Vocabulary Power Plus: Lesson Fourteen Study Guide

Vocabulary Definitions and Usage

Lesson fourteen provides a comprehensive list of vocabulary words essential for advanced linguistic proficiency and academic readiness. The first word is bombast, a noun defined as impressive but meaningless language. An example of its usage includes a student asking a professor to spare the bombast and provide only the facts. Orthography is a noun meaning correct spelling; for instance, a student's excellent grades can be a testament to their grasp of orthography. Paleontology is a noun referring to the science dealing with prehistoric life through the study of fossils. An expert in this field might date a skeleton to as far back as $2000\,\text{B.C.}$. To recoil is a verb meaning to retreat or draw back, much like how one might recoil from harsh words as if they had been struck. Panache is a noun representing self-confidence or a showy manner, often associated with charisma and spirit. An actor might exhibit great panache on a talk show to hide any potential nervousness. The term saturnine is an adjective describing someone who is gloomy or sluggish, often sharing synonyms with sullen or morose, while being the opposite of genial. An example is a hostess's saturnine attitude causing a party to end early.

Endemic is an adjective meaning confined to a particular country or area, synonymous with native or indigenous and antonymous to alien or foreign; for example, a disease might once have been endemic to Africa before becoming a worldwide epidemic. Mendacious is an adjective meaning lying, false, or deceitful. It is synonymous with duplicitous and the opposite of truthful, often used to describe a politician who remains in power despite a reputation for being mendacious. Obviate is a verb meaning to prevent or get around, frequently used in the context of circumventing problems, such as delaying a film release to obviate a barrage of criticism. A paroxysm is a noun meaning a sudden outburst or a fit, such as a paroxysm of laughter that suddenly goes silent when an authority figure enters a room. Aggrandize is a verb with two primary definitions: first, to increase the range of or to expand, and second, to make something appear larger. Synonyms include enlarge, augment, enrich, exaggerate, or embellish, while antonyms include decrease, diminish, belittle, or devalue. Deign is a verb meaning to lower oneself before an inferior, synonymous with stooping or condescending. Flaunt is a verb meaning to show off, such as buying an island to flaunt one's wealth. A shibboleth is a noun referring to a word or pronunciation that distinguishes someone as belonging to a particular group, such as the pronunciation of "creek" as "crick" in mid-Atlantic states. Finally, elicit is a verb meaning to draw forth or call forth, such as an attorney trying to elicit a response from a silent client; it is synonymous with evoke or extract and antonymous to cover or suppress.

Linguistic Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes

Understanding the building blocks of the English language is crucial for decoding complex vocabulary. The root mon translates to "to advise," "to remind," or "to warn." The roots volv and volut mean "to roll" or "to turn." The root word ambulare means "to walk." In terms of affixes, the suffix ance denotes the "state of" or "quality of." The prefix per means "through" or "completely." The prefix e means "from" or "out." The prefix de signifies "down" or "thoroughly."

Applying these roots and affixes allows for the derivation of several words. To revolve means to turn or roll again or around. To devolve involves rolling or turning down or transferring power. Evolve means to roll or turn out of or develop from. Premonitions are warnings or reminders received beforehand. A monster is something that warns or serves as a reminder (often of divine or natural omens). To demonstrate is to show or point out thoroughly. An admonishment is a warning to improve behavior, and a monitor might remind a student to be in class. An ambulance is a vehicle used to transport an injured person who cannot walk, while to perambulate a tunnel means to walk through it completely. Historically, the word volume, which uses the root vol (to roll), came to mean a collection of documents because early documents were kept in rolls or scrolls.

Practical Application Exercises

In contextual exercises, Dr. Carter, a professor of paleontology at Ganton College, spends his time in the jungles of South America. During a dig, he recoiled from a poisonous snake, leading him to wear tall boots to obviate the risk of dangerous animals endemic to the region. Some might accuse him of self-aggrandizement, yet he avoids bombast when speaking of safety, preferring to flaunt his findings upon his return and use his panache in the classroom.

In a historical fiction scenario involving a character named Baker, he refused to deign to nod to his Nazi captors. He listened to the paroxysm of his cellmates and dealt with the fallout of a mendacious captive who revealed an escape plan. The prisoners were left feeling saturnine and defeated. Baker’s capture was signaled when he misused a shibboleth and his forged documents lacked proper orthography, proving he was not the German officer he claimed to be.

In sentence completion tasks, a mendacious thief might use forged credentials to gain access to a secure area. An endemic species of squirrel would be limited to a specific geographic range. To obviate a surprise attack, a lieutenant might send a scout ahead to survey the terrain. Saturnine children might stare out the window and say they have nothing to do. Showing too much panache in an interview might make an applicant seem arrogant. A queen could aggrandize her power by conquering neighboring lands. Bill might recoil upon seeing someone he disliked on the news. Helen threatened Kelly with consequences if she had another paroxysm over being told "no."

Case Study: Joshua Norton, Emperor of the United States

The passage explores the life of Joshua Norton, an eccentric businessman who declared himself Emperor of the United States. Norton was born in England around the year $1819$. His family moved to South Africa, where they became wealthy traders. At age thirty, Norton moved to San Francisco with $\$40,000$ to seek his fortune during the gold rush. He eventually amassed $\$250,000$ in the rice trade. However, when a famine in China drove rice prices up, Norton attempted to corner the market by buying all the rice in the city. Unfortunately, many more ships arrived loaded with rice, causing the price to plunge and Norton to lose his entire fortune. After three years of unsuccessful court battles and a year-long disappearance, Norton returned in $1857$ obsessed with the country's bureaucracy.

In $1859$, he proclaimed himself Norton I, Emperor of the United States. He issued decrees, including summoning state representatives to a music hall and later abolishing the United States Congress. He even ordered the commanding general of the army, named Scott, to clear the halls of Congress. In $1860$, he used his imperial authority to disband the Union and assumed the title of Protector of Mexico, though he gave up the latter title after a decade. Norton wore a blue military uniform with gold epaulets, a beaver hat with a plume, and a battered sword. Despite living in a closet-sized room in a boardinghouse, he was humored by the city; restaurants gave him free meals and theaters reserved seats for him. His edicts included eliminating the Democratic and Republican parties in $1869$ and outlawing the word "Frisco" in $1872$, punishable by a $\$25$ fine. Emperor Norton died on January 8th, $1880$. His funeral was attended by an estimated $10,000$ people, and while his estate was valued at only $\$10$, he left a lasting impression on the city of San Francisco.