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Words of the Week
Brain Teasers
Words of the Week
Herman Melville once wrote, "a fool thinks that by mouthing hard words he understands hard things." Never were there truer words - especially when it comes to preparing for the SAT. Real mastery of vocabulary comes not from just mouthing words, but from understanding them, using them - and knowing when not to use them.
Each day, devote yourself to learning a new word - one you normally wouldn't use in conversation. Here are some suggestions:
June 25, 2009
LEG(IS), LITIG – law; to choose (for an official position)
This week’s root comes from a group of Latin roots based on the Latin legis, meaning “law.” The root legis gives us such words as legal (“within the law”), legislate (“to write laws”), and litigate (“to sue in a court of law”). Another common words that comes from this root is legitimate, meaning literally “legal” or “true.”
Another root from this group, the Latin legare, means “to choose or send with a commission.” This root gives us many vocab words, as you will see this week and next.
Another common word that comes from this group of roots is loyal, which passed through the Old French loial, meaning “choosing to be faithful.” A few other words in this group share this meaning of faithfulness.
Words
allege (v.) [al-, “toward” + leg(e), “law”] – to assert or accuse, especially in court
As part of the lawsuit, Julius alleged that his neighbor deliberately destroyed his prize petunias.
Noun form: allegation
allegiance (n.) [al-, “toward” + leg, “to choose” + -iance] – loyalty to a group or one’s superiors
Penelope maintained her allegiance to the governor even at the height of his unpopularity.
Adjective form: allegiant
legate (n.) [leg-, “to choose, to send” +-ate] – an official envoy or emissary, particularly a religious one
Cardinal O’Malley acted as a legate from the Boston Diocese of the Catholic Church to the Massachusetts government.
legacy (n.) [leg-, “to choose” + -acy] – something passed on after one’s death; anything handed down from the past
Frank Lloyd Wright’s legacy includes the increased blending of natural and artificial in modern buildings.
Related noun: legacy – a person who follows after other members of his or her family, such as a daughter attending the college that her mother graduated from
sacrilege (n.) [sacri-, “holy” + lege, “(to violate) law”] – a violation of a sacred law or ideal
The idea that the world was round was once considered sacrilege among Catholic leaders.
More on a similar-looking (but different) root next week!
Check out previous Words of the Week »
Brain Teasers
Forget what the anatomy books tell you. The brain is indeed a muscle, and the only way it gets stronger is through exercise. Train yourself to become the intellectual equivalent of Arnold Schwarzenegger with a daily brain workout. Check back regularly for the C2 Brain Teaser of the Week, and push yourself.
Brain Teaser of the Week
June 25, 2009
Oh, Dometer!:(source: www.cartalk.com; contributed by: Jacob Peterson)
A standard non-digital odometer contains six digits (each 0-9). How many six-digit odometer readings are there that contain no zeroes?
Last Week’s Brainteaser Answer
To sum up the three boxes, there are:
A gold box that says, “The lock is in this box,”
A silver box that says, “The lock is not in this box,” and
A lead box that says, “The lock is not in the gold box.”
We know that only one of the three inscriptions is true. In order to figure out which box the lock of hair is in, let’s consider each of the three possibilities:
Possibility 1: The lock is in the gold box.
Gold Box’s inscription: TRUE
Silver Box’s inscription: TRUE
Lead Box’s inscription: FALSE
Since two of the statements are true, the lock cannot be in the gold box.
Possibility 2: The lock is in the lead box.
Gold Box’s inscription: FALSE
Silver Box’s inscription: TRUE
Lead Box’s inscription: TRUE
Again, two of the statements are true. The lock cannot be in the lead box.
Possibility 3: The lock is in the silver box.
Gold Box’s inscription: FALSE
Silver Box’s inscription: FALSE
Lead Box’s inscription: TRUE
Only one of the inscriptions is true. Thus, the lock of hair is in the silver box.
Check out previous Brain Teasers »