WordSkills: Lesson One

WordSkills: Lesson OnePart One

Word of the day: rigmarole• From ragman roll• In 1291, when King Edward I of

England asked for allegiance from Scottish nobles, they have him the ragman roll, which was a bundle of papers carelessly thrown together.

• Today rigmarole is confused, rambling, or incoherent speaking or writing.

a (an): no, not, without, lacking• amnesia

a (without) mne (memory) ia (condition, state of)

• anarchy

an (without) arch (rule, government) y (result of)

• atheist

a (lacking, without) theo (god) ist (one who)

ambi: both• ambiguous

ambi (both) ag (do, drive) ous (full of)

• ambidextrous

ambi (both) dextro (right-handed) ous (full of)

• ambivalent

ambi (both) val (strong) ent (full of)

anti: against• antidote

anti (against) dot (give)• antibiotic

anti (against) bio (life) ic (having characteristics of)

• antisocial

anti (against) soc (society) al(having characteristics of)

circum: around• circumference

circum (around) fer (carry) ence(state or condition)

• circumscribe

circum (around) scribe (write)• circumnavigate

circum (around) nav (sail) ate (make, cause)s

de: down, from• demote

de (down) mot (move)

• descend

de (down) scend (climb)

• decline

de (down) clin (bend)

WordSkills: Lesson OnePart Two

Word of the day: etymology

• From etumos (true) and logos (word)

• The etymology of a word is its literal meaning or definition as well as its origin and historical development.

dis (di, dif): apart, away, not• divert

di (away) vert (turn)

• differ

dif (away) fer (carry)

• disrupt

dis (apart) rupt (break)

endo: inside, within• endoderm

endo (within) derm (skin)

• endocardium

endo (inside) cardi (heart) ium (condition, place)

• endocrine

endo (inside) krin (separate)

exo: outside• exocrine

exo (outside) krin (separate)

• exotic

exo (outside) ic (having characteristics of)

• exosphere

exo (outside) sphere (sphere)

extra (extro): beyond

• extraordinary

extra (beyond) ordin (order) ary (place where)

• extrasensory

extra (beyond) sens(feel) ory (having characteristics of)

• extraterrestrial

extra (beyond) terrestri (earth) al (related to)

hetero: different

• heterogeneous

hetero (different) gen (kind) ous (full of)• heteromorphic

hetero(different) morph(shape) ic(having characteristics of)

• heterosexual

hetero (different) sex (sex) al (related to)

WordSkills: Lesson OnePart Three

Word of the day: groggy-from “Grog,” the nickname of 18th

century British admiral Edward Vernon, who wore a coat made of grogram, a course material made

of silk, wool, and mohair-When Vernon decided to water down the ship’s rum, the sailors called it grog, and they became

groggy after drinking too much of it.

-Today groggy means unsteady and dazed or shaky.

hetero: different• heterogeneous

hetero (different) gen (kind) ous (full of)• heteromorphic

hetero(different) morph(shape) ic(having characteristics of)

• heterosexual

hetero (different) sex (sex) al (related to)

homo: same• homonym

homo (same) onym (name)

• homogeneous

homo (same) gen (kind) ous (full of)

• homophone

homo (same) phon (sound)

in (il, im, ir): in, into• inject

in (in, into) ject (throw)• illuminate

il (in) lumin (light) ate (make, cause)• import

im (in) port (carry)• irrigate

ir (in) rigar (water) ate (make, cause)

in (ig, il, im, ir)• Inactive in (not) act (act, do) ive (having

power)

• Ignoble ig (not) nobilis (noble)

• Illegal il (not) leg (law) al (related to)

• Imperfect im (not) per (thoroughly) fect (make)

• Irrational ir (not) ration (reason) al (related to)

inter: between, among• interact

inter (between) act (act, do)

• interrupt

inter (between) rupt (break)

• intervene

inter (between) vene (come)

WordSkills: Lesson OnePart Four

Word of the day: charley horse

• In 17th century England, King Charles II created the position of night guard for disabled veterans who were nicknamed charleys. Later the term charley horse was used for a horse that went lame.

• Today the term refers to a cramp or stiffness in a person’s muscle, especially in the upper leg.

intra (intro): inside, within• intravenous

intra (inside) ven (vein) ous (full of)

• introduce

intro (inside) duc (lead)

• introspect

intro (inside) spect (look)

iso: same• isometric

iso (same) metr (measure) ic (related to)

• isosceles

iso (same) skelos (leg)

• isothermal

iso (same) therm (heat) al (related to)

macro: large, great• macroscopic

macro (large) scop (look, see) ic (having characteristics of)

• macrocosm

macro (large) cosm (world, universe)

• macrocyte

macro (large) cyte (cell)

micro: small• microscopic

Micro (small) scop (look, see) ic (having characteristics of)

• microcosm

micro (small) cosm (world)

• microcyte

Micro (small) cyte (cell)

medi: middle• median

medi (middle) an (related to)

• medieval

medi (middle) ev (time, age) al (related to)

• medium

medi (middle) ium(state, condition of)

per: through, thoroughly• perspire

per (through) spir (breath)

• permit

per (through) mit (send)

• perennial

per (through) enn (year) al (related to)

WordSkills: Lesson OnePart Five

Word of the day: paparazzi• From Paparazzo, a photographer in the 1957

movie La Dolce Vita by Frederico Fellini• Mr. Paparazzo tried to photograph people in

embarrassing situations. • Today the term paparazzi refers to

photographers who pursue famous people in hopes of taking pictures to sell to magazines and newspapers. Fellini said that he chose this name for his character because it sounded like a “buzzing, stinging, annoying sort of insect.”

pre: before• prefix

pre (before) fix (place, put)

• precede

pre (before) ced (go)

• prevent

pre (before) ven (come)

post: after• postpone

post (after) pon (place, put)

• postscript

post (after) script (write)

• postmeridian

post (after) meridian (midday)

se: apart, away• secede

se (apart) ced (go)

• seclude

se (away) clud (close, shut)

• seduce

se (away) duc (lead)

syn (syl, sym, sys): same, together with

• synonym

syn (same) onym (name)

• symphony

sym (together) phon (sound) y (result of)

• syllable

syl (together) lambanein (take)

ultra: beyond• ultraliberal

ultra (beyond) liber (free) al (related to)• ultramodern

ultra (beyond) mod (now) ern (related to)

• ultrasound

ultra (beyond) son (sound)