Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Greek and Latin Roots of english: Canary



According to the Oxford Dictionary the word canary means "A mainly African finch with a melodious song, typically having yellowish-green plumage".
According to the Etymology Dictionary the word canary comes from French canarie, from Spanish canario "canary bird," literally "of the Canary Islands," from Latin Insula Canaria
"Canary Island", largest of the Fortunate Isles, literally "island of dogs" (canis, genitive canarius; see canine).
In different languages: (Greek kyon, Old English hund, Old High German hunt, Old Irish cu, Welsh ci, Sanskrit svan, Russian sobaka,Italian cane and French chien)
Other words refered to canine are  canid( Latin canis "dog"  + -idae) and canaille (from cane "dog").
We can see the use of the word in this article.


Sergio Picallo 3ºESO

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Monday, March 14, 2016

Greek and Latin Roots of English: Calligraphy


According to the Oxford Dictionary the word calligraphy means "The art of producing decorative handwriting or lettering with a pen or brush".
 
According to the Etymology dictionary the word calligraphy comes from Greek kaligraphia, from kallos "beauty" + graphein "to write". The usual combination form in Greek was kalli- "beautiful, fine, happy, favorable;" kalo- was a later, rarer alternative form. 

Other words refered to kalli- are: Calliope and calliphygian. Refering to kallos are: Calisthenics. And belong to graphein are: Choreography, typography and cartography.

We can see the use of the word calligraphy in this article.

Noel Solar Muiño. 3ºA. @nooelsm_





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Greek and Latin Roots of English: Brachycephalic


According to the Merriam Webster dictionary this word means "short-headed or broad-headed with a cephalic index of over 80".

According to the Etymology dictionary the word "Brachycephalic" is formed of two words: "Brachy" word-forming element meaning "short," from Latinized comb. form of Greek brakhys "short" and  "Cephalic"  pertaining to the head,  from Latin cephalicus and  from Greek kephalikos "pertaining to the head," from kephale.

Other words referring to "Brachy" are: brachyfacial, brachypterous and brachytherapy. Other words referring to "Cephalic" are: acephalia, encephalic and hypsicephalic

You can see the use of this word in this article.

Roberto Riobó Juega 3ºA

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Greek and Latin Roots of English:Synchronize


According to the Oxford Dictionaries the word Synchronize means "Cause to occur or operate at the same time or rate".

According To the Online Etymology Dictionary the world Synchronize comes  from Greek synchronize in 1620s. The transitive sense of "make synchronous" is recorded first timepieces by 1806. Synchronized swimming is Recorded from 1950. 

Synchronize comes from the combination form of Greek synkhronizein "be of the same time", from synkhronos "happening at the same time".
Other words refered to synkhronizein are: synchronous. Referring to syncronous: syn- :syndromesynopsis and syntax.Referring to chrono are: chronometerchronograph and chronological.

We can see the use of the word Synchronize in this article

Juan Valiño Bazarra. 3ºA. @juan_b.v.b


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Greek and Latin Roots of English: Electrocardiogram



According to the WordReference dictionary the word electrocardiogram means the printed, graphic record that is produced by an electrocardiograph.

According to the Etymology dictionary electro- means before vowels electr-, word-forming element meaning "electrical, electricity," Latinized form of Greek elektro. Cardio means before vowels cardi-, word-forming element meaning "pertaining to the heart," from Latinized form of Greek kardia "heart". Gram means noun suffix, "that which is written or marked, from Greek gramma "that which is drawn; a picture, a drawing; that which is written, a character, an alphabet letter, written letter, piece of writing.

Other words with electro- are: electromagnetic, electroplate and electrotype.
Other words with cardio are: cardiology, cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary.
Other words with gram are: grammar, gramophone and histogram.

You can see the use os electrocardiogram here.

Adolfo Costas. 3º A

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Greek and Latin Roots of English: Symbol

According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, the word symbol means: 

  • an action, object, event, etc., that expresses or represents a particular idea or quality.
  • a letter, group of letters, character, or picture that is used instead of a word or group of words.



It comes from Late Latin symbolum "creed, token, mark", that comes from Greek symbolon (σύμβολον) "token, watchword, sign by which one infers; ticket, a permit, license", from assimilated form of syn- "together"+ -bole "a throwing, a casting, the stroke of a missile, bolt, beam", from bol-, nominative stem of ballein "to throw".
Other words referring to syn- are: symphony, symmetry or symbiont
Other words reffering to -bole and ballein are: discobolus, ballista and metabolism.

We can see this word in the BBC News website. 


By: Violeta Segade Quintas 3ºESO A. @violetasegade

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Greek and Latin Roots of English: Inauguration



According to the WordReference dictionary, the word inauguration means " to make a formal beginning of or to put (someone) into office with formal ceremonies".

According to the Etymology dictionary, the word inauguration comes  from Late Latin inaugurare  and also from Latin inauguratus, past participle of inaugurare. See in- augurare "to act as an augur, predict".



Other words referring to -augur are: augured,augury

You can see the use of the word inauguration in this article.

José Enrique González. 3º A

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Greek and Latin Roots of English: Android


According to the WordReference Dictionary the word Android means "An automaton in the form of a human being."



According to the Online Etymology Dictionary the word android dates back to 1837, in early use often in reference to the automated chess players, the Greek andro- "male" + -eides. "form, shape". Greek androids meant "like a man, manly"

Other words refered to andro- are: androgen, androcentric and androcracy. Refering to -id are: ovoid, fibroid and deltoid
We can see the use of the word autism in this article



Juan B. Valiño 3ºESO A  @juan_b.v.b

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English words from the Classical Myths: Aesthetic


According to the Oxford dictionary the word aesthetic means: "Concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty", "Giving or designed to give pleasure through beauty"


Sculpture in Bomarzo, an Italian town in the province of Viterbo.



According to the Ethymology dictionary aesthetic comes from Greek aisthetikos "sensitive, perceptive" from aisthanesthai "to perceive (by the senses or by the mind), to feel" from PIE *awis-dh-yo-, from root *au- "to perceive".


According to Wikipedia word aesthetics means "study of beauty and taste that is about interpreting works of art and art movements or theories".

Other words refered to aesthetic are aestheticianaesthetically
and aestival.

We can see the use of the word aesthetic in this article.


Jon Ander Azurmendi. 3ºA.

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Greek and Latin Roots of English: Acrobatics


According to the WordRefference dictionary, acrobatics is "the art or practice of acrobatic feats".

According to the Etymology dictionary, acrobatics was createdin 1859 from acrobat who comes from French acrobate (1829) "tightrope-walker", from Greek akrobates "rope dancer, gymnastic performer" which is related toakrobatos "going on tip-toe, climbing up high," from akros "topmost, at the point end"

Other words from acro- are: acronym, across and acrostic.

You can see the use of the word acrobatics in this article.

Written  byAdolfo Costas, 3º A ESO               


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Thursday, March 3, 2016

Greek and Latin Roots of English: Misanthropy.



According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, the word misanthropy means: a hatred or distrust of humankind.

It comes from Greek, misanthropos . From misein "to hate" or misos "hatred" (μῖσος) + anthropos "man"(ἄνθρωπος). Used for the first time in English in 1560.

Other words referring to misein are misogyny (hatred of or hostility towards women).

Other words referring to anthropo are anthropology (the science of humans and their works), anthropomorphic (resembling or made to resemble a human form) or anthropocentric (tending to believe that human beings are the central fact of the universe)


We can see this word in this page of New York Times.


Violeta Segade 3ºA ESO. @violetasegade



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Greek and Latin Roots of English: Agenda

According to the WordReference dictionary the word agenda means "a list, plan, outline of things to be done or voted upon, etc."

According to the Etymology dictionary, agenda comes from Latin agenda, literally "things to be done", neuter plural of agendus, gerundive of agere "to do" (see: act).

Other words refered to "act" are actor, actual and active.

We can see the use of agenda in this article.


Sergio Picallo 3ºA ESO

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