and put to death one in every ten of a body of soldiers guilty of mutiny or other crime.

Modern meaning: v. to destroy or remove a large proportion of; to subject to severe loss, slaughter, or mortality.

Front 16

Stationary

Back 16

-Origin: Latin stare meaning "stand"

-Meaning: adj. standing w/o moving.

Front 17

Stationery

Back 17

-Origin: Latin stare meaning "stand"

-Meaning: n. writing materials

Front 18

Conservatism

Back 18

-Origin: Latin conservare meaning "to keep without change."

-Meaning: n. the belief that on the whole it is best not to make changes (compared to progressivism- the belief that change is necessary in order to improve our system of life.)

Front 19

Conservation

Back 19

-Origin: Latin conservare meaning "to keep without change."

-Meaning: n. The preservation of things, such as natural resources.

Front 20

Rout

Back 20

-Origin: Latin rupta meaning "broken"

-Meaning: n. A crushing defeat and disorderly retreat.

Front 21

Route

Back 21

-Latin rupta meaning "broken"

Original meaning- n. way that is rough and broken.

Modern meaning- n. a highway of some sort or a regular course taken for delivery.

Front 22

Pro tempore

Back 22

for the time being

Front 23

Ex officio

Back 23

by reason of one's office

Front 24

Magnum opus

Back 24

great work

Front 25

Persona non grata

Back 25

unacceptable person

Front 26

Ex cathedra

Back 26

from the seat of authority