Unit Eleven
SER

From the Latin word ‘serere’, ‘sertum’
Join
Words from “ser” (join)

Assertion
Noun; Something declared or stated
positively
Lennie’s girlfriend’s assertion that he was a
creative genius prompted shouts of
disagreements from the crowd.
Words from “ser” (join)

Exertion
Noun; The use of power and of strength
Chloe’s swim across the lake required so much
exertion that she was exhausted afterward.
Antonym: relaxation
Words from “ser” (join)

Dissertation
Noun; A formal and unusually long paper,
written for a degree at a university or
college
Marietta’s dissertation was entitles, “The
Somnambulant Effects of Clock Ticking.”
CERT

From the Latin word ‘cernere’, ‘certum’
To separate,
distinguish, decide
Words from “cert”
(to separate, distinguish, decide)

Disconcert
Verb; To upset and confuse
The thought of Nadia becoming class
president was disconcerting to her fellow
seniors, who felt she was unorganized and
incompetent.
Words from “cert”
(to separate, distinguish, decide)

Certitude
Noun; Certainty; inevitability
Winnie expressed certitude that her train
would reach the station in time.
Synonym: surety
Antonym: doubt
Words from “cert”
(to separate, distinguish, decide)

Ascertain
Verb; To discover with certainty through
examination or experimentation
The lack of evidence made it difficult to
ascertain the precise angle of the gunshot.
Synonym: determine
NEX

From the Latin word ‘nectere’, ‘nexus’
Connect
Words from “nectere”,
“nexus” (connect)

Annex
Verb; To attach or connect
The town of Smyrna sought to annex land from
a neighborhood village, but the state
legislature denied the motion.
Antonym: disconnect
Words from “nectere”,
“nexus” (connect)

Nexus
Noun; The core or center
The restaurant was located at the nexus of the
town’s two busiest streets, which was very
convenient.
Synonym: crux
Antonym: periphery
LIG, LIA

From the Latin word ‘ligare’, ‘ligatum’
To bind
Words from “ligare”,
“ligatum” (to bind)

Liaison
Noun; Someone who serves as a
communicator between concerned parties
Sheila had an interview the other day for a
position as a White House press liaison.
Words from “ligare”,
“ligatum” (to bind)

Obligatory
Adjective; Expected or required
Although Rachel had never been a big fan of
the coach, she offered him the obligatory
handshake when he retired.
Synonym: mandatory
Words from “ligare”,
“ligatum” (to bind)

Ligature
Noun; A binding or joining
When the rope that held the bundle snapped,
Rocky had to improvise by using his belt as a
ligature.