Junior English Vocab

Appellation (n)

a name/ title that distinguishes/identified

Diphthong (n)

a speech sound that consists of either two vowels or a vowel and a semivowel (such as y) contained in a single syllable

Eponym (n)

a person for whom something is or is thought to be named

Linguistics (n)

the study of human speech, especially its components, structure, and nature, and how it changes

Neologism (noun)

a newly made up word, phrase or expression

Parlance (noun)

a particular manner or kind of speech

Patois (noun)

a dialect other than the standard dialect of a language, especially a regional/uneducated form of speech

Polyglot (adj)

(a) consisting of many groups speaking different languages (b) speaking/writing several languages

Solecism (noun)

the ungrammatical usage of a word/construction of a sentence

Vulgar (adj)

(a) spoken by or using the language spoken by the common people rather than literary, cultured, or learned people (b) lacking taste/delicacy

Amulet (n)

an object to bring luck/protect against evil or injury; charm

Capricious (adj)

characterized by or subject to sudden, unpredictable changes; fickle

Fatalism (n)

the belief that all events are determined in advance by fate and cannot be changed by human means

Incantation (n)

a set of words spoken as a magic charm or to cast a magic spell

Propitious (adj)

presenting favorable circumstances; auspicious; advantageous

Providential (adj)

resulting from/seeming to result from divine will; fortunate; opportune

Quirk(n)

a peculiarity of behavior; mannerism; idiosyncrasy

Serendipity (n):

the ability to make valuable discoveries by chance; luck

Vagary (n):

a wild/predictable notion/action; odd fancy

Vicissitude (n):

one of the sudden/unexpected changes or shifts often encountered in one’s life, activities, or surroundings

Continuity (n)

the condition of being w/o a stop/interruption

Converge (v)

to approach the same point from different directions; meet

Crux(n)

the basic/essential feature of something

Initiate(v)

to begin; (A) originate; cause to being (B) to admit into membership

Pivotal(adj)

central/crucial to something/very important

Sequel (n)

(A) something that follows; continuation (B) a literary work that, while complete in itself, continues an already existing narrative

Subordinate (n)

one subject to the authority of another

Tangential (adj)

only superficially relevant/related

Terminate (v)

to bring to an end; conclude

Ultimate (adj)

(A) last; coming at the end (B) farthest; extreme (C) greatest possible

Complicity (n)

involvement as an accomplice in a crime/wrongdoing

Deploy (v)

to station persons/forces systematically over an area

Explicate (v)

to explain; make meaning clear

Implicate (v)

(A) to involve/connect incriminatingly (B) to involve/suggest by logical necessity

Implicit (adj)

implied/understood although not expressed

Inexplicable (adj)

incapable of being explained/interpreted

Plight (n)

a condition/situation of difficulty/adversity

Replica (n)

(A) a copy/reproduction of a work of art, especially one made by the original artist

Replicate (v)

to duplicate/copy/repeat

Supple (adj)

(A) readily bent; pliant (B) moving & bending w/ agility; limber