ALPHABETICAL LIST OF THE MORE DIFFICULT WORDS AND PHRASES, WITH EXPLANATIONS. The Etymology is given when it throws any light on the word. For the different prefixes, see Appendix to Book V. Abdication. A giving up: usually applied | Alabaster. A fine white kind of stone. Aboriginal (origo,1 the beginning or origin). Abstract maxim. A general maxim, quite stances. Abstraction. Something conceived of quite apart from place or time, as virtue, good ness. Abstruse. Something concealed and obscure. Accelerate (celer, quick). To make quicker, Access (cedere, cessum, to go). A going to, liberty to approach. Accession. Usually applied to the obtain- Acquirement, Acquisition (quærere, to seek). warn. The Admonition. Advice, warning. Eolian. From Eolus, the god of the winds Affect depreciation. Pretend to undervalue. Depreciation pretium, price). A lowering in value. Affectation. Pretence. Afluence (fluère, to flow). Wealth. Aggregation (grex, gregis, a flock). A gathering together. Aggression (gressus, an advance). Attack. 1 All the derivations given are Latin unless otherwise expressed. A.S. AngloSaxon, G. Greek. = Alienation (atienus, belonging to another). Aliment (alère, to feed). Nourishment. Altitude (altus, high). Height. One who writes at another's dictation. Amelioration (melior, better). The act of improving. Amorphous (G. morphe, shape). Shapeless. Amphibious (G. bios, life). Able to live on land or in water. Analogy. Comparison. Analyse (G. luein, to loose). To resolve Anarchy (G. arche, sovereignty). The ab- The wife of Hector, the leader of the Trojans in the Trojan war. Annul (nullus, no one). To reduce to nothing, to destroy. Anomalous. Uneven, irregular. Anonymous (G. onoma, & name). Without a name. Antagonist G. ago, a contest). One who strongly opposes. Anthracite (G. anthrax, a burning coal). That species of coal which has a shining lustre and which burns without smoke and with intense heat. Antics, Antique (antiquus, ancient, out of date). Old-fashioned, peculiar. Antidote (G. anti, in opposition, doton, Apophthegm (G. phtheggomai, to speak). A Appreciate (pretium, price). To know the Apprehend (prehendère, to seize hold of). Aqueduct (aqua, water, ducere, to lead). Arbitrary (arbiter, an umpire). Fixed by Ardent (arere, to burn). Hot, fiery, lively, earnest. Argos. A kingdom of ancient Greece. The larger kind of firearms, cannon, &c. Aspen. A species of the poplar. Its leaves shake with the least breath of air. Assay. To make trial of, to prove. Assimilate (similis, like). To make like, to resemble. Assuage. To soothe, to calm. Asteroid (G. aster, a star). A small planet. Astrology. A false science, derived from observation of the stars. Astronomy. The true science of the heavenly bodies. Asylum. A place of refuge. Attest. To bear testimony or witness. August, Augustan. Noble: so called from Augustus, the first Roman emperor. Auspicious (avis, a bird, specio, to observe). Favourable, prosperous: so called because the ancient Romans watched the movements of birds before commencing any important action. Auxiliary (auxilium, help). Helping. Axis. That round which anything revolves. Azore. The Azores, a group of islands lying 800 miles west of Portugal: so called because they swarmed with hawks = Açores, when discovered. Azure. The blue sky: hence anything of a sky-blue colour. Bahama. The Bahamas are a large group of islands in the West Indies. Very few are inhabited. Ballium. A walled court: hence "Old Bailey." Bane (A.S. bana, destruction, a slayer). Bastion. A strong angular portion of a for- Beneficent (bene, well, facere, to do). Kindly. Bermuda. A group of small islands in the Bigotry. The spirit which condemns all who differ from us. Bituminous. Full of pitchy matter. Bivalves. Animals of the Molluscous class, having a shell consisting of two parts (called valves which open and shut. Bluff. A point of land exposed to the wind. Botany. Science of plants. Bourne. Limit, district. Bulwark. A defence, protection. Brenta. A river of Italy. Buffoonery. Jesting. Buoyant. Able to float, bright, cheerful. Burgess. Inhabitant of a borough. Calcareous (calx, calcis, lime). Full of lime. Caldron (calidus, warm'. A large vessel for heating or boiling liquids. heaven. Cellular. Full of small cells. Centenary (centum, a hundred). The hundredth anniversary. Chagrin. Vexation, annoyance. Circumscribe (scribère, to write). To limit by writing, to confine. Cogent (cogere, to compel). Strong. Cohesion (hærére, to stick to). Sticking fast together. Compendious. Put into a short form. Compensate. Make up for the loss. Competence. Sufficient to live upon. Complex (plicare, to fold). In many forms or shapes. Compunction (pungère, punctum, to prick). The prick of conscience, the sense of doing wrong. Conc: ssion (cessio, cessionis, a giving up). Giving up, yielding. Concise (cædere, to cut off). Short, pointed. Concomitant (comes, comitis, a companion). Associated with. Concur (currère, to run). To run together, to unite. Condign (dignus, worthy). Thoroughly deserved. Conducive (ducere, to lead). Leading to. Confiscation (fiscus, the treasury). Forfeiting, seizing for one's own. Confute. To disprove. Congenial (genius, disposition, inclination. Adapted to one's nature or disposition. Conglomerate (glomerare, to wind into a ball). Gathered into a ball or round body. Conical. In the shape of a cone, pointed at top. Conifers. Plants producing cones; firs and pine-trees. Conjuncture. A particular moment. Constituent. That which constitutes or makes up any thing. The voters in a borough are called the constituents of a Member of Parliament. Consul. The highest authority in the ancient republic of Rome. Contagious (tangère, to touch). Carried by touch. Contemporary (tempus, temporis, time). Living at the same time. Contiguous. Touching each other, neighbouring. Contumely. Disdain. Cornice. The brow of a wall or pillar. Corporeal (corpus, corporis, the body). Bodily. Coruscant. Glittering, sending forth sparks. Cosmopolitan (G. kosmos, the world, polites, a citizen). Universal, belonging to the whole world. Counteract. To act in opposition. Courtesy. An act of kindness, or reverential obedience to a superior. Cromlecn. An ancient British burial monument of large stones. Crypt (G. kryptein, to hide). A hidden place, now usually used for interment, under a church. Cuirass. Armour for the breast or back. Cull. To select, to gather out. Culminate (ulmen, culminis, the top). To arrive at the greatest height. Cupel. A vessel used for melting. Dalliance. Idle amusement. Decade (decem, ten). A period of ten years. Degenerate (genus, generis, race, kind). To become inferior. Deign (dignus, worthy). To treat as worthy. Deity (deus, God). The Supreme Being. Delegate. One appointed to work for another. Delineation (linea, a line). To draw a line, to describe. Demarcation. A marking off the limits. Democracy (G. demos, the people, kratein, to rule). The power of the people. Denizen. Inhabitant; originally it meant one born out of the country who has received the rights of a citizen. Denude (nudare, to lay bare). To expose, to strip of all covering. Depreciation (pretium, price). Lowering of price or value. Descry. To spy out. Deteriorate (deterior, worse). To make or become worse. Dian. Diana, the Goddess of Hunting. Berens's Myths and Legends, page 87. Dicotyledonous plants. Those plants whose seeds have two lobes. Diction (dicere, to speak). The art of speaking. Diluvial (diluere, to wash). Washed down by a deluge, or simply by the action of water. Diplomatist. One engaged in carrying out the policy of government. Dirge. A funeral hymn. Discard. To throw away, cast off. Disseminate (semen, seminis, seed). To scat ter about. for the abode of the good after death, hence Elysian is supremely delightful. Emaciate (emaciare, to make lean). Made lean, thin. Emmet. A small insect, the ant. Empyrean. The fiery brightness or splendour of heaven. Emulation (emulus, a rival). Striving to excel. Enact. To carry out by law. Encroachment. Trespassing upon the rights of others. Encyclopædia (G. kyklos, a circle, paideia, instruction). Volumes giving information on all subjects. Enhance. To increase. Enunciate (nuntius, a messenger). To declare. Environs. The surrounding parts. Epic, Epical. An epic poem recounts the exploits of some hero. Epical, heroic. Epidemic (G. demos, the people). Spreading abroad among the people. Epilogue. A speech at the close of a play. Epithet. A name by which one thing is distinguished from another. Epoch. A marked period of time. Equinox (quus, equal, nox, night). The time when the length of the day and night is equal. Equitable (æquus, equal, fair, just). According to fair dealing. Era. A long series of years. Erewhile. Some little time ago. Erratic (errare, to wander). Not fixed or stationary, wandering. Erudition. Learning, scholarship. Escutcheon (scutum, a shield. A shield, the shield bearing a person's coat of arms. Ethics. The science of morals. Euxine. The ancient name of the Black Sea. Evolve. To draw forth. Examen. Examination. Exchequer. The name given to the government treasury. Executive government. The part of the government which carries out or executes the laws. Feign. To pretend. Femoral (femur, femoris, the thigh). Belonging to the thigh. Feudalism. The state in which different ranks of men are bound together by holding land on military service. Filamentary. Full of threads or fibres. Flexible (fectère, to bend). That can be easily bent. Fosse. A ditch, a place dug out. Friuli. An old division of Italy, Venetia. Function (fungi, functus, to perform). A special duty. Fundamental. From the foundation. Fusion (fundere, fusus, to pour). A pouring, melting. Gainsay. To contradict. Gauds. Mere shows. Gauntlet. A kind of glove thrown down as a challenge. Gaza. One of the five principal towns of the Philistines, S.W. of Palestine. Genial. Bright, happy. Germ. That from which anything springs. Glade. An open place or alley in a wood. Gneiss. A species of aggregated rock composed of quartz, feldspar, and mica, of a structure more or less distinctly slaty. Gorgeous. Splendid. Gradation (gradus, a step). A regular succession. Granite. A peculiarly hard kind of stone. Granules. (granum, a grain). Small particles. Gravitation. The law by which everything is attracted to the centre of the earth. Grotesque. Odd, fanciful. Halbert. A battle-axe. Hamath. A city of Upper Syria north of Harpy. The Harpies were mythical beings. Hippodrome (G. hippos, a horse, dromos, a running). A race-course. Homogeneous (G. homos, the same, genos, kind). Being of the same kind or nature. Hornet. A stinging insect, a kind of large wasp. Horoscope. A supposed means of foretelling the future by a careful observation of the stars at the moment when a person is born. House of Stuart. Sovereigns of the Stuart line, including the two Pretenders, the son and grandson of James the Second. Humidity. Moisture. Hurtle. To dash down violently. Hysterical. Unable to control the emotions. Ichthyology (G. ichthys, a fish). The science of fishes. Ideal. According to one's conception. Identify (idem, the same). To make one and the same, to recognize clearly. Ignore. To treat as if knowing nothing about. Iliad. The name given to Homer's poem on the siege of Troy or Ilium. Illusion. A deceiving appearance. Imbros. An island in the Ægean Sea. Immutable (mutare, to change). Unchangeable. Impeach. To put formally upon trial. Implacable (placare, to sooth). Not to be soothed. Importunity. Earnest request. Incantation. A charm or spell used by a wizard or sorcerer. Incompatible. Unsuited. Incumbent. Lying upon, pressing upon. Indefatigable. Never wearied. That grows in the country Indomitable (domare, to tame). Cannot be subdued. Inevitable (vitare, to avoid). Not to be avoided. Ingredients. The elements which compose any thing. Inherent. Abiding in, natural to. Innovation (novus, new). A new custom. To drop in, to in Insulate (insula, an island). To keep apart, like an island. Insurrection (surgère, surrectum, to rise). A rising, a rebellion. Intact (tactus, touched). Untouched, entire. Intangibility (tango, to touch). That cannot be touched. Intercept (inter, between, capère, to take). To put in between, to stop on the way. Interlunar (luna, the moon). Belonging to the time when the moon, about to change, is invisible. Interposition (positus, placed). A putting in between. Intersect (sectus, cut). To cut into parts. Intervention (venire, ventum, to come). A coming in between. Inundation (unda, a wave). An overflowing. Ionic Capital. The ornamentation of the top or capital of a pillar. Iris. The rainbow. See Myths and Legends, p. 155. Irradiate (radius, a ray or beam). To make bright and splendid. Isothermal lines (G. isos, equal, thermos, warm). Lines marking off districts of equal temperature. Jurisprudence. The science of law. Juvenescence (juvenis, a young man). The appearance of youth. Knighthood. The state of a knight. Knightly order of St. John of Jerusalem. An ancient order of knights sworn to defend Jerusalem. Labyrinth. A place full of windings. See Myths and Legends, p. 212. Laity. The people as distinct from the clergy. Laud laudare, to praise). To praise, to worship. Legislative (lex, legis, law). Law-making. Lemnos. An island in the Ægean Sea. Liege. One whom we are bound to obey. Lignite. A mineral combustible substance converted to a certain degree into coal but retaining distinctly its woody texture. Limpid. Clear, transparent. Logic. The art of reasoning. Longevity (longus, long, ævum, age). Length of life. Lucid. Clear, easily understood. Luminary (lumen. Tuminis, light). That which gives light. Martial. Warlike, from Mars the Roman God of War. See Myths and Legends, p. 114. Meander. To wind: so called from a very winding river, the Meander, in Asia Minor. Mediocrity (medius, the middle). Neither very good nor very bad. Menial. Belonging to servants. Metaphorical. Full of words used in a figurative sense. Micaceous. Resembling mica or partaking of its properties. Midriff. A part of the human body, forming a kind of partition below the heart and lungs. Mien. Manner. Minaret. An ornament common on the roof of Eastern public buildings. Miniature. A small copy of something larger. Minstrelsy. That which belongs to a minstrel. Mint. The place where money is coined. Misdemeanour. Improper behaviour. Misenum. An ancient Roman port, now in ruins, not far from Miseno, the headland forming the northern boundary of the Bay of Naples. Modification. A change, an adaptation to new circumstances. Mollusca (mollis, soft). A class of animals whose bodies are soft without an internal skeleton or articulated covering. Momentum. Force by which any thing is urged onward. Monocotyledonous Plants. Plants having one seed lobe. Monopoly (G. monos, alone, põlein, to sell). Sole right of selling. Monotonous. Of a single tone, unchanging and therefore wearisome. Morass. A swamp. Morbid (morbus, disease). Diseased, unhealthy. Mosque. A Mohammedan temple. Multiform (multus, many). Many-sided, of many shapes. Mutinous. Inclined to mutiny or rebellion. Mystic. Connected with mysterious religious ceremonies. Mythology. The fabulous gods and goddesses of ancient times. Nebulous (nebula, a small cloud). Cloudy, dim. Negotiate (negotium, business). To carry on business. Nether. Lower, inferior. Nocturnal (nox, noctis, night). Belonging to night. Nodular (nodus, a knot). Full of knots. Noggen. Made of nogs or hemp: hence, coarse. Nomenclature (nomen, a name). The art of naming. Novitiate (novus, new). The early part of a new course of life. Nucleus. The kernel, the central part. Omen. A token or sign, a foreboding. Opprobrious (probrum, a disgrace). The Orbit (orbis, a round surface). The path Orisons. Prayers. Ornithology G.ornis, ornithos, a bird. The science of birds. Ostensibly (ostendere, ostensum, to show). Pageant. A showy or splendid representation. Pagod or Pagoda. An Eastern temple. Palpitate. To beat violently. Panoply (G. pan, all, oplon, armour). An entire covering of armour. Paralyse (G. luein, to loose). To relax, to deprive of power. Paramount. Superior to all around. Parasite (G. para, beside, sitos, food). One that feeds or lives upon another: as applied to men, a flatterer. Parsimony (parcere, parsus, to spare). A spirit of saving, frugality, meanness. Participate (pars, partis, a part, capere, to take). To take a share in. Particle. A very small part. Patrician (pater, a father). Belonging to the higher ranks. Patroclus. The friend of Achilles, slain by Hector. Paucity (paucus, a few. A small number. Peerless (par, an equal). Unequalled, that has no peer or equal. Perdue. Forlorn, hopeless. Perpetrate. To carry out some evil deed. Perusal. A careful examination. Pervade (vadère, to go). To cover, to be spread over. Phantom. An appearance, without any reality. Phenomenon. A peculiar appearance. Philosophy. The love of wisdom, the general principles of knowledge. Phylactery (G. phylassein, to guard or defend). A strip of parchment, with texts inscribed, worn on the forehead by the ancient Jews as a charm to ward off evil. Pibroch. A musical piece much played by the Highlanders. Pinnace. A small vessel. Plaint. A cry of sorrow, a plaintive mournful cry. Plastic. That can be easily moulded shape. Plateau. A table-land. Plummet (plumbum, lead). A line with attached, used for measuring. |