The creation of grammar books and dictionaries continues as English changes and expands
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Community College of Philadelphia *
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Course
092
Subject
Linguistics
Date
Jan 9, 2024
Type
Pages
3
Uploaded by koolll
The creation of grammar books and dictionaries continues as English changes and expands.
Today, English has one of the largest vocabularies of any language spoken in the world.
New words constantly enter the English language as people engage in the following
activities:
invent new technologies (email, computer, modem)
adopt words from other languages (film noir, raccoon)
create acronyms (scuba: self-contained underwater breathing apparatus)
blend words (motor + hotel = motel)
Despite the efforts of the most diligent lexicographers (makers of dictionaries) and
grammarians (creators of grammar texts), the English language will continue to change and
expand. Languages are alive. As long as a language is spoken, it will change and evolve.
a dictionary
The noxious fumes of ammonia and bleach filled her nostrils and overwhelmed her; she hit
the ground with a loud thwack.
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Submitted!
In this instance, noxious probably means "overpowering" or maybe even "poisonous."
Ammonia and bleach are highly toxic substances. They have very strong odors and can be
harmful to the respiratory system.
Part B
Some race car drivers think they are invincible; their hubris often causes them to take
unnecessary risks.
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Here, invincible provides a context clue in this sentence. Considering oneself invincible
suggests an excessive confidence in oneself. This context clue suggests that hubris means
"overconfidence."
Part C
The concert featured an eclectic mix of bands who played many different kinds of music.
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The phrase "many different kinds of music" gives a clue about the mix of bands. Because we
know the music was varied, we can assume eclectic means something similar to diverse or
varied.
Part D
Unlike his well-behaved brother, Alec was an impertinent child who constantly asked rude
and intrusive questions of authority figures.
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In this case, the context provides a clue by contrast with the underlined word. The word
unlike suggests a contrast with well-behaved, implying the word impertinent means
"ill-mannered."
Question 2
Read the Denotation vs. Connotation Knowledge Article. Then write which of the words in
each pair below has a positive connotation and which one has a negative connotation.
Explain your answer.
Part A
smelly, fragrant
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Smelly has a negative connotation. When someone says something is smelly, they usually
mean it has an unpleasant odor. Fragrant, by contrast, has a positive connotation. Someone
might describe a rose as being fragrant, meaning that it has a pleasant odor.
Part B
cheap, frugal
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Cheap has a negative connotation. If someone is cheap, he or she might hoard their money
and refuse to spend even when there is good reason. Frugal, on the other hand, implies a
positive connotation. It means that a person handles their money well and will not make
unnecessary purchases.
Part C
strong-willed, stubborn
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Strong-willed has a positive connotation. If you say someone is strong-willed, you probably
mean the person is independent or that he or she will not back down when faced with
adversity. Stubborn, however, has a negative connotation. It tends to imply that a person will
be disagreeable.
Part D
conceited, self-confident
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Conceited has a negative connotation. When you say a person is conceited, you probably
mean that he or she is overconfident or overly impressed with themselves. Self-confident
has a positive connotation, however, and means that a person has the right amount of
confidence in themselves.
Question 3
Read the Word Origins Knowledge Article. Then define each underlined word below, and
identify its root and affix(es).
Part A
Governments are concerned that they will be unable to avert a flu pandemic.
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pandemic: an extremely widespread outbreak of a disease or the quality of being
widespread.
pan- (prefix) + dem- (root) + -ic (suffix)
Part B
The disreputable company preyed on senior citizens in the community.
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disreputable: not of a respectable background.
dis- (prefix) + reput- (root) + -able (suffix)
Part C
My aunt is a biologist who studies intracellular functions.
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intracellular: within a cell.
intra- (prefix) + cell- (root) + -ular (suffix)
Part D
Shelly, one of the calmer students, offered to mediate the heated discussion.
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mediate: to intervene.
medi- (root) + -ate (suffix)
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