LearningNerd

English Etymology Resources August 27, 2006

Posted by LearningNerd in English, Language, Words.
3 comments

A knowledge of etymology helps with vocabulary and spelling, but only if you take an active interest. The Origin of Words and Names has some delightful tidbits of information that should pique your interest. If you need a little background, SparkNotes offers A Very Brief History of English, aimed at students studying vocabulary for the SAT.

Note: some sites may have incorrect information. See this article on Common Errors in Popular Etymology.     

References and Lists of Word Origins

Etymology Dictionaries

• Online Etymology Dictionary

• An Etymological Dictionary of Classical Mythology

Greek and Latin Roots

• Greek and Latin Roots

• List of Greek Words with English Derivatives

• List of Latin Words with English Derivatives

• List of Germanic and Latinate Equivalents

International Words

• Words Borrowed From Other Languages

• Lists of English Words of International Origin 

Miscellaneous

• Wordorigins.org  – searchable list of about 400 words and phrases, also has a discussion forum and more.

• Etymologically Speaking – alphabetical list of interesting word origins.

• A Dictionary of Prefixes, Suffixes, and Combining Forms (large PDF file) – includes meanings and language of origin.

Ask the Etymology Experts

These guys know what they’re talking about, and they’re happy to answer your questions.

• World Wide Words – seemingly endless pages on the history of words and phrases, plus many other language-related articles.

• The Word Detective – monthly web column on words and language.

• Take Our Word For It – “the bi-weekly Word-Origin webzine” includes several regular columns.

• AskOxford: Word Origins FAQ – see the FAQ and ask your own question.

• Wordwizard – forums for discussing word origins and English in general.

Etymology Podcasts

The makers of these podcasts also welcome your questions.

• Podictionary – covers one word’s history every day.

• Word for the Wise – podcast about words, published every week day.

• The Word Nerds - a weekly, 30 or 40 minute podcast all about language.

• A Way With Words – a weekly, hour-long KPBS radio show about English. Listen to many older shows on Odeo. 

Etymology Quizzes

• Etymologic – claims to be “the toughest word game on the web”.

• Funtrivia’s Etymology Quizzes and Trivia – 64 quizzes of varying difficulties. Also see their quizzes on Borrowed Words and Phrases and Linguistics.

LearningNerd’s Commonly Misspelled Words August 25, 2006

Posted by LearningNerd in English, Language, Words.
1 comment so far

To improve my spelling (see Improve Your Spelling), I’m keeping a list of the words I commonly misspell. So far, I’ve found that simply adding words to this list helps me remember to spell them correctly! To ensure that I never misspell again, I’m also looking up each word’s etymology and practicing some other word-memorizing tricks. I’ll update this post as I discover more of my commonly misspelled words. Last updated on 9/11/06.

Spellings and definitions from TheFreeDictionary.com.

 

all right – People use the word alright so often, I’m not even sure if this should be considered a misspelling anymore! But The American Heritage Book of English Usage says that despite its frequent use, alright “has never been accepted as standard.” The Maven’s Word of the Day has some interesting history on the word alright. They’ve concluded that its current status “is hard to assess.” I’m in favor of standardizing the word alright, because — well, is there any reason not to? It would prevent confusion in sentences like “The three students were all right” (all three of them were correct) and “The three students were all right/alright” (they were OK or safe).

separately – I often spell it seperately, since I pronounce it that way. The correct spelling just doesn’t look right to me. Well, the Online Etymology Dictionary shows that separate comes from the Latin word separare, from se + parare — and they probably pronounced the A more clearly. So, as long as I think of separate as se + para + te, I’ll have no problem; the key is singling out that para. Or use this mnemonic: the rock split into two separate parts (from AskOxford: Commonly Misspelled Words).

address – Alright, I’m a bit embarrassed about misspelling this now and then. I can’t blame pronunciation — only a pesky double D. Mnemonic: please add your address (from AskOxford: Commonly Misspelled Words). The word also has an interesting history; see Online Etymology Dictionary – address.

lightning – I see lightening all over the place, and since misspellings are extremely contagious, I’m guilty of it, too. This is a simple word, though; just spell lightning like you pronounce it.

supersede – Tricky, tricky. It looks like it should be spelled supercede, and sometimes it is spelled supercede, so why is supersede correct? The Columbia Guide to Standard American English explains it — sort of. Does anyone know why supersede became the standard? I’ll either have to memorize this one or start a petition to change its spelling.

argument – I don’t understand why we need to drop the E from argue, but there you have it. I’ll use the pronunciation as a mnemonic: arg-U-ment.

hors d’oeuvre – This one doesn’t come up too often, but man, is it hard to spell! It doesn’t help that we pronounce it or durve, either. Actually, pronouncing it the French way still wouldn’t make it any easier to spell. Knowing its etymology doesn’t even help much; see Online Etymology Dictionary – hors d’oeuvre. For now, I’ll just pronounce it horse doe-oov-ree.

Improve Your Spelling August 23, 2006

Posted by LearningNerd in English, Language, Words.
2 comments

Never take your spell checker for granted. I usually have no trouble with spelling, but I’ve noticed my skills gradually deteriorating. Well, I’ve misspelled one too many times; I need to take action!

Introducing the well-known frustrations of the English language, this article explains How Spelling Got to Be So Difficult.

Now, for an overview, here are Some Rules and Suggestions About Spelling. This article doesn’t cover everything, but it’s the most complete one I’ve found.

Spelling Tips and Rules

Pronunciation and Spelling

First of all, notice that many common spelling errors result from pronouncing a word incorrectly. AskOxford has some tips on spelling words with Unstressed Syllables. For other common mistakes, see this list of The Most Often Mispronounced Words in English.

So, either pronounce the word correctly or remember an exaggerated pronunciation; for example, I hear “BEE-AY-YOU-tiful” in my head whenever I write “beautiful” — a habit left over from third grade.

Just Plain Annoying Words

AskOxford — my hero! — points out some common causes of misspellings.

• Double Consonants

• Groups of Consonants

• Silent Letters  

Words That Change Their Spelling

With so many exceptions and so few rules, English complicates even the simplest of words. Why is food edible and water drinkable? Well, I found the answer! (See the first link.)

• Word Endings, The American Heritage Book of English Usage – Affixes, and Use of Suffixes

• Rules for Irregular Spelling of Verb Inflections

• Rules for Irregular Plural Formation of Nouns and Noun Plurals 

• Adverbs

• Comparatives and Superlatives 

Lists of Problem Words

Commonly Misspelled Words

• Spelling Therapy – common errors are color-coded.

• Wikipedia’s List of Common Misspellings in English - includes common misspellings.

• The Most Often Misspelled Words in English - comments on each word.

• Fun With Words: Commonly Misspelled Words – includes some common misspellings.

• AskOxford: Commonly Misspelled Words – tips on spelling each word correctly.

Homophones

• Common Words That Sound Alike - explanations of some commonly confused words.

• List of Homophones on Wikipedia – extensive list organized by sound.

Spelling Practice

Keep a list of your own commonly misspelled words. (See my list.) For tips to remember the correct spelling, see Improve Your Vocabulary – Remember New Words.

Spelling Quizzes

• Some Rules and Suggestions About Spelling - several spelling quizzes at the bottom of the page.

• Spelling Bee Quizzes and Trivia – 32 different quizzes, varying levels of difficulty.

• Funbrain’s Spell Check Game – choose the misspelled word and spell it correctly, easy and hard.

• Miss Spelling’s Ultimate Spelling Exercise – choose the correct spelling of 100 commonly misspelled words.

• A Spelling Test – choose the correct spelling of 50 commonly misspelled words.

American Vs. British Spelling

• American and British English Spelling Differences – lots of information on usage and history.

• Spelling Differences Between British and American English – lists key spelling differences, including different verb forms (like dreamed vs. dreamt).

• American and British Spelling Differences – categorized list of spelling variations, almost 500 words.

• American and British Spelling Variations – alphabetical list of spelling variations, over 450 words.

Etymology

Studying a word’s origins will also help you remember its spelling. This article lists many, many examples: Sounds and Spelling in English Words: Some Correspondences with Language of Origin.

For more etymology links (dictionaries, articles, podcasts, and quizzes), see my post on English Etymology Resources.

LearningNerd’s List of Words August 21, 2006

Posted by LearningNerd in English, Language, Words.
2 comments

Taking the advice of an instructional film from 1948 (see Improve Your Vocabulary), I’m keeping a list of interesting and useful words to learn. I’ll update this post as I work on my vocabulary — right now, I’m taking it easy and only learning one new word every once in a while. Last updated on 9/26/06.

Definitions from TheFreeDictionary.com.

 

quasar n. – An extremely distant, and thus old, celestial object whose power output is several thousand times that of our entire galaxy. See Quasar in Wikipedia for more.

paradigm n. – One that serves as a pattern or model.

obsequious adj. – Full of or exhibiting servile compliance; fawning. Attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery.

salient adj. – Projecting or jutting beyond a line or surface; protruding. Strikingly conspicuous; prominent. Springing; jumping: salient tree toads. Also: n. A military position that projects into the position of the enemy. A projecting angle or part.

profligate adj. – Given over to dissipation; dissolute. Recklessly wasteful; wildly extravagant. Also: n. A profligate person; a wastrel.

serendipity n. – The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident. The fact or occurrence of such discoveries. An instance of making such a discovery.

acumen n. – Quickness, accuracy, and keenness of judgment or insight.

notarize v. – To certify or attest to (the validity of a signature on a document, for example) as a notary public.

vehement adj. – Characterized by forcefulness of expression or intensity of emotion or conviction; fervid. Marked by or full of vigor or energy; strong.

evanescent adj. – Vanishing or likely to vanish like vapor.

opine v. – To state as an opinion. To express an opinion.

cerebration n. – To use the power of reason; think.

quip n. – A clever, often sarcastic remark. A petty distinction or objection; a quibble. Something curious or odd.

gravitas n. – Substance; weightiness. A serious or dignified demeanor.  

mercurial adj. – Having the characteristics of eloquence, shrewdness, swiftness, and thievishness attributed to the god Mercury. Quick and changeable in temperament; volatile. 

polemic n. – A controversial argument, especially one refuting or attacking a specific opinion or doctrine. A person engaged in or inclined to controversy, argument, or refutation.

avuncular adj. - Regarded as characteristic of an uncle, especially in benevolence or tolerance. 

peremptory adj. – Putting an end to all debate or action. Not allowing contradiction or refusal; imperative. Having the nature of or expressing a command; urgent. Offensively self-assured; dictatorial.

Improve Your Vocabulary August 19, 2006

Posted by LearningNerd in English, Language, Words.
8 comments

A good vocabulary is, for lack of a better word, good to have. I’d like to think I have a decent vocabulary, but I’m often unable to find the word I’m looking for. Sure, I’ve seen lots of words – I’ve probably even looked up their definitions – but I hardly ever remember them. So, starting now, I’m going to gradually incorporate more words into my daily usage.

Let’s begin with an instructional video:

Vocabulary is timeless! For more about the video, see the Internet Archive.

Step 1: Find New Words

Read, read, read! Like the video suggests, search consciously for new words and keep a list of them. (See my list.) Now, here are some links they would’ve loved to bookmark in 1948:

Thesauri

I learn new words every time I write, because I’m always alt-tabbing between my document and a thesaurus.

• Thesaurus.com - my old stand-by.

• Visual Thesaurus – presents an interactive web of words. I had fun with the free trial!

• Roget’s Thesauri – these have a more bookish feel to them.

Word Lists

• Learn a New Word – definitions, origins, and example sentences for a few hundred words.

• The Maven’s Word of the Day Archive – interesting information about many words, including definitions, origins, and notes on usage.

• A Year’s Worth of Words: A Popup Lexicon – 366 words, definitions and example sentences.

• Hutchinson Dictionary of Difficult Words – almost 14,000 words, definitions only.

• Luciferous Logolepsy – over 9,000 obscure words, definitions only.

• International House of Logorrhea – over 15,000 words, definitions only.

• 5,000 Free SAT Words – definitions only.

• GRE Vocabulary Builder – over 1,400 words viewable as flash cards or lists, definitions only.

• 100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know – just the words, no definitions.

• My Favorite Word – a list of people’s favorite words (be sure to submit yours!).

Word of the Day

Note: if you want even more word lists, many of these sites have word-of-the-day archives.

• A.Word.A.Day – RSS, email

• Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day – RSS, email, and even a podcast (listed below)

• Vocab Vitamins – RSS, email

• Dictionary.com Word of the Day – RSS (here), email

• Yahoo! Education Word of the Day – RSS

• TheFreeDictionary.com Word of the Day – RSS

• OneLook Word of the Day – RSS

• Infoplease Word of the Day – RSS

• Daily Good Word – email and a podcast (listed below)

• Bloomsbury Word of the Day – email

• Worthless Word for the Day – email through the wwftd yahoo group

• Oxford English Dictionary Word of the Day – email

• yourDictionary.com Word of the Day – email

• NY Times Word of the Day – neither RSS nor email

Step 2: Learn New Words

I hate real-life dictionaries – probably because I don’t know the alphabet as well as I should. Luckily for me, the internet provides alternatives for the alphabetically challenged.

Meaning, Spelling, and Pronunciation

While you’re reading a challenging article online, paste the URL into VoyCabulary to transform every word on the page into a link to the word’s definition.

OneLook Dictionary Search indexes over 900 dictionaries on every subject imaginable – it even has a “reverse dictionary”, letting you find a word by searching for its definition. Now, if you’re looking to hear a word’s pronunciation, look it up on Merriam-Webster or TheFreeDictionary.com.

For spelling tips, lists, and quizzes, see my Improve Your Spelling post.

Vocabulary Podcasts

• Just Vocabulary - teaches 2 words a day (made for ESL learners).

• Princeton Review Vocab Minute – uses a song to “teach around four words in 60 seconds.”

• GoodWord from alphaDictionary.com – covers one word in each podcast, reading everything from the Daily Good Word.

• Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day Podcast - simply reads everything from Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day.

• Very Vocabulary – teaches several words and includes some personal commentary.

Vocabulary Quizzes

• Vocabulary Quizzes and Trivia – 390 vocabulary-related quizzes of all difficulties.

• Building A Better Vocabulary: Quizzes – matching, fill-in the blank, and more.

• NY Times Test Prep Question of the Day - one multiple-choice question each day.

• Sheppard Software Vocabulary Games – multiple-choice context quizzes and flashcards.

Usage, Connotations, and Etymology

If you want to develop a superior command of the language, you’ll need to understand each word’s finer nuances, not just its definition.

Celebrity English is a fun way to get started. I don’t usually think of Hollywood when I think of improving my vocabulary, but this blog uses celebrity news to teach new words. Now, if you want to find more usage examples for a specific word, look it up on Google News or even Google Blog Search; just browse through the search results (without even clicking any links) and you’ll get a better feel for how and when to use the word.

For links about word origins and history (including etymology podcasts, web columns, and more), see English Etymology Resources. You can also learn about the historical and cultural significance of some words by looking them up on an encyclopedia like Wikipedia. For example, I never knew that defenestration, one of my favorite words, “has become popular as a term for switching from MS Windows to Linux or another operating system.”

Step 3: Remember New Words

Alright, you now know the meaning of every word in the English language. Now you just need to remember everything. For best results, use a combination of the following methods:

• Mnemonics. Use acronyms, images, songs, and other memory tricks to memorize a word’s meaning and spelling. To remember the meaning of “mnemonics”, notice that the word starts with M (as in “memory”) and rhymes with “tricks”. For spelling, just remember that Mnemonics Now Erase Man’s Oldest Nemesis, Insufficient Cerebral Storage.

• Straight memorization. Hey, it works for some people! Simply review your word lists, flash cards, podcasts, and quizzes over and over again. 

• Conversation. Use a new word every day. If you don’t want to sound pretentious around your friends, join a chatroom as Anonymous and practice there.

• Read. The more you come across your new words, the better you’ll remember them.

• Write. Start a scholarly blog. Get into creative writing. Anything will work, as long as you make the effort to use your new vocabulary.

• Word games. Play lots of crossword puzzles and Scrabble (if you love Scrabble, be sure to see the NSA Word of the Day). My personal favorites are the multiplayer Yahoo Word Games.

• Sticky notes. Don’t like your wallpaper? Plaster your house with sticky notes, each with a new word. Make them pretty or place them strategically — stick “defenestration” on the window, for example.