It’s Vocab
Time!
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
•Annex
•(v.) to add to,
attach; to
incorporate
•(n.) an attachment
or addition
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
• Annex – O.Fr. annexer
"to join," from M.L.
annexare, freq. of L.
annecetere "to bind
to," from ad- "to" +
nectere “to tie, bind.”
Annex Mnemonic
Siamese twins are
annexed together in
the womb.
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
•Cleave
•(v.) to cut or
split open;
to cling to
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
• Cleave – (1) O.E. cleofan "to
split, separate" (class II
strong verb, past tense
cleaf, past participle
clofen), from P.Gmc.
*kleubanan, from PIE base
*gleubh- "to cut, slice." (2)
O.E. clifian, from W.Gmc.
*klibajanan, from PIE *gloi"to stick.”
Cleave Mnemonic
Dr. Lawrence Gordon
cleaved his leg to
escape Jigsaw in the
movie “Saw.”
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
•Cordial
•(adj.) in a
friendly manner,
hearty; cheery
•(n.) a liqueur
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
•Cordial – M.Fr.
cordial, from
M.L. cordialis "of
or for the heart,"
from L. cor (gen.
cordis) "heart"
Cordial Mnemonic
Snow White is very
cordial to everyone,
even Grumpy!
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
• Cornerstone
• (n.) the starting
point of a building;
a fundamental
principle or
element
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
• Cornerstone – O.Fr.
corniere, from corne "horn,
corner," from V.L. *corna,
from L. cornua, pl. of cornu
"projecting point, end,
horn" Also related to quoin
variant of coin (q.v.),
originally in other senses of
that word, too, including "a
wedge."
Cornerstone Mnemonic
“Practice makes
perfect” is one of Steve
Nash’s cornerstones in
life.
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
•Debacle
• (n.) an
overwhelming
defeat, rout; a
complete collapse
or failure
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
• Debacle – fig. use of Fr.
débâcle "breaking up of ice
on a river," extended to the
violent flood that follows
when the river ice melts in
spring, from débâcler "to
free," from M.Fr. desbacler "to
unbar," from des- "off" +
bacler "to bar," from V.L.
*bacculare, from L. baculum
"stick."
Debacle Mnemonic
Before they made it to the
Superbowl, some people
thought that the AZ Cardinals
were a debacle on the
football field.
Don’t forget your words!
It’s Vocab
Time!
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
•Devitalize
•(v.) to make
weak or
lifeless
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
• Devitalize – de- L. adv.
and prep. meaning
"down from, off,
concerning." + L.
vitalis "of or belonging
to life," from vita "life,"
related to vivere “to
live.”
Devitalize Mnemonic
Watching golf on
television can devitalize
a viewer.
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
• Embroil
•(v.) to involve in
a conflict or
difficulty; to
throw into
confusion
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
• Embroil – Fr.
embrouillier
(cognate with It.
imbrogliare), from
en- "in" + brouiller
"confuse," from
O.Fr. brooillier
Embroil Mnemonic
Tyler Durden was
embroiled in an identity
crisis in “Fight Club.”
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
•Exonerate
•(v.) to clear
from a charge
or accusation
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
• Exonerate – L.
exoneratus, pp. of
exonerare "remove
a burden,
discharge," from ex"off" + onus (gen.
oneris) “burden.”
Exonerate Mnemonic
Gloves were a part of the
evidence that exonerated OJ
Simpson in his murder trial.
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
•Glib
•(adj.) ready and
fluent in speech;
thoughtless,
insincere
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
• Glib – possibly
shortening of obsolete
glibbery "slippery,"
from Low Ger.
glibberig "smooth,
slippery," from M.L.G.
glibberich, from
glibber “jelly.”
Glib Mnemonic
A glib comment can
ruin a friendship.
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
•Haphazard
•(adj.) by
chance, not
planned;
lacking order
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
• Haphazard – from hap
(O.N. happ) "chance,
luck" + hazard "risk,
danger, peril" from
O.Fr. hasard "game of
chance played with
dice."
Haphazard Mnemonic
Bo and Luke Duke
drive the General Lee
in a haphazard way.
Don’t forget your words!
It’s Vocab
Time!
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
•Improvise
•(v.) to compose or
perform without
preparation; to
construct from
available materials
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
•Improvise – L.
improvisus,
from in- "not" +
provisus
"foreseen."
Improvise Mnemonic
Some comedians who
perform at the Tempe
Improv improvise their
stand-up routine.
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
•Incite
•(v.) to rouse,
stir up, urge
on
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
• Incite – M.Fr. enciter
(14c.), from L. incitare
"to put into rapid
motion, urge,
encourage, stimulate,"
from in- "on" + citare
“move, excite”
Incite Mnemonic
“Get Up, Stand Up” is a
song that tries to incite the
listener to fight for their
rights.
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
•Influx
•(n.) a
coming in,
inflow
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
•Influx – L.L.
influxus "a
flowing in," from
influere "to flow
in" from in- "in" +
fluere “to flow.”
Influx Mnemonic
It is always nice to
have an influx of
money.
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
•Pallor
•(n.) an extreme
or unnatural
paleness
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
• Pallor – O.Fr. palor "paleness,"
from L. pallor, from pallere "be
pale," related to pallus "darkcolored, dusky," from PIE base
*pel- "dark-colored, gray" (cf.
Skt. palitah "gray," panduh
"whitish, pale," Gk. pelios
"livid," polios "gray," O.E.
fealo "dull-colored, yellow,
brown").
Pallor Mnemonic
The pallor of the creature’s
skin from the movie “Pan’s
Labyrinth” made him even
creepier.
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
• Pedigree
• (n.) a list of
ancestors, family
tree; the history or
origins of something
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
• Pedigree – from Anglo-Fr. pe de gru, a
variant of O.Fr. pied de gru "foot of a
crane," from L. pedem "foot" + gruem
(nom. grus) "crane," cognate with Gk.
geranos, O.E. cran. On old
manuscripts, "descent" was indicated
by a forked sign resembling the
branching lines of a genealogical
chart; the sign also happened to look
like a bird's footprint. Meaning
"ancestral line" is c.1440; of animals,
1608.
Pedigree Mnemonic
Many people do not know
their pedigree because they
do not have a family tree to
read.
Don’t forget your words!
It’s Vocab
Time!
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
•Precipitous
•(adj.) very
steep
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
• Precipitous – L.
præcipitium "a steep
place," lit. "a fall or leap,"
from præceps (gen.
præcipitis) "steep,
headlong, headfirst,"
from præ- "forth" + caput
"head"
Precipitous Mnemonic
Mountain climbers
conquer precipitous
trails to reach the apex.
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
•Profuse
•(adj.) very
abundant , given
or flowing freely
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
• Profuse – L. profusus
"spread out, lavish,
extravagant," lit. "poured
forth," prop. pp. of
profundere "pour forth,"
from pro- "forth" +
fundere "to pour"
Profuse Mnemonic
Rapunzel had a
profuse amount of
hair.
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
•Reconcile
•(v.) to restore to
friendship; to
settle; to resign
(oneself)
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
• Reconcile – L.
reconcilare "to bring
together again,"
from re- "again" +
concilare "make
friendly"
Reconcile Mnemonic
Demi Moore and Bruce Willis
have reconciled their
relationship after their
divorce for their children’s
sake.
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
•Shackle
•(v.) to put into
chains
•(n.) a chain,
fetter
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
• Shackle – O.E. sceacel, from
P.Gmc. *skakula- (cf. M.Du., Du.
schakel "link of a chain," O.N.
skökull "pole of a carriage"), of
uncertain origin. The common
notion of "something to fasten or
attach" makes a connection with
shake unlikely. The verb is first
recorded c.1440. Shacklebolt "bolt
which passes through the eyes of
a shackle" is recorded from 1688.
Shackle Mnemonic
Many men say that
marriage shackles them
with an old ball and
chain.
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
•Threadbare
•(adj.)
shabby, old
and worn
Vocabulary Workshop, Level D Etymologies: Unit 14
• Threadbare – O.E. þræd "fine cord,
especially when twisted" (related
to þrawan "to twist"), from P.Gmc.
*thrædus (cf. M.Du. draet, Du.
draad, O.H.G. drat, Ger. Draht, O.N.
þraðr), from suffixed form of base
*thræ- "twist" + O.E. bær "naked,
uncovered." Threadbare is
recorded from 1362, from the
notion of "having the nap worn
off," leaving bare the threads.
Threadbare Mnemonic
Abercrombie & Fitch sells
threadbare jeans at ridiculously
high prices because they know
people will buy them.
* Macklemore
would tell you to
save your money
and shop at a
thrift store.
Don’t forget your words!