session-29

Title

• the french drillmaster

• a greek "fig-shower"

• just for one's own amusement:

• "masculine" women

• the old man

• the old lady

• murder most foul

• Helping Words

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the french drillmaster

FUN FACT

Jean martinet was the inspector general during the reign of king louis XIV and a stricter,
more fanatic drillmaster. france had ever seen it was from this time that the french army's
reputation for discipline dated, and it is from the name of the frenchman that we derive
our english word martinet.

The word is always use in a derogatory sense and generally shows resentment and
anger on the part of the user.

• martinet:

  • martinestic

  • martinetism

a greek "fig-shower"

• sycophant: fig-shower; stool pigeon; apple-shiner;

Greek Root: sykon  +   phanein
            (fig)     (to show)

FUN FACT

Sycophant comes to us from greeks. According to shipley's dictionary of word origins.
When a fellow wants to get a good mark, he may polish up an apple and place it on the
teacher's desk; his classmate call such a lad an apple-shiner. less complimentary
localites use the term bootlicker.

The greeks had a name for it: fig-shower.

This was the fellow that informed the officers in charge when
  1. the figs in the sacred groves were being taken.
  2. when the smyrna fig-dealers were dodging the tariff.

• sycophancy <-- A sycophant practice

• sycophantic <-- has attitude

Note: All three forms of the word are highly uncomplimentary - use them with care.

• diaphanous: a material so delicate or fine in texture that anything behind it will show through.

greek root: dia- (prefix) +  phanein
            (through)       (to show)

Note: Do not use the adjective in reference to all material that is transparent (eg: glass) , but only material that is silky , gauzy, filmy, and in addition , transparent or practically transparent. the word is often applied to female garments - nightgowns, negligees, etc.

just for one's own amusement:

• dilettante: from the italian verb dilettare meaning to delight. The dilettante do artistic things purely for own amusement and not professionally.

• dilettantish: A dilettantish attitude is superficial, unprofessional.

• dilettantism: is superficial, part-time dabbling in the type of activity that usually engages the full time and energy of the professional artist or scientist.

• tyro: the inexperienced beginner in some art, but who may be full of ambition, drive, and energy. He is just starting in some artistic, scientific, or professional field - he is not much good yet because he has not had any time to develop his skills, if any.

• virtuoso: anyone who has developed consummate skill in an artistic field , generally allied to music.

  • virtuosi (plural[sophisticated]) <--- Italian

  • virtuosos (plural) <--- english

The i ending for a plural in the italian form and is common in musical circles,

Eg:

• libretto: the story (or book) of an opera

  • libretti (plural[sophisticated]) <-- Italian

  • librettos (plural) <-- English

• concerto: a form of musical composition.

  • concerti (plural[sophisticated]) <-- Italian

  • concertos (plural) <-- English

Note: Suit your plural form, to the sophistication of your audience.

"masculine" women

• virago: [ Latin: vir (man) ] far from being stereotypically feminine (i.e, timid , delicate, low spoken, etc), is stereotypically masculine in personality - coarse , aggressive, loud-mouthed.

• termagant, harridan : essentially the same uncomplimentary

Note: to call a brawling woman a virago, a termagant, and a harridan is admittedly repetitions, but successful in relieving one's feeling.

the old man

FUN FACT

Nicolas Chauvin, soldier of the french empire, so vociferously and unceasingly aired his
veneration of Napolean Bonaparte that he became the laughingstock of all Europe. Thereafter,
an exaggerated and blatant patriot was known as a chauvinist - and still is today.

• chauvinism: blatant veneration of , or boastfulness about one's country.

• patriotic: normally proud of and devoted to one's country.

• chauvinistic: exaggerate such pride and devotion to an obnoxious degree.

Patriotic is built on the latin word pater, patris (father). One's country is, in a sense , one's fatherland.

• words build on the same root pater, patris.

  1. patrimony: an inheritance from one's father

     root:  pater, patris  +   mony
            (father)          (money)

     Root -mony derived from the name Juno Moneta, the roman goddess who guarded the temples of finance.

     • patrimonial (adj)

  2. patronymic: a name formed on the father's name. e.g. Jhonson (son of john), martinson, .....

     root:  peter, patris     +   onyma
           (latin - father)     (greek - name)

     • synonym: a word of the same name (or meaning) etymologically "a together name"

       greek root:    syn- (prefix)   + onyma
                   (with or together)   (name)

     • antonym: a word of opposite meaning, etymologically "an against name"

     • homonym: a word that sounds like another but has a different meaning and spelling eg: bare - bear, way - weigh, to -too -two etc

       A homonym is more accurately called a homophone.

     • adjectives

       • synonymous

       • antonymous

       • homonymous

       • homophonous

  3. paternity: fatherhood

     • paternal (adj) : fatherly

     • paternalism: the philosophy or system of governing a country or managing a business or institution, so that the citizens, employees, or staff are treated in a manner suggesting a father children relationship

     such a system sounds, and often is, benign and protective but plays havoc with the initiative, independence, and creativity of those in subordinate roles.

     • paternalistic (adj)

  4. patriarch: a venerable, fatherlike old man; an old man in a ruling, fatherlike position.

     root: pater, patris  +  archein
           (father)         (to rule)

     • patriarchal (adj)

     • patriarchy : the system

  5. patricide: the killing of one's father.

     root: pater, patris  +  -cide (suffix)
           (father)         from latin verb caedo (to kill)

     • patricidal (adj)

     • patrician : an aristocrat or nobleman

     • patron : a person who gives financial or other support to a person, organization, or cause.

     • patronize : treat in way that is apparently kind or helpful but that betrays a feeling of superiority.

     • patronizing :

     • paterfamilias : (गृहस्वामी) the male head of a family or household

     • padre : (पादरी) the title of a priest or chaplain in some countries.

the old lady

pater, patris is father. Mater, matris is mother.

1. matriarch : the mother-ruler

   • matriarchy : the system

   • matriarchal (adj)

2. maternity : motherhood

3. maternal : motherly

4. matron : an older woman, one sufficiently mature to be a mother.

   • matronly (adj): this adjective conjures up for many people a picture of a woman no longer in the glow of youth and possibly with a bit of added weight in the wrong places, so this word should be used with caution.

5. alma mater : etymologically, "soul mother" ; actually, the school or college from which one has graduated, and which in a sense is one's intellectual mother.

6. matrimony : marriage

   • matrimonial (adj)

   FUN FACT

     Though this word is similar to patrimony in spelling, it does not refer to money,
     as patrimoney does. As the language was growing marriage and children went hand
     in hand - it is therefore not surprisingly that the word for marriage should be
     built on the latin root for mother.

   The noun suffix -money indicates state, condition, or result, as in

   • sanctimony (n): (पाखंडी) the action or practice of acting as if one were morally superior to other people.

   • parsimony: extreme unwillingness to spend money or use resource.

7. matricide: the killing of one's mother

   • matricidal

murder most foul

1. suicide : killing oneself (intentionally)

   root: -cide +  sui
                 (of oneself)

   • in colloquial usage, suicide is a verb

   • suicidal (adj)

2. fratricide : the killing of one's brother.

   root frater, fratris (brother)

   • fratricidal (Adj)

3. sororicide : the killing of one's sister

   root: soror   +  -cide
        (sister)

4. homicide : the killing of human being.

   root: homo   +  -cide
        (person)

   In law, homicide is the general term for any slaying.

   of intent and premeditation can be proved, the act is murder and punishable as such.

   if no such intent is present, the act is called manslaughter and receives a lighter punishment

   • homicidal (Adj)

5. regicide : the killing of one's king, president, or other governing official

   root: rex, regis   +  -cide
          (king)

   • regicidal (adj)

6. uxoricide : the killing of one's wife

   root:  uxor   +  -cide
         (wife)

   • uxoricidal (adj)

7. matricide : the killing of one's husband

   root:  maritus   +  -cide
         (husband)

   • matricidal(Adj)

8. infanticide : the killing of newborn child

   root: infaus, infantis  +  -cide
           (baby)

   • infanticidal (Adj)

9. genocide : the killing of a whole race or nation

   root:  genos        +  -cide
         (race, kind)

   • genocidal (Adj)

10. parricide : the killing of either or both parent

    • parricidal (Adj)

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Helping Words

• doggerel: verse or words that are badly written or expressed [apparently from dog]^root.

• succumb :

  • fail to resist pressure, temptation, or some other negative force

  • die from the effect of a disease or injury.

• slaying (v,n): the killing of a person or animal.

• tempestuous:

  1. strong and turbulent or conflicting emotion

  2. very stormy

• digress: leave the main subject temporarily in speech or writing; deviate

• laughingstock: (उपहास का पात्र) a person subjected to general mockery or ridicule.

• veneration: great respect (reverence)

• brawling (v): fight or quarrel in a rough or noisy way.

• negligees: a woman's light dressing gown, typically made of a filmy, soft fabric.

• peaching: inform on

• stool pigeon:

  1. a police informer

  2. a person acting as a decoy (झांसा)

• dodging:

  1. avoid by a sudden quick movement.

  2. expose less than the rest during processing and enlarging.

  3. (of a bell in change - ringing) move one place contrary to the normal sequence and then back again in the following round.

• tariff: a tax or duty to be paid on a particular class of imports and exports.

• groves (n): a small wood or other group of trees.

• fig: अंजीर (a fruit)

• foreman:

  1. a male worker who supervises and direct other workers.

  2. (in a low court) a person who presides over a jury and speaks on its behalf.

• epithet: a nickname used a term of abuse.

• infantry: foot soldiers collectively.

• aristocrat: a member of the aristocracy (nobleman).

  • aristocracy: the highest class in certain society, typically comprising people of nobel birth holding hereditary titles and offices.

• tyrants: a cruel and oppressive rules (dictator).

• tenacity (n): - the quality or fact of being able to grip something firmly; grip - determination.

• firmness:

  • the quality of having a solid, almost unyielding surface or structure.

  • the application of steady but not excessive power or strength.

• caters (n): a system of change-ringing using nine bells, with four pairs changing place each time.

• cater (v): provide food and drink at a social event or gathering.

• verse:

  • writing arranged with a metrical rhythm, typically having a rhyme.

  • a group of lines that form a unit in a poem or song; a stanza (पद, छंद).

• conjure: cause (a spirit or ghost) to appear by means of a magic ritual.

• sheer:

  • adj

    1. nothing other than; unmitigated (used for emphasis)

    2. (especially of a cliff or wall) perpendicular or nearly so.

    3. (of a fabric) very thin; diaphanous.

  • adv

    1. perpendicular

    2. completely; right

  • noun

    1. a very fine diaphanous fabric or title.