Level E

Unit 2Vocabulary

ADROITConnotation: neutral

Etymology:1650s, "dexterous," originally "rightly," from Fr. phrase à droit "according to right," from O.Fr. à "to" + droit "right,"

AMICABLEConnotation: positive

Etymology: from Late Latin amīcābilis,  from Latin amīcus  friend; related to amāre  to love

Word Structure: adjective suffix –able means “able, capable of”

AVERSE Connotation: negative

Etymology: 1590s, "turned away in mind or feeling," from L. aversus, pp. of avertere (like avert). Originally and usually in Eng. in the mental sense, while avert is used in a physical sense.

Word Structure: Latin root –vers- means “turn”

BELLIGERENTConnotation: negative

Etymology: from Latin belliger , from bellum  war + gerere  to wage

Word Structure: noun suffix –ent means “one who does something”

BENEVOLENTConnotation: positive

Etymology: late 15c., "wishing to do good, kindly," from O.Fr. benevolent, from L. benevolentem "wishing (someone) well," related to benevolentia "good feeling"

Word Structure: Latin prefix bene- means “good;” Latin root –vol- means “wish;” noun suffix –ent means “one who does something”

CURSORYConnotation: neutral

Etymology:c.1600, from M.Fr. cursoire "rapid," from L.L. cursorius "of a race or running," from L. cursor "runner," from cursum, pp. of currere "to run"

DUPLICITYConnotation:negative

Etymology:from L.L. duplicitatem "doubleness," in M.L. from duplex "twofold." The notion is of being "double" in one's conduct.

Word Structure: Latin root

-dupl- means “double”; noun

suffix –ity means “act of”

EXTOLConnotation: positive

Etymology: late 15c., "to lift up," from L. extollere, from ex- "up" + tollere "to raise"

FEASIBLE

Connotation: neutral

Etymology: mid-15c., from Anglo-Fr. faisible, from O.Fr. faisible, from fais-, stem of faire "do, make," from L. facere "do, perform"

Word Structure: adjective suffix –ible means “able, capable of”

GRIMACEConnotation: negative

Etymology: French Frankish ≪ grima  mask; of Germanic origin; related to Spanish grimazo  caricature

HOLOCAUSTConnotation: negative

Etymology: from Late Latin holocaustum  whole burnt offering, from Greek holokauston,  from holo-  whole + kaustos,  from kaiein  to burn]

IMPERVIOUSConnotation: neutral

Etymology:1650, from L.

impervius "that cannot be passed through," from in- "not" + pervius "letting things through," from per "through" + via "road."

Word Structure: prefix im- means “not;” adjective suffix –ous means “marked by”

IMPETUSConnotation: neutral

Etymology: from Latin: attack, from impetere  to assail, from im-  (in) + petere  to make for, seek out

Word Structure: prefix im- means “not;”

JEOPARDYConnotation: negative

Etymology: from Old French jeu parti,  literally: divided game, hence uncertain issue, from jeu  game, from Latin jocus  joke, game + partir  to divide

METICULOUSConnotation: neutral

Etymology:1530s, from L. meticulosus "fearful, timid," lit. "full of fear," from metus "fear". Sense of "fussy about details" is first recorded in English 1827.

Word Structure: adjective suffix

–ous means “marked by”

NOSTALGIAConnotation: neutral

Etymology: from Gk. nostos “a return home" + algos "pain, grief, distress“

QUINTESSENCEConnotation: neutral

Etymology: early 15c., in ancient and medieval philosophy, "pure essence, substance of which the heavenly bodies are composed," lit. "fifth essence," from M.Fr. quinte essence (14c.)

RETROGRESSConnotation: neutral

Etymology: Latin retrōgressus  past participle of retrōgradī  to go back or backward, equivalent to retrō- + gred-, combining form of gradī  to step, go

Word Structure: prefix re- means “back, again”

SCRUTINIZEConnotation: neutral

Etymology: 1670s, from scrutiny

Word Structure: verb suffix –ize means “to cause, make”

TEPIDConnotation: neutral

Etymology: c.1400, from L. tepidus "lukewarm," from tepere "be warm"