Level E
Unit 1
Vocabulary
ADULTERATE
Connotation: negative
Etymology: 1580–90; < Latin adulterātus mixed,
equivalent to ad- + -ulter (perhaps combining form
of alter other)
Word Structure: Verb suffix –ate means “to
become, produce, or treat”
AMBIDEXTROUS
Connotation: positive / negative
Etymology:1640s, from L. ambidexter, lit.
"right-handed on both sides," from ambi"both" + dexter "right-handed" (dexterity).
Word Structure: prefix bi- means “two;”
suffix –ous means “marked by”
AUGMENT
Connotation: positive
Etymology: c.1400, from O.Fr. augmenter
(14c.), from L.L. augmentare "to increase;"
from L. augmentum "an increase;" from
augere "to increase, make big, enlarge,
enrich"
Word Structure: noun suffix –ment means
“act or process of”
BEREFT
Connotation: negative
Etymology: O.E. bereafian "to deprive of,
take away, seize, rob," from be + reafian
"rob, plunder," Since mid-17c., mostly in
reference to life, hope, loved ones, and
other immaterial possessions. Past tense
forms bereaved and bereft have co-existed
since 14c., now slightly differentiated in
meaning, the former applied to loss of loved
ones, the latter to circumstances.
DEPLOY
Connotation: neutral
Etymology: 1786 as a military word, from
Fr. déployer "unroll, unfold," from O.Fr.
desployer "unfold"
Word Structure: prefix de- means “lower”
DOUR
Connotation: negative
Etymology: probably from Latin dūrus hard
Ebenezer Scrooge
FORTITUDE
Connotation: positive
Etymology: early 15c., from L. fortitudo
"strength," from fortis "strong, brave" (fort).
Word Structure: noun suffix
-tude means “state of”
GAPE
Connotation: neutral
Etymology: 1175–1225; Middle English <
Old Norse gapa to open the mouth wide;
compare German gaffen
GIBE
Connotation: negative
Etymology: 1560–70; perhaps < Middle
French giber to handle roughly, shake,
derivative of gibe staff, billhook
GUISE
Connotation: neutral / negative
Etymology: from Old French guise, of
Germanic origin “manner, wise”
INSIDIOUS
Connotation: negative
Etymology:1545, from L. insidiosus
"deceitful," from insidiæ (pl.) "plot, snare,
ambush," from insidere "sit on, occupy,"
Word Structure: prefix in- means “into;”
adjective suffix –ous means
“full of, given to”
INTIMATION
Connotation: neutral
Etymology: "action of making known," mid15c., from L.L. intimationem (nom.
intimatio) "an announcement" (in M.L. "a
judicial notification"), from intimare
(intimate).
Word Structure: prefix in- means “into”;
noun suffix –ation means “act or result of”
OPULENT
Connotation: positive
Etymology: 1595–1605; < Latin
opulentus wealthy, equivalent to op- (stem
of ops power, wealth) + -ulentus
PLIABLE
Connotation: neutral
Etymology: late 15c., from O.Fr. pliable
"flexible," from plier "to bend" (ply)
Word Structure: adjective suffix –able
means “able, capable of”
REITERATE
Connotation: neutral
Etymology: 1526, from L. reiteratus, pp. of
reiterare "to repeat," from re- "again" + iterare "to
repeat," from iterum "again."
Word Structure: prefix re- means
“again, back”
STOLID
Connotation: neutral
Etymology: from M.Fr. stolide (16c.), from L.
stolidus "insensible, dull, brutish," prop.
"unmovable," related to stultus "foolish"
TENTATIVE
Connotation: neutral
Etymology: 1580s, from M.L. tentativus
"trying, testing," from L. tentatus, pp. of
tentare "to feel, try," (variant of temptare
"to feel, try, test").
Word Structure: Latin root -ten- means
“hold, keep;” adjective suffix –ive means
“marked by”
UNKEMPT
Connotation: negative
Etymology: Old English uncembed; from
un- + cembed, past participle of cemban
“to comb”
Word Structure: prefix
un- means “not, opposing”
VERBATIM
Connotation: neutral
Etymology: 1481, from M.L. verbatim "word
for word," from L. verbum "word"
WARILY
Connotation: neutral
Etymology: 1552, from O.E. wær "prudent,
aware, alert, wary"
Word Structure:
adverb suffix –ly means
“having the nature of”