vocab 1

VOCAB UNIT 1: Back to School

1. annotation noun from Latin ad-, “to; towards” + notare, “to write”

   1. A critical or explanatory note
      The annotations in my edition of Charles Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities explained the meaning of words that are no longer in use. 
      annotate verb
      
      

2. crux noun from Latin crux, “cross”

   1. The main, central, or critical point or feature [usually applies to a problem/plot, ie "the crux of the issue"]
      The crux of the mayor’s campaign platform is his plan to fund school meals for underprivileged kids.
      crucial adjective
      
      

3. degradation noun from Latin de-, “reduce” + gradus, "step"

   1. A decline to a lower condition, quality, or level
      A huge increase in construction sites led to the degradation of local wildlife habitats.
          degrade verb

   2. degrading adjective, causing the loss of dignity or respect
      Alice refused to scrub the toilets for detention, believing that the punishment was too degrading.
          degrade verb
       

4. eponym noun from Greek epi-, “on; upon” + onoma, “name”

   1. A person whose name is, or is thought to be, the source of the name of something [note--it's the source of the name which is called the eponym, not the thing named after the source]
      William Penn is the eponym of Pennsylvania.
          eponymous adjective
      
      

5. immutable adjective from Latin in, “in; not” + mutare, "to change"

   1. Unchangeable; not subject or susceptible to change
      The rules of ethical behavior are immutable; they do not change with your moods or needs.
          immutability noun
          mutable adjective changeable
          mutability noun
      
      

6. linguistics noun from Latin lingua, “tongue; language”

   1. The study of the nature, structure, and variation of language [especially as over different cultures and time periods]
      Research in the field of linguistics can shed light on the history of human migration by tracking variations in language over time.
          linguistic adjective
          linguist noun, one who studies linguistics
      
      

7. malapropism noun from Latin mal, “evil; wrong” + French a propos, “to the purpose”

   1. Ridiculous misuse of a word, especially by confusing it with one of similar sound
      I think it was a malapropism, and not a deliberate joke, when she said “He’s the apple of my pie.”
      

8. malleable adjective from Latin malleus, “hammer"

   1. Capable of being shaped or formed, as by hammering or pressure
      Many metals are more malleable once they are heated.
          malleability noun

   2. Easily controlled or influenced
      Enthroned by colonial powers who assumed he’d be more malleable, Cambodia’s prince Sihanouk proved to be strong-willed instead.
          malleability noun
             

9. pivotal adjective from French pivot, “axis or shaft"

   1. Being of vital importance; crucial
      The new coach was pivotal to the teams rise to championship status
          pivotally adverb

   2. pivot noun A short rod or shaft on which a related part rotates or swings
      The gears were all connected and turned on a central pivot.

   3. pivot verb To turn as if on a pivot
      Angry that his brother would not apologize, Mickey pivoted on his heels and left the room.
      

10. polyglot from Greek poly-, “many” + glotta, “tongue; language”

    1. adjective Using several languages [can describe things other than people, such as tv shows or instruction manuals]
       Do many professional translators and interpreters grow up in polyglot neighborhoods?

    2. noun A person who speaks several languages
       The linguistics professor was a true polyglot, fluent in five languages and almost a dozen dialects.
       
       

11. sporadic adjective from Greek sporadikos, "scattered"

    1. Scattered; occurring at irregular intervals; having no regular pattern
       Pat experienced sporadic hiccups throughout the day.
           sporadically

    2. Isolated; infrequent
       In some parts of the world, sporadic outbreaks of polio still debilitate people.
           sporadically
       
       

12. supersede verb from Latin super-, "over; above" + sedere, "to sit"

    1. To replace; to take the place of [Note: you can say "the new thing supersedes the old thing", but NOT "I supersede the old thing with the new thing"]
       This most recent instruction sheet supersedes all those that were distributed earlier
           supersedure, supersession [uncommon] noun
       
       

13. tangential adjective from Latin tangens, “touching"

    1. Superficially relevant; only slightly connected [in idea or relation]
       Although your description of the process of mummification is interesting, it is tangential at best to the assigned topic of writing development in Egypt.
           tangent noun, a digression
           tangentially adverb

    2. Merely touching; only slightly connected [physically]
       When Farrah examined the diagram more closely, she realized that the lines were tangential but did not cross.
           tangent noun, a line or plane touching but not crossing a curve or curved surface
       
       

14. transmute verb from Latin trans-, “across" + mutare "to change"

    1. To change from something from one form to another; to transform
       No matter how hard they tried, alchemists were never able to transmute lead into gold.
           transmutation noun
       
       

15. volatile adjective from Latin volare, “to fly”

    1. Tending to vary often or widely, as in price; subject to variation; inconstant
       Though the mortgage rates were once relatively stable, in recent months they’ve become extremely volatile.
           volatility noun

    2. Tending towards violence; explosive
       Chuck’s temperament has become noticeably volatile since his pay was cut.
           volatility noun

    3. Evaporating readily at normal temperatures and pressures
       Because the fumes from the highly volatile chemicals spread quickly, they had to evacuate the lab.
           volatility noun
           volatize verb

ASSIGNED ETYMOLOGIES

1. ad- from Latin for "to; towards"

2. trans- from Latin for "across; beyond; through"

3. in- or im- from Latin for 

   1. "in; into; upon"

   2. "not; opposite of; without"

4. poly- from Greek for "many"

5. -able English suffix used to form adjectives that mean "capable of (root)", "fit for (root)", or "worthy of (root)"