20100504
20100422
Oxymorans
Oxymoron Example List
from Fun with Words
| open secret | larger half | clearly confused |
| act naturally | alone together | Hell's Angels |
| found missing | liquid gas | civil engineer |
| deafening silence | seriously funny | living dead |
| Microsoft Works | military intelligence | jumbo shrimp |
| Advanced BASIC | tragic comedy | unbiased opinion |
| virtual reality | definite maybe | original copies |
| pretty ugly | same difference | plastic glasses |
| almost exactly | constant variable | even odds |
| minor crisis | extinct life | genuine imitation |
| exact estimate | only choice | freezer burn |
| free love | working holiday | rolling stop |
Your Funny Oxymorons
Here's a selection of some of the best oxymorons that have been sent to us by our visitors:| Great Depression | free trade | peacekeeper missile |
| sweet tart | crash landing | now then |
| butt head | sweet sorrow | student teacher |
| silent scream | taped live | alone together |
| good grief | tight slacks | living dead |
| near miss | light tanks | old news |
| hot chilli | criminal justice | peace force |
What is the Longest Word?
from fun with words
Do you remember – when you were a child – learning (then gleefully reciting) what youthought was the longest word in the English language? Was it ANTI DIS ESTABLISH MENT ARIAN ISM? Or the similarly long SUPER CALI FRAGI LISTIC EXPI ALI DOCIOUS?
There are longer ones...
However, there is no easy answer that we can give when our visitors ask us for the longest word in the English language. Most very long words only occur in one or two dictionaries, and often they are debatably not words at all. For example, ANTI DIS ESTABLISH MENT ARIAN ISM has possibly never really been used to mean "the belief which opposes removing the tie between church and state." Certainly 99 in 100 times it is used as an example of a long word. And who says you can't put NON– (for example) on the beginning to make it even longer?
This problem is even more evident in chemical names. Most chemicals are named using a systematic naming system which methodically describes the molecule's structure. Some molecules, such as proteins, are huge, so it is possible to come up with genuine words containing millions of letters. But of course no chemist uses these really long names in practice.
Here we look at some of the longest words in English dictionaries, and discuss whether they should be considered to be real words. Interesting long chemical termsand place names are listed separately afterwards. The red numbers indicate the length (number of letters) of the word that follows.
Longest Words
(45) PNEUMONO ULTRA MICRO SCOPIC SILICO VOLCANO CONIOSIS (also spelledPNEUMONO ULTRA MICRO SCOPIC SILICO VOLCANO KONIOSIS) = a lung disease caused by breathing in particles of siliceous volcanic dust.
This is the longest word in any English dictionary. However, it was coined by Everett Smith, the President of The National Puzzlers' League, in 1935 purely for the purpose of inventing a new "longest word". The Oxford English Dictionary described the word as factitious. Nevertheless it also appears in the Webster's, Random House, andChambers dictionaries.(37) HEPATICO CHOLANGIO CHOLECYST ENTERO STOMIES = a surgical creation of a connection between the gall bladder and a hepatic duct and between the intestine and the gall bladder.
This is the longest word in Gould's Medical Dictionary.
(34) SUPER CALI FRAGI LISTIC EXPI ALI DOCIOUS = song title from the Walt Disney movie Mary Poppins.
It is in the Oxford English Dictionary.
"But then one day I learned a word
That saved me achin' nose,
The biggest word you ever 'eard,
And this is 'ow it goes:
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!"
(30) HIPPOPOTO MONSTRO SESQUIPED AL IAN = pertaining to a very long word.
From Mrs. Byrne's Dictionary of Unusual, Obscure and Preposterous Words.
(29) FLOCCI NAUCINI HILIPIL IFICATION = an estimation of something as worthless.
This is the longest word in the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary. Interestingly the most common letter in English, E, does not appear in this word at all, whilst I occurs a total of nine times. The word dates back to 1741. The 1992 Guinness Book of World Records calls flocci nauci nihili pilification the longest real word in theOxford English Dictionary, and refers to pneumono ultra micro scopic silico volcanokoniosis as the longest made-up one.
(28) ANTI DIS ESTABLISH MENT ARIAN ISM = the belief which opposes removing the tie between church and state.
Probably the most popular of the "longest words" in recent decades.
(27) HONORI FICABILI TUDINI TATIBUS = honorableness.
The word first appeared in English in 1599, and in 1721 was listed by Bailey's Dictionary as the longest word in English. It was used by Shakespeare in Love's Labor's Lost (Costard; Act V, Scene I):
"O, they have lived long on the alms-basket of words.
I marvel thy master hath not eaten thee for a word;
for thou art not so long by the head as
honorificabilitudinitatibus: thou art easier
swallowed than a flap-dragon."
Shakespeare does not use any other words over 17 letters in length.
(27) ELECTRO ENCEPHALO GRAPHICALLY
The longest unhyphenated word in Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (10th Ed.), joint with ethylene diamine tetraacetate (see below).
(27) ANTI TRANSUB STAN TIA TION ALIST = one who doubts that consecrated bread and wine actually change into the body and blood of Christ.
(21) DIS PRO PORTION ABLE NESS and (21) IN COM PREHEN SIB ILITIES
These are described by the 1992 Guinness Book of World Records as the longest words in common usage.
Some say SMILES is the longest word because there is a MILE between the first and last letters!
Chemical Terms
Two chemical terms (3,641 and 1,913 letters long) have appeared in the Guinness Book of World Records. They were withdrawn because they have never been used by chemists, and there is no theoretical limit to the length of possible legitimate chemical terms. A DNA molecule could have a name of over 1,000,000,000 letters if it was written out in full.(1,185) ACETYL SERYL TYROSYL SERYL ISO LEUCYL THREONYL SERYL PROLYL SERYL GLUTAMINYL PHENYL ALANYL VALYL PHENYL ALANYL LEUCYL SERYL SERYL VALYL TRYPTOPHYL ALANYL ASPARTYL PROLYL ISOLEUCYL GLUTAMYL LEUCYL LEUCYL ASPARAGINYL VALYL CYSTEINYL THREONYL SERYL SERYL LEUCYL GLYCYL ASPARAGINYL GLUTAMINYL PHENYL ALANYL GLUTAMINYL THREONYL GLUTAMINYL GLUTAMINYL ALANYL ARGINYL THREONYL THREONYL GLUTAMINYL VALYL GLUTAMINYL GLUTAMINYL PHENYL ALANYL SERYL GLUTAMINYL VALYL TRYPTOPHYL LYSYL PROLYL PHENYL ALANYL PROLYL GLUTAMINYL SERYL THREONYL VALYL ARGINYL PHENYL ALANYL PROLYL GLYCYL ASPARTYL VALYL TYROSYL LYSYL VALYL TYROSYL ARGINYL TYROSYL ASPARAGINYL ALANYL VALYL LEUCYL ASPARTYL PROLYL LEUCYL ISOLEUCYL THREONYL ALANYL LEUCYL LEUCYL GLYCYL THREONYL PHENYL ALANYL ASPARTYL THREONYL ARGINYL ASPARAGINYL ARGINYL ISOLEUCYL ISOLEUCYL GLUTAMYL VALYL GLUTAMYL ASPARAGINYL GLUTAMINYL GLUTAMINYL SERYL PROLYL THREONYL THREONYL ALANYL GLUTAMYL THREONYL LEUCYL ASPARTYL ALANYL THREONYL ARGINYL ARGINYL VALYL ASPARTYL ASPARTYL ALANYL THREONYL VALYL ALANYL ISOLEUCYL ARGINYL SERYL ALANYL ASPARAGINYLISOLEUCYL ASPARAGINYL LEUCYL VALYL ASPARAGINYL GLUTAMYL LEUCYL VALYL ARGINYL GLYCYL THREONYL GLYCYL LEUCYL TYROSYL ASPARAGINYL GLUTAMINYL ASPARAGINYL THREONYL PHENYL ALANYL GLUTAMYL SERYL METHIONYL SERYL GLYCYL LEUCYL VALYL TRYPTOPHYL THREONYL SERYL ALANYL PROLYL ALANYL SERINE = Tobacco Mosaic Virus, Dahlemense Strain.
This word has appeared in the American Chemical Society's Chemical Abstracts and is thus considered by some to be the longest real word.
(39) TETRA METHYL DIAMINO BENZHYDRYL PHOSPHINOUS = a type of acid.
This is the longest chemical term in the Oxford English Dictionary (2nd Ed.). It does not have its own entry but appears under a citation for another word.
(37) FORMALDEHYDE TETRA METHYL AMIDO FLUORIMUM
Chemical term in the Oxford English Dictionary (2nd Ed.).
(37) DIMETHYL AMIDO PHENYL DIMETHYL PYRAZOLONE
Chemical term in the Oxford English Dictionary (2nd Ed.).
(31) DICHLORO DIPHENYL TRICHLORO ETHANE = a pesticide used to kill lice; abbrv. DDT.
It is the longest word in the Macquarie Dictionary and is also in the Oxford English Dictionary (2nd Ed.).
(29) TRINITRO PHENYL METHYL NITRAMINE = a type of explosive.
This is the longest chemical term in Webster's Dictionary (3rd Ed.).
(27) ETHYLENE DIAMINE TETRA ACETATE
The longest unhyphenated word in Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (10th Ed.), joint with electroencephalographically (see above).
(26) ETHYLENE DIAMINE TETRA ACETIC = a type of acid; abbrv. EDTA.
This word appears in Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (10th Ed.).
Place Names
There are many long place names around the world. Here are a few of the largest.(85) TAUMATA WHAKA TANGI HANGA KOAUAU O TAMATEA TURIPUKAKA PIKI MAUNGA HORO NUKU POKAI WHENUA KITANA TAHU
A hill in New Zealand. This Maori name was in general use, but is now generally abbreviated to Taumata. The name means: the summit of the hill, where Tamatea, who is known as the land eater, slid down, climbed up and swallowed mountains, played on his nose flute to his loved one.
(66) GORSA FAWDDACH AIDRAIGODAN HEDDO GLEDDOLON PENRHYN AREUR DRAETH CEREDIGION
A town in Wales. The name means: the Mawddach station and its dragon teeth at the Northern Penrhyn Road on the golden beach of Cardigan bay.
(58) LLAN FAIR PWLL GWYN GYLL GOGERY CHWYRN DROBWLL LLANTY SILIO GOGO GOCH
A town in North Wales. The name roughly translates as: St. Mary's Church in the hollow of the white hazel near to the rapid whirlpool of Llantysilio of the red cave. It is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.
(41) CHAR GOGAGOG MAN CHAR GOGAGOG CHAR BUNA GUNGAMOG
Another name for Lake Webster in Massachusetts. Probably the longest name in the United States. Alternative spellings are:
(44) CHAR GOGGAGOGG MAN CHAUG GAGOGG CHAU BUNA GUNGAMOGG,
(45) CHAR GOGGAGOGG MAN CHAUG GAGOGG CHAU BUNA GUNGAMAUGG,
(44) CHAR GOGGAGOGG MAN CHAUG GAGOGG CHA BUNA GUNGAMAUGG.
(23) NUNATH LOOGAGA MIUT BINGOI
The Eskimo name for some dunes in Alaska, according to The Book of Names by J. N. Hook.
Related Articles
Thailand Has World's Longest Place Name by Eric Shackle
About the longest place names in the world.
Travel From Å To Y – By Internet by Eric Shackle
About the shortest place names in the world.
Who Wrote the World's Shortest Poem? by Eric Shackle
About the shortest poem ever written.
Do you remember – when you were a child – learning (then gleefully reciting) what youthought was the longest word in the English language? Was it ANTI DIS ESTABLISH MENT ARIAN ISM? Or the similarly long SUPER CALI FRAGI LISTIC EXPI ALI DOCIOUS?
There are longer ones...
However, there is no easy answer that we can give when our visitors ask us for the longest word in the English language. Most very long words only occur in one or two dictionaries, and often they are debatably not words at all. For example, ANTI DIS ESTABLISH MENT ARIAN ISM has possibly never really been used to mean "the belief which opposes removing the tie between church and state." Certainly 99 in 100 times it is used as an example of a long word. And who says you can't put NON– (for example) on the beginning to make it even longer?
This problem is even more evident in chemical names. Most chemicals are named using a systematic naming system which methodically describes the molecule's structure. Some molecules, such as proteins, are huge, so it is possible to come up with genuine words containing millions of letters. But of course no chemist uses these really long names in practice.
Here we look at some of the longest words in English dictionaries, and discuss whether they should be considered to be real words. Interesting long chemical termsand place names are listed separately afterwards. The red numbers indicate the length (number of letters) of the word that follows.
Longest Words
(45) PNEUMONO ULTRA MICRO SCOPIC SILICO VOLCANO CONIOSIS (also spelledPNEUMONO ULTRA MICRO SCOPIC SILICO VOLCANO KONIOSIS) = a lung disease caused by breathing in particles of siliceous volcanic dust.
This is the longest word in any English dictionary. However, it was coined by Everett Smith, the President of The National Puzzlers' League, in 1935 purely for the purpose of inventing a new "longest word". The Oxford English Dictionary described the word as factitious. Nevertheless it also appears in the Webster's, Random House, andChambers dictionaries.(37) HEPATICO CHOLANGIO CHOLECYST ENTERO STOMIES = a surgical creation of a connection between the gall bladder and a hepatic duct and between the intestine and the gall bladder.
This is the longest word in Gould's Medical Dictionary.
(34) SUPER CALI FRAGI LISTIC EXPI ALI DOCIOUS = song title from the Walt Disney movie Mary Poppins.
It is in the Oxford English Dictionary.
"But then one day I learned a word
That saved me achin' nose,
The biggest word you ever 'eard,
And this is 'ow it goes:
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!"
(30) HIPPOPOTO MONSTRO SESQUIPED AL IAN = pertaining to a very long word.
From Mrs. Byrne's Dictionary of Unusual, Obscure and Preposterous Words.
(29) FLOCCI NAUCINI HILIPIL IFICATION = an estimation of something as worthless.
This is the longest word in the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary. Interestingly the most common letter in English, E, does not appear in this word at all, whilst I occurs a total of nine times. The word dates back to 1741. The 1992 Guinness Book of World Records calls flocci nauci nihili pilification the longest real word in theOxford English Dictionary, and refers to pneumono ultra micro scopic silico volcanokoniosis as the longest made-up one.
(28) ANTI DIS ESTABLISH MENT ARIAN ISM = the belief which opposes removing the tie between church and state.
Probably the most popular of the "longest words" in recent decades.
(27) HONORI FICABILI TUDINI TATIBUS = honorableness.
The word first appeared in English in 1599, and in 1721 was listed by Bailey's Dictionary as the longest word in English. It was used by Shakespeare in Love's Labor's Lost (Costard; Act V, Scene I):
"O, they have lived long on the alms-basket of words.
I marvel thy master hath not eaten thee for a word;
for thou art not so long by the head as
honorificabilitudinitatibus: thou art easier
swallowed than a flap-dragon."
Shakespeare does not use any other words over 17 letters in length.
(27) ELECTRO ENCEPHALO GRAPHICALLY
The longest unhyphenated word in Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (10th Ed.), joint with ethylene diamine tetraacetate (see below).
(27) ANTI TRANSUB STAN TIA TION ALIST = one who doubts that consecrated bread and wine actually change into the body and blood of Christ.
(21) DIS PRO PORTION ABLE NESS and (21) IN COM PREHEN SIB ILITIES
These are described by the 1992 Guinness Book of World Records as the longest words in common usage.
Some say SMILES is the longest word because there is a MILE between the first and last letters!
Chemical Terms
Two chemical terms (3,641 and 1,913 letters long) have appeared in the Guinness Book of World Records. They were withdrawn because they have never been used by chemists, and there is no theoretical limit to the length of possible legitimate chemical terms. A DNA molecule could have a name of over 1,000,000,000 letters if it was written out in full.(1,185) ACETYL SERYL TYROSYL SERYL ISO LEUCYL THREONYL SERYL PROLYL SERYL GLUTAMINYL PHENYL ALANYL VALYL PHENYL ALANYL LEUCYL SERYL SERYL VALYL TRYPTOPHYL ALANYL ASPARTYL PROLYL ISOLEUCYL GLUTAMYL LEUCYL LEUCYL ASPARAGINYL VALYL CYSTEINYL THREONYL SERYL SERYL LEUCYL GLYCYL ASPARAGINYL GLUTAMINYL PHENYL ALANYL GLUTAMINYL THREONYL GLUTAMINYL GLUTAMINYL ALANYL ARGINYL THREONYL THREONYL GLUTAMINYL VALYL GLUTAMINYL GLUTAMINYL PHENYL ALANYL SERYL GLUTAMINYL VALYL TRYPTOPHYL LYSYL PROLYL PHENYL ALANYL PROLYL GLUTAMINYL SERYL THREONYL VALYL ARGINYL PHENYL ALANYL PROLYL GLYCYL ASPARTYL VALYL TYROSYL LYSYL VALYL TYROSYL ARGINYL TYROSYL ASPARAGINYL ALANYL VALYL LEUCYL ASPARTYL PROLYL LEUCYL ISOLEUCYL THREONYL ALANYL LEUCYL LEUCYL GLYCYL THREONYL PHENYL ALANYL ASPARTYL THREONYL ARGINYL ASPARAGINYL ARGINYL ISOLEUCYL ISOLEUCYL GLUTAMYL VALYL GLUTAMYL ASPARAGINYL GLUTAMINYL GLUTAMINYL SERYL PROLYL THREONYL THREONYL ALANYL GLUTAMYL THREONYL LEUCYL ASPARTYL ALANYL THREONYL ARGINYL ARGINYL VALYL ASPARTYL ASPARTYL ALANYL THREONYL VALYL ALANYL ISOLEUCYL ARGINYL SERYL ALANYL ASPARAGINYLISOLEUCYL ASPARAGINYL LEUCYL VALYL ASPARAGINYL GLUTAMYL LEUCYL VALYL ARGINYL GLYCYL THREONYL GLYCYL LEUCYL TYROSYL ASPARAGINYL GLUTAMINYL ASPARAGINYL THREONYL PHENYL ALANYL GLUTAMYL SERYL METHIONYL SERYL GLYCYL LEUCYL VALYL TRYPTOPHYL THREONYL SERYL ALANYL PROLYL ALANYL SERINE = Tobacco Mosaic Virus, Dahlemense Strain.
This word has appeared in the American Chemical Society's Chemical Abstracts and is thus considered by some to be the longest real word.
(39) TETRA METHYL DIAMINO BENZHYDRYL PHOSPHINOUS = a type of acid.
This is the longest chemical term in the Oxford English Dictionary (2nd Ed.). It does not have its own entry but appears under a citation for another word.
(37) FORMALDEHYDE TETRA METHYL AMIDO FLUORIMUM
Chemical term in the Oxford English Dictionary (2nd Ed.).
(37) DIMETHYL AMIDO PHENYL DIMETHYL PYRAZOLONE
Chemical term in the Oxford English Dictionary (2nd Ed.).
(31) DICHLORO DIPHENYL TRICHLORO ETHANE = a pesticide used to kill lice; abbrv. DDT.
It is the longest word in the Macquarie Dictionary and is also in the Oxford English Dictionary (2nd Ed.).
(29) TRINITRO PHENYL METHYL NITRAMINE = a type of explosive.
This is the longest chemical term in Webster's Dictionary (3rd Ed.).
(27) ETHYLENE DIAMINE TETRA ACETATE
The longest unhyphenated word in Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (10th Ed.), joint with electroencephalographically (see above).
(26) ETHYLENE DIAMINE TETRA ACETIC = a type of acid; abbrv. EDTA.
This word appears in Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (10th Ed.).
Place Names
There are many long place names around the world. Here are a few of the largest.(85) TAUMATA WHAKA TANGI HANGA KOAUAU O TAMATEA TURIPUKAKA PIKI MAUNGA HORO NUKU POKAI WHENUA KITANA TAHU
A hill in New Zealand. This Maori name was in general use, but is now generally abbreviated to Taumata. The name means: the summit of the hill, where Tamatea, who is known as the land eater, slid down, climbed up and swallowed mountains, played on his nose flute to his loved one.
(66) GORSA FAWDDACH AIDRAIGODAN HEDDO GLEDDOLON PENRHYN AREUR DRAETH CEREDIGION
A town in Wales. The name means: the Mawddach station and its dragon teeth at the Northern Penrhyn Road on the golden beach of Cardigan bay.
(58) LLAN FAIR PWLL GWYN GYLL GOGERY CHWYRN DROBWLL LLANTY SILIO GOGO GOCH
A town in North Wales. The name roughly translates as: St. Mary's Church in the hollow of the white hazel near to the rapid whirlpool of Llantysilio of the red cave. It is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.
(41) CHAR GOGAGOG MAN CHAR GOGAGOG CHAR BUNA GUNGAMOG
Another name for Lake Webster in Massachusetts. Probably the longest name in the United States. Alternative spellings are:
(44) CHAR GOGGAGOGG MAN CHAUG GAGOGG CHAU BUNA GUNGAMOGG,
(45) CHAR GOGGAGOGG MAN CHAUG GAGOGG CHAU BUNA GUNGAMAUGG,
(44) CHAR GOGGAGOGG MAN CHAUG GAGOGG CHA BUNA GUNGAMAUGG.
(23) NUNATH LOOGAGA MIUT BINGOI
The Eskimo name for some dunes in Alaska, according to The Book of Names by J. N. Hook.
Related Articles
Thailand Has World's Longest Place Name by Eric Shackle
About the longest place names in the world.
Travel From Å To Y – By Internet by Eric Shackle
About the shortest place names in the world.
Who Wrote the World's Shortest Poem? by Eric Shackle
About the shortest poem ever written.
20100415
20100304
New Words
New Words
http://www.merriam-webster.com/info/new_words.htm
A Sampling of new words and senses from the new 2006 update of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, Eleventh Edition
Below you'll find a sample of the nearly 100 new words and senses from the 2006 copyright version of the best-selling Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, Eleventh Edition—available this fall in bookstores everywhere. How many of these words are already a part of your vocabulary?
Technology and Computers
mouse potato
ringtone
spyware
Science and Medicine
avian influenza
biodiesel
gastric bypass
Pop Culture
soul patch
supersize
Entertainment and Leisure
labelmate
ollie
wave pool
The Human Condition
drama queen
unibrow
International
manga
qigong
Business and Industry
agritourism
big-box
Nature
aquascape
coqui
Miscellaneous
polyamory
sandwich generation
2006 marks the bicentennial anniversary of America's first dictionary—Noah Webster's A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language. To see what words were "new" in 1806, check out A Glossary of New Words in the special anniversary section of Merriam-Webster Online.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/info/new_words.htm
A Sampling of new words and senses from the new 2006 update of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, Eleventh Edition
Below you'll find a sample of the nearly 100 new words and senses from the 2006 copyright version of the best-selling Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, Eleventh Edition—available this fall in bookstores everywhere. How many of these words are already a part of your vocabulary?
Technology and Computers
mouse potato
ringtone
spyware
Science and Medicine
avian influenza
biodiesel
gastric bypass
Pop Culture
soul patch
supersize
Entertainment and Leisure
labelmate
ollie
wave pool
The Human Condition
drama queen
unibrow
International
manga
qigong
Business and Industry
agritourism
big-box
Nature
aquascape
coqui
Miscellaneous
polyamory
sandwich generation
2006 marks the bicentennial anniversary of America's first dictionary—Noah Webster's A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language. To see what words were "new" in 1806, check out A Glossary of New Words in the special anniversary section of Merriam-Webster Online.
20100303
Anthropic -- Etymology
anthropic
From http://www.etymonline.com/ (Online Etymological Dictionary)
"pertaining to man," 1859, from Gk. anthropikos "human," from anthropos "male human being, man" (see anthropo-).
anthropo-
prefix meaning "pertaining to man," from comb. form of Gk. anthropos "man, human being" (sometimes also including women) from Attic andra (gen. andros), from Gk. aner "man" (as opposed to a woman, a god, or a boy), from PIE *hner "man" (cf. Skt. nar-, Armenian ayr, Welsh ner). Anthropos sometimes is explained as a compound of aner and ops (gen. opos) "eye, face;" so lit. "he who has the face of a man." The change of -d- to -th- is difficult to explain; perhaps it is from some lost dialectal variant, or the mistaken belief that there was an aspiration sign over the vowel in the second element (as though *-dhropo-), which mistake might have come about by infl. of common verbs such as horao "to see."
anthropocentric
"regarding man as the center," 1863, from anthropo- + -centric. Anthropocentrism is attested from 1909.
anthropogenic
1889, from anthropogeny (1839), from Gk. *anthropogeneia, from anthropogenes "born of man," from anthropo- + genes (see genus).
anthropoid (adj.)
"manlike," c.1837, from anthropo- + -iod. As a noun, attested from 1832 (the Gk. noun in this sense was anthropion).
anthropolatry
"worship of a human being," from Gk. anthropos (see anthropo-) + latreia "hired labor, service, worship."
anthropology
"science of the natural history of man," 1590s, coined from Gk. anthropo- + -logia "study of." In Aristotle, anthropologos is used literally, as "speaking of man." Related: Anthropological (1825); anthropologist (1798).
anthropometric
1871, from anthropometry "measurement of the human body" (1839), from anthropo- + Gk. metria "a measuring."
anthropomorphic
1827, from anthropomorphous (1753), Anglicization of L.L. anthropomorphus "having human form," from Gk. anthropomorphos, from anthropos "human being" (see anthropo-) + morphe "form" (see morphine). Originally in reference to regarding God or gods as having human form and human characteristics; of animals and other things from 1858.
anthropomorphism
1753, "attributing of human qualities to a deity" (see anthropomorphic). Of other non-human things, from 1858. Related: Anthropomorphize (1845).
anthropopathy
"ascribing of human feelings to god," from Gk. anthropopatheia "humanity," lit. "human feeling," from anthropo- + -patheia, from pathein "to suffer" (see pathos).
anthropophagy
"cannibalism," from Fr. anthropophagie, from Gk. anthropophagia, from anthropophagos "man-eater," from anthropo- + stem of phagein "to eat" (see -phagous).
lycanthrope
1829, from Mod.L. lycanthropus (see lycanthropy).
lycanthropy
1580s, from Gk. lykanthropia, from lykos "wolf" + anthropos "man" (see anthropo-). Originally a form of madness (described by ancient writers) in which the afflicted thought he was a wolf; applied to actual transformations of persons (esp. witches) into wolves since 1830 (see werewolf).
misanthrope
"one who hates mankind," 1560s, from Gk. misanthropos "hating mankind," from misein "to hate" + anthropos "man" (see anthropo-). Alternative form misanthropist is attested from 1650s.
misanthropic
1762, from misanthrope + -ic.
misanthropy
1650s, from Gk. misanthropia, from misanthropos (see misanthrope).
philanthropist
1730s, from philanthropy.
philanthropy
c.1600, from L.L. philanthropia, from Gk. philanthropia "humanity, benevolence," from philanthropos (adj.) "loving mankind," from phil- "loving" + anthropos "mankind" (see anthropo-). Originally in L.L. form; modern spelling attested from 1620s.
pithecanthropus
"genus of extinct primates," 1895, from Mod.L., lit. "monkey-man," from Gk. pithekos "ape" + anthropos "man" (see anthropo-). Coined 1868 by Haeckel as a name for a hypothetical link between apes and men (attested in Eng. in this sense from 1876); applied by Dr. Eugène Dubois (1858-1940), physician of the Du. army in Java, to remains he found there in 1891.
psilanthropism
"the teaching that Jesus was entirely human," c.1810, from Gk. psilanthropos "merely human," from psilos "naked, bare, mere" + anthropos "man" (see anthropo-).
zoanthropy
form of mania in which a man imagines himself to be another type of beast, 1856, from Mod.L. zoanthropia, from Gk. zoion "animal" + anthropos "man" (see anthropo-).
20100218
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LEO: Literacy Education Online (St. Cloud State University) http://leo.stcloudstate.edu Provides links to writing aids based on self-diagnosed problems. Online Writing Lab (Purdue) http://owl.english.purdue.edu Sources provide writing help, links to other writing labs, and Internet links for various subjects. The Elements of Style Online www.bartleby.com/141/index.html An online version of Strunk's classic work. Grammar and Style Notes http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Lit/ Basic discussions of the parts of grammar. Online English Grammar http://www.edunet.com/english/grammar/index Easy to use source for basic points of English grammar. Centralia College Writing Resources http://www.centralia.ctc.edu Links to various sites (16 in all, some listed above) that will answer questions regarding grammar, usage, and style. Additional OWLS (Online writing centers): Dakota State University Online Writing Lab(OWL) http://www.departments.dsu.edu/owl Provides writing assistance to students online. |
20100217
Word Relationships
Using Word Relationships
Many kinds of word relationships are possible. When looking at relationships the order of the words is important. Changing the order changes the relationship. In word relationships, the colon (:) is an abbreviation of the phrase "is to." For example, instead of "white is to black," "white: black" is written. Like all abbreviations, this one saves space and time. Again, remember that there are countless kinds of relationships that can be constructed.
Common Word Relationships
| Relationship | Definition | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Synonym | Two words have the same or nearly the same meaning | dirty : nasty worn: used calm: peaceful |
| Antonym | One word means the opposite of another | hot: cold late: early new : old |
| Homonym | Two words sound alike | blue: blew lie: lye here: hear |
| Part to whole | A piece or portion of something is related to the total object | toe: foot sole: shoe leaf : plant wall: room |
| Whole to part | The whole is related to one of its parts | tree : trunk house: room coat: sleeve |
| Age or size | An animate (living) or inanimate (nonliving) object is related to a younger or older object of the same type | fawn: deer freshman: senior calf: cow mother: child |
| Rhyme | Although items do not begin with the same sound/letter, the ending sounds are the same | goat: boat trouble: bubble slow : toe light: kite |
| Person to location | A person is related to the place with which he is associated | sailor : ship criminal : jail President: White House |
| Object to use | Something is related to its function | oven: bake soap: clean broom: sweep |
| Source to object | The place from which an item is taken and the item are compared | pound: stray dog bakery : cookies mind: thought |
20100211
Baffling English
Baffling English
1 The bandage was wound around the wound.
2 The farm was used to produce produce.
3 The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4 We must polish the Polish furniture.
5 He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6 The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7 Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
8 A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9 When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10 I did not object to the object.
11 The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12 There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
13 They were too close to the door to close it.
14 The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15 A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16 To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17 The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18 After a number of injections my jaw got number.
19 Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
20 I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
21 How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
1 The bandage was wound around the wound.
2 The farm was used to produce produce.
3 The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4 We must polish the Polish furniture.
5 He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6 The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7 Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
8 A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9 When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10 I did not object to the object.
11 The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12 There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
13 They were too close to the door to close it.
14 The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15 A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16 To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17 The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18 After a number of injections my jaw got number.
19 Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
20 I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
21 How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
Spelling and Pronunciation
Spelling and Pronunciation
| Spelling Rules | |
| syllables | Every syllable has one vowel sound. |
| c | C can be pronounced as /k/ or /s/. |
| c | C is pronounced as /s/ before an e, i, or y (cent, city, cycle). |
| c | It is pronounced as /k/ before everything else (cat, clip). |
| g | G is pronounced as /g/ or /j/. |
| g | G may be pronounced as /j/ before an e, i, or y (gem, giant, gym). |
| g | It is pronounced as /g/ before everything else (garden, glad). |
| q | Q is always followed by a u (queen). |
| f, l,s | Double the consonants f, l, and s at the end of a one-syllable word that has just one vowel (stiff, spell, pass). |
| k | To spell the sound of /k/ at the end of a word, we use ck or k. Use ck after a short vowel (sick). After everything else, use a k (milk). |
| a,e,o,u | A, e, o, and u usually say their name at the end of a syllable (a-pron, me, go, u-nit). |
| v, j | Words do not end in v or j. We add a silent-e at the end of the word (have). |
| I,o | I and o may be pronounced as /i/ and /o/ before two consonants (kind, sold). |
| j | /J/ is spelled dge after a short vowel (edge). |
Homophones/Homonyms
Homophones/Homonyms
From: http://www.basic-learning.com/wbwt/homophones-or-homonyms.htm
ale - ail
currant - current
knows - nose
scene - seen
all - awl
cymbal - symbol
lain - lane
sea - see
allowed - aloud
dear - deer
lead - led
seam - seem
altar - alter
degrees - degrease
lessen - lesson
seine -sane
ant - aunt
desert - dessert
lie - lye
sent - scent -cent
arc - ark
dew - due - do
load - lode
sew - sow - so
ascent - assent
die - dye
loan - lone
sheer - shear
assistance - assistants
done - dun
made - maid
shone - shown
ate - eight
dough - doe
mail - male
shoot - chute
aught - ought
duel - dual
main-mane- Maine
side - sighed
bail - bale
earn - urn
manner - manor
sight - site - cite
bait - bate
eye - I
mantel - mantle
slay - sleigh
ball - bawl
fair - fare
maze - maize
sleight - slight
band - banned
faint - feint
meat - meet
slew -slue -slough
bare - bear
feat - feet
medal - meddle
soar - sore
base - bass
fined - find
might - mite
sole - soul
be - bee
fir - fur
miner - minor
some - sum
beach - beech
flea - flee
mist - missed
son - sun
beat - beet
flew - flue - flu
moan - mown
stake - steak
beau - bow
flour - flower
morn - mourn
stair - stare
been - bin
fore - four - for
muscle - mussel
stationary - stationery
bell - belle
formal, former
nap - knap
staid - stayed
berry - bury
fourth - forth
night - knight
steal - steel
berth - birth
foul - fowl
none - nun
stile - style
bier - beer
freeze - frieze
not - knot
straight - strait
billed - build
gait - gate
one -won
suite - sweet
blew - blue
gamble - gambol
pail - pale - pal
tail - tale
boar - bore
great - grate
passed - past
team - teem
board - bored
groan - grown
pause - paws
their -there- they're
born - borne
guaranty - guarantee
pair - pear - pare
there's - theirs
bough - bow
guest - guessed
peace - piece
threw - through
boulder, bolder
guilt - gilt
peal - peel
throne - thrown
brake - break
hair - hare
peer - pier
tide - tied
bread - bred
hall - haul
plain - plane
to - too - two
bridal - bridle
hale - hail
pore - pour - poor
toe - tow
buy - by
hart - heart
praise -prays
vail - veil - vale
cannon - canon
heal - heel
pray - prey
vain - vane - vein
canvas - canvass
hear - here
pride - pried
vary - very
capital - capitol
heard - herd
principal - principle
vial - vile
carrot - carat - caret
heir - air
profit - prophet
vice - vise
cast - caste
hew - hue
rain - rein - reign
wade - weighed
caught - cot
high - hi
raise - raze - rays
wail - whale
cede - seed
higher - hire
rap -wrap
waist - waste
ceiling - sealing
him - hymn
read -reed
wait - weight
cell - sell
hoard, horde
read - red
ware - wear - where
cellar - seller
hoarse - horse
real - reel
wave - waive
cent - sent- scent
hoes - hose
respectively - respectfully
way - weigh
cereal - serial
hole - whole
rest -wrest
weather - whether
choir - quire
holy-wholly-holey
rhyme - rime
week - weak
chord - cord
hour - our
right-write-wright-rite
which - witch
clause - claws
I'll - owl
ring - wring
whine - wine
climb - clime
idol - idle
road-rode-rowed
whole - hole
clothes - close
in - inn
role - roll
who's - whose
coarse - course
incite - insight
root - route
wood - would
complement - compliment
jam - jamb
rose - rows
wrote - rote
cord - chord
kernel - colonel
rough - ruff
yoke - yolk
core - corps
knead - need
rye - wry
you'll - yule
council - counsel
knew - new
rhyme - rime
your - you're
creak - creek
know - no
sail - sale
ale - ail
currant - current
knows - nose
scene - seen
all - awl
cymbal - symbol
lain - lane
sea - see
allowed - aloud
dear - deer
lead - led
seam - seem
altar - alter
degrees - degrease
lessen - lesson
seine -sane
ant - aunt
desert - dessert
lie - lye
sent - scent -cent
arc - ark
dew - due - do
load - lode
sew - sow - so
ascent - assent
die - dye
loan - lone
sheer - shear
assistance - assistants
done - dun
made - maid
shone - shown
ate - eight
dough - doe
mail - male
shoot - chute
aught - ought
duel - dual
main-mane- Maine
side - sighed
bail - bale
earn - urn
manner - manor
sight - site - cite
bait - bate
eye - I
mantel - mantle
slay - sleigh
ball - bawl
fair - fare
maze - maize
sleight - slight
band - banned
faint - feint
meat - meet
slew -slue -slough
bare - bear
feat - feet
medal - meddle
soar - sore
base - bass
fined - find
might - mite
sole - soul
be - bee
fir - fur
miner - minor
some - sum
beach - beech
flea - flee
mist - missed
son - sun
beat - beet
flew - flue - flu
moan - mown
stake - steak
beau - bow
flour - flower
morn - mourn
stair - stare
been - bin
fore - four - for
muscle - mussel
stationary - stationery
bell - belle
formal, former
nap - knap
staid - stayed
berry - bury
fourth - forth
night - knight
steal - steel
berth - birth
foul - fowl
none - nun
stile - style
bier - beer
freeze - frieze
not - knot
straight - strait
billed - build
gait - gate
one -won
suite - sweet
blew - blue
gamble - gambol
pail - pale - pal
tail - tale
boar - bore
great - grate
passed - past
team - teem
board - bored
groan - grown
pause - paws
their -there- they're
born - borne
guaranty - guarantee
pair - pear - pare
there's - theirs
bough - bow
guest - guessed
peace - piece
threw - through
boulder, bolder
guilt - gilt
peal - peel
throne - thrown
brake - break
hair - hare
peer - pier
tide - tied
bread - bred
hall - haul
plain - plane
to - too - two
bridal - bridle
hale - hail
pore - pour - poor
toe - tow
buy - by
hart - heart
praise -prays
vail - veil - vale
cannon - canon
heal - heel
pray - prey
vain - vane - vein
canvas - canvass
hear - here
pride - pried
vary - very
capital - capitol
heard - herd
principal - principle
vial - vile
carrot - carat - caret
heir - air
profit - prophet
vice - vise
cast - caste
hew - hue
rain - rein - reign
wade - weighed
caught - cot
high - hi
raise - raze - rays
wail - whale
cede - seed
higher - hire
rap -wrap
waist - waste
ceiling - sealing
him - hymn
read -reed
wait - weight
cell - sell
hoard, horde
read - red
ware - wear - where
cellar - seller
hoarse - horse
real - reel
wave - waive
cent - sent- scent
hoes - hose
respectively - respectfully
way - weigh
cereal - serial
hole - whole
rest -wrest
weather - whether
choir - quire
holy-wholly-holey
rhyme - rime
week - weak
chord - cord
hour - our
right-write-wright-rite
which - witch
clause - claws
I'll - owl
ring - wring
whine - wine
climb - clime
idol - idle
road-rode-rowed
whole - hole
clothes - close
in - inn
role - roll
who's - whose
coarse - course
incite - insight
root - route
wood - would
complement - compliment
jam - jamb
rose - rows
wrote - rote
cord - chord
kernel - colonel
rough - ruff
yoke - yolk
core - corps
knead - need
rye - wry
you'll - yule
council - counsel
knew - new
rhyme - rime
your - you're
creak - creek
know - no
sail - sale
Action Collocations
from OXFORD Collocations | dictionary for students of English
action noun1 process of doing sth
ADJ. decisive, effective, firm, strong, vigorous | immediate, prompt, swift, urgent | drastic, emergency The situation calls for drastic action. | collective, concerted, joint, united | direct, positive | evasive | corrective, remedial | disciplinary, legal, military, political, strike Disciplinary action will be taken against students who cheat. (see also industrial action)
VERB + ACTION take | call for | agree on The leaders have agreed on joint action to combat terrorism. | leap/spring/swing into The emergency services swung into action as soon as the disaster was reported. | carry out, perform, take Only the priest can perform these actions. We shall take whatever actions are necessary. | galvanize/prod/spur sb into We have to galvanize people into action. | bring/put sth into We need to put these ideas into action. | keep/put sb/sth out of A fire has put the factory out of action.
PREP. in ~ I have not yet seen the machines in action. | out of ~ He is out of action following an ankle injury. | ~ against against drug dealers | ~ on The government is taking strong action on refugees.
PHRASES a course of action Is this the best course of action to follow?
2 legal case
ADJ. court | civil, criminal, libel
VERB + ACTION bring, take out Her husband brought a civil action against her after their divorce.
PREP. ~ against
3 fighting
ADJ. enemy He was killed during enemy action.
VERB + ACTION see I never saw action during the war.
PHRASES killed/missing/wounded in action He was reported missing in action.
OXFORD Collocations | dictionary for students of English
attraction noun1 fact of attracting/being attracted
ADJ. fatal, irresistible, obvious, powerful, strong | mutual They shared a powerful mutual attraction. | gravitational, magnetic, physical, sexual
VERB + ATTRACTION feel the strong attraction that she felt for him | see I could now see the attraction of a steady job and regular income. | have, hold Long holidays hold no attraction for him. | exert All matter exerts a gravitational attraction.
PREP. ~ between the attraction between two people | ~ to/towards His attraction to you is obvious.
PHRASES the centre of attraction Sophie was plainly the centre of attraction in the room.
2 sth that attracts people
ADJ. added, big, chief, great, main, major, obvious, special, star The main attraction of the place is the nightlife. | popular, tourist
VERB + ATTRACTION have A freelance career has the attraction of flexibility. | be, prove Feeding the animals proved a popular attraction for visitors to the farm.
PREP. for The lack of heat was an attraction for cyclists.
OXFORD Collocations | dictionary for students of English
dissatisfaction nounADJ. considerable, deep | growing, increasing | general, widespread | popular, public | customer | political, sexual | job
VERB + DISSATISFACTION cause, give rise to, lead to Pay cuts have led to widespread dissatisfaction. | express
PREP. ~ about/over dissatisfaction over the slow progress of the peace process | ~ among There was widespread dissatisfaction among the public. | ~ at She expressed deep dissatisfaction at the way the interview had been conducted. | ~ with There is growing dissatisfaction with the current style of management.
PHRASES a feeling/sense of dissatisfaction, a cause/source of dissatisfaction
OXFORD Collocations | dictionary for students of English
distraction noun1 sth that takes your attention away
ADJ. unwanted | welcome
PREP. without ~ She worked hard all morning, without distraction. | ~ from Work was a welcome distraction from her problems at home.
2 being unable to think clearly
VERB + DISTRACTION drive sb to My kids drive me to distraction at times. | be bored to | love sb to
OXFORD Collocations | dictionary for students of English
faction nounADJ. dominant, leading, main, major | internal | competing, opposing, rival, warring | breakaway | dissident, rebel | disaffected | military, parliamentary, political | conservative, hard-line, left-wing, liberal, moderate, radical, right-wing | anti-reform, anti-talks, etc.
VERB + FACTION lead
PREP. ~ in the largest faction in the civil war | ~ within the dominant faction within the government
OXFORD Collocations | dictionary for students of English
fraction noun1 part/amount
ADJ. large, significant, sizeable, substantial | mere, small, tiny A mere fraction of available wind energy is currently utilized.
PREP. ~ of Why not grow your own fruit at a fraction of the price?
PHRASES just/only a fraction The average income is high, though many people earn just a fraction of that average.
2 exact part of a number
ADJ. vulgar | decimal | improper 11/8 is an improper fraction, equivalent to one and three-eighths.
VERB + FRACTION express sth as Express 25% as a fraction.
OXFORD Collocations | dictionary for students of English
industrial action nounADJ. continuing | unlawful
VERB + INDUSTRIAL ACTION take | threaten | call for | vote for | start | step up The union is considering stepping up its industrial action. | suspend | stop | take part in, be/become involved in His research indicates an increase in the number of women involved in industrial action. | support
PREP. ~ against The union is threatening industrial action against the company. | ~ by industrial action by railway workers | ~ in support of industrial action in support of demands for a ten per cent salary adjustment | ~ over to take industrial action over pay
OXFORD Collocations | dictionary for students of English
interaction nounADJ. complex | informal | social | human | face-to-face, group | classroom
INTERACTION + NOUN processes the interaction processes of chimpanzees
PREP. ~ among Informal interaction among employees is seen as part of the ongoing training process. | ~ between the complex interaction between animals and their environment | ~ with What is her interaction with her boss like? | ~ within interaction within the group
PHRASES patterns of interaction Specific patterns of interaction in the family have been observed.
OXFORD Collocations | dictionary for students of English
reaction noun1 response
ADJ. extreme, sharp, strong, violent | favourable, positive | adverse, hostile, negative | mixed The speech got a mixed reaction. | angry | first, immediate, initial | delayed Her outburst was a delayed reaction to an unpleasant letter she'd received that morning. | chain The change of plan set off a chain reaction of confusion. | mixed | common, general, public | natural, normal | automatic, gut, instinctive, knee-jerk, spontaneous The incident calls for a measured response, avoiding knee-jerk reactions. | nervous | emotional | critical The critical reaction to his first novel has been positive.
VERB + REACTION get, have, meet with The play met with a mixed reaction from the critics. | bring, cause, produce, provoke, set off, spark (off), trigger (off) She was surprised at the reaction brought by the mention of his delayed a delayed reaction to the drugs | allergic
VERB + REACTION have, suffer She had a very bad allergic reaction to the peanuts. | cause, produce
PREP. ~ to A small minority of patients suffer an adverse reaction to the treatment. name. | gauge, judge (by/from) He eyed her cautiously, trying to gauge her reaction. Judging by her reaction, she liked the present.
PREP. in ~ to There's been a drop in ticket sales in reaction to the review. | ~ against Her rebellious attitude is just a reaction against her strict upbringing. | ~ to the public reaction to the news
2 (usually reactions) ability to react quickly
ADJ. fast, good, lightning, quick | slow, sluggish
VERB + REACTION have She has very quick reactions. | speed up | slow down Alcohol has the effect of slowing down your reactions.
REACTION + NOUN time Your reaction time increases when you are tired.
3 chemical reaction
ADJ. chain | chemical, nuclear
VERB + REACTION cause, produce, start, trigger | stop | speed up | slow down
REACTION + VERB occur, take place
PREP. during/in a/the ~ the energy given out during the reaction | ~ between studying the reactions between certain gases | ~ with the fuel's chemical reaction with the surrounding water
4 allergy
ADJ. adverse, bad | mild, slight |
OXFORD Collocations | dictionary for students of English
satisfaction nounADJ. complete, deep, great, immense, tremendous | evident, obvious | quiet | personal | job | sexual
QUANT. level My current level of job satisfaction is pretty low.
VERB + SATISFACTION derive, feel, find, gain, get, have, take He derived great satisfaction from knowing that his son was happy. Although we didn't win, we were able to take some satisfaction from our performance. | bring (sb), give sb, provide (sb with) | express
PREP. in ~ She watched in satisfaction as he opened the present. | to your ~ The matter was resolved to our general satisfaction. | with ~ He nodded with evident satisfaction. | ~ at her deep satisfaction at seeing justice done | ~ in I find satisfaction in helping people. | ~ of I had the satisfaction of proving him wrong. | ~ with Both parties expressed their complete satisfaction with the decision.
PHRASES cause/grounds for satisfaction Although the team lost, their performance gave cause for satisfaction. | a feeling/sense of satisfaction, a source of satisfaction The children were a major source of satisfaction.
OXFORD Collocations | dictionary for students of English
transaction nounADJ. cross-border, international | domestic | profitable | fraudulent, illegal The president had entered into fraudulent property transactions. | credit, credit/debit card | cash, cheque | online | over-the-counter Electronic banking may make over-the-counter transactions obsolete. | banking, business, commercial, consumer, economic, financial, market, monetary, trade | foreign currency, foreign exchange | property, share | human, intellectual, interpersonal
VERB + TRANSACTION carry out, conduct, enter into, make | effect, handle to effect a transaction for a client | close, complete
TRANSACTION + VERB proceed, take place to ensure the transaction proceeds smoothly
TRANSACTION + NOUN charges, costs
PREP. ~ between The system records all transactions between the firm and its suppliers. | ~ in Transactions in land are frequently handled by an estate agent. > Special page at BUSINESS
Expression Collocations
from OXFORD Collocations | dictionary for students of English
expression noun1 showing feelings/ideas
ADJ. clear, coherent Her statement was a clear expression of her views on this subject. | concrete, material, practical, tangible The report gave concrete expression to the fears of many immigrants. | direct Just because there is no direct expression of prejudice, that does not mean the prejudice does not exist. | full The new concept of form reached its fullest expression in the work of Picasso. | highest, perfect, ultimate His highest expression of praise was ‘Not bad!’ the highest expression of human creativity | effective, powerful | simple | natural He wanted to write a verse drama in which the verse would seem a natural expression of modern life. | spontaneous | free the right of free expression | open, overt, public the open expression of emotion | outward the outward expression of inner emotional feelings | formal | characteristic, classic Modernism was the characteristic expression of the experience of modernity. | unique | collective Harvest festival was the occasion for the collective expression of a community's religious values. | individual, personal to allow scope for individual expression | visible, visual | emotional, physical, sexual, verbal | artistic, creative, cultural, linguistic, literary, musical, poetic, political, religious | human
VERB + EXPRESSION achieve, find, reach, receive an anger and frustration that finds expression in (= is shown in) violence | allow sth, give sth The method is to listen to the music and allow expression to whatever comes to you. Only in his dreams does he give expression to his fears. | demand, need, require Suddenly her deeper feelings demanded expression.
PREP. beyond ~ She suddenly felt happy beyond expression (= so happy that she could not express it).
PHRASES freedom of expression Freedom of expression (= freedom to say what you think) is a basic human right. | a means of expression Words, as a means of expression, can be limiting.
2 on sb's face
ADJ. bland, blank, frozen, set, vacant | dazed, glazed | deadpan cracking jokes with a deadpan expression on his face | curious, enigmatic, inscrutable, odd, strange, unreadable | guarded | searching | faraway | thoughtful, wistful | doubtful, wary | anxious, troubled, worried | bleak, grim, serious | angry, fierce, furious, stern | hangdog, hunted, lugubrious, melancholy, mournful, pained, sad | brooding, intense, rapt | surprised, shocked | baffled, bemused, bewildered, puzzled, quizzical | alert | amused, wry | benign, sympathetic | satisfied, smug | innocent | fleeting | facial
VERB + EXPRESSION have, wear She had a very bewildered expression on her face. The children's faces all wore the same rapt expression. | assume, put on She carefully put on her most innocent expression. | take on Rose's face took on the fierce expression of a schoolgirl talking about her most hated teacher. | catch, see Catching a fleeting expression on Lucy's face, she persisted with her question. | watch | gauge, read I looked at her, trying to read the expression on her face. | change His face never changed expression.
EXPRESSION + VERB alter, change His expression changed to embarrassment. | relax, soften His expression softened when he saw her. | darken, harden Her expression hardened into one of strong dislike. | freeze | betray sth, reveal sth, show sth, suggest sth, tell sb sth Her expression betrayed nothing of her thoughts. His grim expression told her it would be useless. | give nothing away | cross sth, flit across sth She had been watching the expression that crossed his face.
PREP. without ~ ‘Go on, ’ she said, without expression. | ~ of He wore an expression of anxiety on his face.
PHRASES the expression in sb's eyes/on sb's face He looked at her with a very strange expression in his eyes.
3 words
ADJ. common | outdated | colloquial, slang | favourite | memorable | strange, unusual | figurative, idiomatic | coarse, vulgar | American, English, etc. | geographical Until the mid-nineteenth century, ‘Italy’ was just a geographical expression.
VERB + EXPRESSION use He tends to use strange expressions like ‘It's enough to make a cat laugh’.
EXPRESSION + VERB mean sth
Feeling Collocations
from OXFORD Collocations |
1 sth that you feel/sense/believe
ADJ. strong | definite, distinct | nagging, sneaking/sneaky, vague I had a nagging feeling that I had forgotten something. | glorious, good, great, marvellous, warm, wonderful It was a good feeling to be arriving home again. | horrible, nasty, queasy, sick, sinking, terrible, tight, uncomfortable, uneasy He suddenly had a terrible sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. I've got a tight feeling in my stomach. | guilty | curious, eerie, odd, peculiar, strange | gut, instinctive My gut feeling was that we couldn't trust her. | general, popular, public The general feeling of the meeting was against the decision.
VERB + FEELING feel, get, have He felt a wonderful warm feeling come over him. Do you get the feeling that we're not welcome here? | give sb, leave sb with She was left with the feeling that he did not care. | know (informal) ‘I really resent the way he treated me.’ ‘I know the feeling (= I know how you feel).’ | arouse, evoke, inspire a case that has aroused strong public feeling
FEELING + VERB come over sb | be mutual ‘I'm going to miss you.’ ‘The feeling's mutual (= I feel exactly the same).’
PREP. ~ about I don't have any strong feelings about it one way or the other. | ~ of a feeling of excitement | ~ on What are your feelings on this issue?
2 feelings: emotions
ADJ. deep, intense, strong | ambivalent, mixed I had mixed feelings about meeting them again. | positive, warm | hostile, negative | hurt, injured | inner, innermost, real, true | pent-up releasing her pent-up feelings | personal | religious | sexual
VERB + FEELING experience, harbour, have, suffer She experienced a whole range of feelings. He still harboured feelings of resentment. She was lucky that she had suffered no more than hurt feelings. | express, give vent to, release, show, vent He finds it difficult to express his feelings. I finally gave vent to my feelings and started yelling at him. | articulate, describe, discuss, talk about discussing his innermost feelings with me | bottle up, hide, mask, repress, suppress trying to hide her true feelings | banish He was determined to banish all feelings of guilt. | hurt I'm sorry if I've hurt your feelings. | spare We didn't tell Jane because we wanted to spare her feelings. | arouse, engender, evoke, inspire The debate aroused strong feelings on both sides. | heighten It was the practical aspect of life that heightened her feelings of loneliness and loss. | understand | reciprocate, return Although she did not reciprocate his feelings, she did not discourage him.
FEELING + VERB come into sth Personal feelings don't come into it?we have to do what's right. | run high Feelings were running high (= people were very angry or excited)as the meeting continued.
PREP. ~ for It makes no difference to my feelings for you. | ~ of his feelings of grief | ~ towards her feelings of anger towards him
PHRASES no hard feelings (informal) Someone's got to lose. No hard feelings, Dave, eh?
3 understanding/sensitivity
ADJ. great, wonderful
VERB + FEELING have | develop He had developed a feeling for when not to disturb her.
PREP. with ~ She spoke with feeling about the plight of the homeless. | ~ for She has a wonderful feeling for colour.
4 sympathy/love
VERB + FEELING have You have no feeling for the sufferings of others.
PREP. ~ for She still had a lot of feeling for David.
5 anger
ADJ. bad, ill
VERB + FEELING cause, create, lead to | stir up
PREP. ~ against Their aim was to stir up feeling against the war. | ~ between There was a lot of bad feeling between the two groups of students.
6 ability to feel physically
VERB + FEELING lose | regain
PREP. ~ in After the accident he lost all feeling in his legs.
7 atmosphere
VERB + FEELING create, recreate They have managed to recreate the feeling of the original theatre.
PREP. ~ of Light colours create a feeling of spaciousness.
20100210
Context Clues
What are context clues?
Context clues are hints that an author gives to help define a difficult or unusual word. The clue may appear within the same sentence as the word to which it refers, or it may follow in a preceding sentence. Because most of one's vocabulary is gained through reading, it is important that you be able to recognize and take advantage of context clues.
There are at least four kinds of context clues that are quite common:
1) a synonym (or repeat context clue) which appears in that sentence;
2) an antonym (or contrast context clue) that has the opposite meaning, which can reveal the meaning of an unknown term;
3) an explanation for an unknown word is given (a definition context clue) within the sentence or in the sentence immediately preceding; and
4) specific examples (an example context clue) used to define the term.
There may also be word-part context clues in which a common prefix, suffix, or root will suggest at least part of the meaning of a word.
A general sense context clue lets the reader puzzle out a word meaning from whatever information is available - and this is the most common kind of context clue.
Others describe context clues in three ways:
1) semantic or meaning clues, e.g., When reading a story about cats, good readers develop the expectation that it will contain words associated with cats, such as "tail," "purr," "scratch," and "whiskers";
2) syntactic or word order clues where the order of the words in a sentence can indicate that a missing word must be (for example, a verb); and
3) picture clues where illustrations help with the identification of a word.
from dictionary.com
20100130
Parts of Speech
Adjectives
- Describe or limit the meaning of nouns and pronouns.
- They answer one of three questions:
- Which one?
- What kind?
- How many?
- The good students.
- The great book.
- Change when used as comparatives (great, greater, greatest).
- Usually precede the nouns they modify.
Adverbs
- Add to or modify the meaning of verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.
- Adverbs help answer:
- How?
- When?
- Where?
- They read their assignments eagerly
- Most adverbs end in ~ly.
- Adverbs generally follow or precede the verbs they modify.
Conjunctions
- Connect words, phrases, and clauses within a sentence.
- I came to class, but I was five minutes late.
- Some conjunctions (however, but, moreover, etc) also show the relationship between ideas.
Interjections
- An interjection is a word added to a sentence to convey emotion.
- It is not grammatically related to any other part of the sentence.
- You usually follow an interjection with an exclamation mark.
- Interjections are uncommon in formal academic prose, except in direct quotations.
- Watch out!
- Wow!
Nouns
- Name persons, places, things, and ideas.
- Classes of nouns.
- Common nouns - refer to non-specific places, things and ideas.
- Proper nouns - refer to specific person, places, or things and always begin with a capital letter.
- Nouns are capitalized when referring to specific people , places, or things.
Pronouns
- Pronouns take the place of a noun.
- He went with her to the concert.
- Pronouns change form according to the noun they replace.
Prepositions
- Prepositions show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and some other word in a sentence.
- He came into the room and sat at the table.
- Prepositions usually come before a noun or pronoun to form a prepositional phrase.
Verbs
- Verbs express action or state of being.
- The people cheered the speaker.
- Verb forms changes to reflect person and time.
- Verbs agree with the subject in person and number.
See: http://www.johnsesl.com/templates/grammar/partsofspeech.php.http://www.uottawa.ca/academic/arts/writcent/hypergrammar/partsp.html
20100128
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