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Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Dont' Regret Anything That Once Made You Smile

My heart beats too fast
yet it still beats so slow.
And what hurts it the most
is that you'll never know.

I think about nothing,
just to get rid of your face.
Yet you pop out of that nothing
to be set in your place.

Whenever I see you
I try hard to smile.
But what I really want to do is cry
and just run for miles.

It's hard when your heart
keeps hold of one that you need.
The one that you love,
who makes you feel free.

Why can't you just see
you're hurting me so?
I need you near,
but you want to go.

You say you want me back,
you want to be my man.
You want to start this all over,
go back to where we began.

Should I let you in,
give you a second chance?
Let my heart be yours again,
and let us have the final dance.

These words haunt me everyday
in my mind and in my dreams.
My mouth will never tell you,
even though my heart screams.

I need an explanation,
I need to know why.
Was our relationship nothing to you?
Was it just a lie?

Or how about those nights we spent
looking at the stars.
I thought I'd be yours forever
but now my heart has scars.

What we had was special
in a fantasy sort of way.
The definition of true love...
Or at least that's what I used to say.

But now I just don't know
if my feelings are what they used to be.
You really need to work, to learn all over again,
to get to know me.

No matter what we do,
no matter what we say,
it's all up to you now,
okay?

You are the one,
that will decide our fate.
So please bring me good news
before it's too late.

I've tried to move on,
but every time it fails.
Every time I think about you,
my thoughts and my heart soars and sails.

It is not fair,
simply unjust.
That I am still attached to you,
yet you are the one that turned us into rust.

As I talk to your related,
I can feel what I've been missing.
The fun times, the young growing old,
the simple feeling of being a part of something.

Of being appreciated,
a part of the family.
Yours was amazing to me,
as they still are, and always will be.

You are the exception,
to this loving rule.
Why did you have to break my heart
and act as though you were too cruel

To care about my feelings.
To care about us.
Am I the one that has to
salvage what was once

The perfect relationship?
No arguments or fights,
staying up half past five,
and then saying goodnight.

All those memorable times we had,
from Calaveras and "would you rather" to 31.
I still remember them,
but you act as though they're all done.

As though we are no more,
and never will be.
Why do you have to be so enigmatic?
Why are you doing this to me?

Choose what you want.
Make a decision.
Is it me that you want
or simply a complication

Of your heart and mind.
What you want, and what you need.
Please let me know,
so then I can feed

My empty and cold soul.
Those thoughts of you and I
are seeming very distant now
while thinking in bed I lie.

If only you could read this,
to finally see what I've been feeling.
These past three months have been terrible;
you saw my heart plummet and my thoughts reeling.

Into that great desparation
you sent me into.
Make up your mind
before my heart splits again in two.

It was mended before,
it can be fixed once again.
But please don't hurt it,
because it is on a mission.

A journey to your thoughts,
to see what you are thinking.
An odyssey to your dreams
to alter your dreaming.

To make you want me,
to make up your mind.
I used to think men are all alike,
but you are one of a kind

In both good ways and bad.
You were considerate and kind
up until the end.
When you did not mind

Killing my dreams for us.
So I ask of you,
to make a decision is a must.
For this is inhumane for me and you too.

Any day now,
I can't wait forever.
Think I've waited long enough,
for us to get back together?

It's now or never,
I'm not turning back.
Although I can't move on,
I can always replace what you lack;

A heart of compassion,
ever since that day,
when you lost what made you unique.
and if I may,

Say so myself,
every day was hell;
Not knowing if you cared,
or were even sure

If your decision was right,
but were too afraid to have it changed.
For chance that I had moved on,
and my heartbreak would be avenged.

To turn back the time
would simply be a miracle.
We could go back to when everything was
sweet and simple.

I love you more than I can express in words
even more than this poem can say.
The only thing that I can hope for,
is that you realize that you still feel the same way.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Penn Warren was named. Though nearly 80 at the time and “cancer-stricken, with all his work behind him, he

had long been considered the dean of American letters -- indeed, the very embodiment of the restless, ravening

American imagination” (The Fugitive). Robert Penn Warren was “an American poet, novelist, and literary

critic,” (Robert Penn Warren) and one of the greatest minds of his time. Not only did he live a very fulfilling life,

but was also well known throughout his time as a very distinguished person, and consequently received “much

recognition for his works;” (Life of Robert Penn Warren) many of which won him esteemed awards. Robert

Penn Warren, a brilliant American poet, contained such a variety of depth in his literary works, that that it is no

enigma how a mere being could receive so much praise and approval.

Warren was “born in Guthrie, Todd County, Kentucky on April 24, 1905,” (Robert Penn Warren) was

a prodigy from the start, and was deceased September 15, 1989. He entered Vanderbilt University in 1921 at

age 16, “where he became the youngest member of the group of Southern poets called the Fugitives, which

included John Crowe Ransom, Allen Tate, Donald Davidson, and Merrill Moore” (Life of Robert Penn

Warren). Another aspect of his awe-inspiring life was his range in talents. Warren's “range in his works was

extraordinary” (The Fugitive). He is the only writer “to have won a Pulitzer Prize both for fiction and (twice) for

poetry” (The Fugitive). He was also a passionate advocate “of the rural Southern agrarian tradition” (Robert

Penn Warren). His life could nearly be considered a fable of literary success. His 18 volumes of poetry “early on

displayed an eloquence later supplanted by a rugged sublimity that rightly earned him comparisons with Hardy

and Yeats” (The Fugitive).

One of his most heartfelt pieces of poetry is titled True Love. In it are insightful examples of imagery,

literary devices, sound devices, and a flow that creates a visually moving image, from one scene to the next. An

excerpt that proves this point beautifully is as follows:

In silence the heart raves. It utters words
Meaningless, that never had
A meaning. I was ten, skinny, red-headed,

Freckled. In a big black Buick,
Driven by a big grown boy, with a necktie, she sat
In front of the drugstore, sipping something

Through a straw. There is nothing like
Beauty. It stops your heart. It
Thickens your blood. It stops your breath. It

Makes you feel dirty. You need a hot bath.
I leaned against a telephone pole, and watched.
I thought I would die if she saw me.

How could I exist in the same world with that brightness?
Two years later she smiled at me. She
Named my name. I thought I would wake up dead.

But I know she is beautiful forever, and lives
In a beautiful house, far away.
She called my name once. I didn't even know she knew.

As the imagery flows through the chosen words and one begins to consider why he used those particular

words, one realizes that this is the work of a true genius; it is a real masterpiece. To evoke such deep thought

from a few stanzas of a poem is purely magical. To contain such depth and broad range of talent, all condensed

into one simple piece of literary work, is what a true master of literature is capable of achieving. It is what Robert

Penn Warren was capable of achieving, and was very apt at consistently achieving throughout his literary career.


What is most striking about this famed poet and novelist however, is the knowledge that he had rather not

attended Vanderbilt at all. Astonishingly, he desired to attend Annapolis and “become commander of the Pacific

fleet. In fact, he was accepted by the Naval Academy, but that summer his younger brother aimlessly tossed a

stone over a hedge. It landed in Warren's eye, and so damaged his sight that he couldn't enroll at Annapolis.

(The eye was later removed)” (The Fugitive). To realize that this remarkable American prodigy had not desired

to become a poet or novelist at all, and then to compare his works of art to those who had built their whole lives

around becoming an esteemed poet, it was purely fate that he could have turned out as so, so that these amazing

works of art could flow from his mind, with such broad depth as was included, that he received many precious

awards that some would regard as the highest level of recognition achievable.

Another eloquent example of the included depth in Warren’s literature is from one of his more thought-evoking

works, Tell Me A Story:

Long ago, in Kentucky, I, a boy, stood
By a dirt road, in first dark, and heard
The great geese hoot northward.

I could not see them, there being no moon
And the stars sparse. I heard them.

I did not know what was happening in my heart.

It was the season before the elderberry blooms,
Therefore they were going north.

The sound was passing northward.

Tell me a story.

In this century, and moment, of mania,
Tell me a story.

Make it a story of great distances, and starlight.

The name of the story will be Time,
But you must not pronounce its name.

Tell me a story of deep delight.

Just the arrangement of the words included in this poem is enough to rouse such deep and meaningful

thoughts as those of the ones he included into his work. Throughout Robert Warren’s amazing life, he created a

legacy that is very hard to live up to. Not only did he compose beautifully crafted works of art, through his

poetry, prose, and letters, but he also received much recognition for them, and was also compared with the likes

of Hardy and Yeats; a huge accomplishment on it’s own. Without his perseverance, determination, and sheer

depth inserted into his works, one could never have experienced such enlightenment when examining a work of

literature as one can while reviewing Robert Penn Warren’s amazingly gifted talents inserted into his works of art.





Work Cited

The Fugitive. 9 March 1997. The New York Times. 10 April 2007.
<http://www.nytimes.com/books/97/03/09/reviews/970309.09mcclact.html>.

Tell Me A Story. 8 October 1995. Poetry Critics. 10 April 2007.
<http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15315>.

Robert Penn Warren. 12 February 2006. Wikipedia. 10 April 2007.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Penn_Warren>.

Life of Robert Penn Warren. 6 June 1999. Poetry Critics. 10 April 2007.
<http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/17>.

Labels: The Biography of a Prodigy

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

REVIEW QUESTIONS



1. Elie Weisel's childhood home was in Sighet, Transylvania.



2. The cabala is or rather, referrs to a collection of mystical and ethical Jewish writings, mostly dating from the medieval period. It consists of a good part of speculative and symbolical interpretations of Hebrew scriptures.

3. The truths that Weisel was referring to were the truths about the human race, why we do what we do, and ever the more information and investigation into his faith and his God. The kind of truths that Weisel was ignorant of were those that dealt with the fact that not all humans treat others with kindness, and that you cannot control what others say, do, and/or think.

4. Moshe the Beadle was a significant figure in the novel because he taught Elie all that he wanted to know about the cabala and about thier religion and faith. What he tells Elie about answers, questions, and the truth is that you have to search for what you want to find it. Moshe was prescient in his admonition to Elie because he had seen the horrors that were to come to them, (the Jewish,) if they did not leave as he was informing them to do.

5. The people of Sighet ignore Moshe the Beadle after his escape because they are naive, and believe that what he is telling them is very far from the truth. They do not listen to him because they believe he is crazy, and they do not want to believe that what he is saying is true.

6. Madame Schatcher is the lady boarded on the "Jewish train" on thier way to Auschwitz. She is considered "crazy" by the people in the train because of what she says. People do not listen to her however, and this is how she is similar to Moshe the Beadle. Her "prophesies" are not believed by the passengers on the train.

7. This passage was all about the experiences which led Elie Wiesel to lose faith in his God, to lose faith in his people, to lose faith in himself. This is a paragraph in which he expresses his strong feelings towards his experiences during the holocaust.

8. Basically, this passage was about young Elie's emotional outcome, and his emotional scarring after the holocaust had ended. This is about how he will never forget the horrors that happened to him and his family. For as long as he shall live, he will always remember.

9. Throughout Night, Elie first believes that there IS a God, and that He is always constantly present, no matter who you are, what you've done, or where you've been. However, while in camp, his view of a god changes. He then believes that if there was in fact a "GOD" then this concentration camp would be non-existent. That 'How can God let this camp run on, if in fact, there is a God?'. Other people in the camp thought otherwise; that there IS a God, and that He is using this camp to test their faith.

10. The literal meaning that night has in Night is that it is simply dark outside, time for sleep and rest. However, the figurative, or symbolical, meaning that night has in Night is much more complex and intricate. What night stands for is the darkness that surrounds the Jewish and the oppressed. The emptiness that these people felt, the feeling of being alone in the world with no-one there beside them, to help and guide them from this madness, this ludacris idea and plan that Adolf Hitler was carrying out.

11. Night in my opinion is a very small novel because Elie Wiesel first, did not wish to relive all of the horrors that the holocaust put upon him, and secondly, that he did not wish to give all details of his time there, that some things were meant for others to read and learn about, and that other things were simply meant to be buried in the minds and thoughts and hearts of those who witnessed and lived through them.

12. Night can be interpreted as both a memoir of tragedy and of triumph. Tragedy because of the understated horrors that occurred during the holocaust and those specifically mentioned in the novel. Triumph because of the courage and the strength it took those survivers to keep going, to keep living, to keep alive, to survive.

Monday, December 18, 2006

REACTION JOURNAL



PAGES 1-10

December 18, 2006/Page 9: "We drank, we ate, we sang. The Bible bade us rejoice during the seven days of the feast, to be happy. But our hearts were not in it. Our hearts had been beating more rapidly for some days. We wished the feast were over, so that we should not have to play this comedy any longer."

- This quote struck me as very odd. As a member of a religion which practices great religious faith, it seemed very odd that they would wish the feast to be over. Normally, one would rejoice in this feast, and this vacation from the world of brutal reality. However, these people were wishing for their sacred feast to be over. Wishing their sacred feast to be over. This is very abnormal, and gives clues to what may become of their religion later on.


PAGES 11-20

December 18, 2006/Page 14: "There was joy-yes, joy. Perhaps they thought that God could have devised no torment in hell worse than that of sitting there among the bundles, in the middle of the road, beneath a blazing sun; that anything would be preferable to that. They began their journey without a backward glance at the abandoned streets, the dead, empty houses, the gardens, the tombstones....On everyone's back was a pack. In everyone's eyes was suffering drowned in tears. Slowly, heavily, the procession made its way to the gate of the ghetto."

- This quote literally jumped out at me. Included are extremely powerful emotions. It is extremely emotional and depressing knowing that these people believed they were headed to a better place. Instead, what they got was a place of torture and inprisonment. They were glad to be leaving their homes and lives. Just to "pick up where they left off" is what they thought. Oh, were they very mistaken.


PAGES 21-30

December 18, 2006/Page 25: "We looked at the flames in the darkness. There was an adominable odor floating in the air. Suddenly, our doors opened. Some odd-looking characters, dressed in striped shirts and black trousers leapt into the wagon. They held electric torches and truncheons. They began to strike out to right and left, shouting: 'Everybody get out! Everyone out of the wagon! Quickly!' We jumped out. I threw a last glance towards Madame Schachter. Her little boy was holding her hand. In front of us flames. In the air that smell of burning flesh. It must have been about midnight. We had arrived-at Birkenau, reception center for Auschwitz.

- This is probably the first quote in the book that describes their first realization that they were not headed to Hungary. They realize quickly that where they are headed, by the distict descriptions, that it is not any place worth rejoicing for. It must have seemed to them that they were headed for complete and total torture, and to put it bluntly, hell. They would later find out that there was much worse to come. Which is both extremely sad, and utterly diminishing of any hope at all for these poor souls.


PAGES 31-40

December 19, 2006/Page 31: "'Yitgadal veyitkadach shme raba... May His Name be blessed and magnified...' whispered my father. For the first time, I felt revolt rise up in me. Why should I bless His name? The Eternal, Lord of the Universe, the All-Powerful and Terrible, was silent. What had I to thank Him for?"

-This quote here signifies one of the first doubts that Elie has of his God. His father, still very religious, prays to Him. However, Elie, acting very immaturely, naively states "What had I to thank Him for?". This shows that the first job of the Germans was in the process of being accomplished. They wished to wipe out the Jewish race. The first step in doing that was to make them doubt their own God. This evil act is already in the process, as is expertly, yet subconciously demonstrated by Elie himself.


PAGES 41-50

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

balneo-, balne-
(Greek > Latin: bath, bathing; wash, washing)


balneal: Of or pertaining to baths or to bathing.

balnearii: People who steal clothing from public baths.

balnearil: The people who stole clothing from a public bath in ancient Rome.

balneary: A bathing room.

balneation: The act of bathing.

balneatory: Belonging to a bath.

balneatrix, balneatricis: Caretaker of a bath (feminine).

balneography: A written description about baths.

balneological: Of or pertaining to balneology.

balneologist:1. A specialist or expert in balneology.
2. Someone who practices in the profession of balneotherapy.

balneology: The scientific medical study of bathing and medicinal springs.

balneophile, balneophilist: A collector of pictures of bathing girls or a fondness for collecting pictures of girls in swimsuits.



baro-, bar-, bary-
(Greek: weight, heavy; atmospheric pressure; a combining form meaning "pressure", as in barotaxis, or sometimes "weight", as in baromacrometer )


baragnosis, baragnosia, baroagnosis: 1. The inability to appreciate or estimate weight.
2. Loss of the sense of weight.

baranesthesia: Insensibility to weight or pressure on the body.

baroceptor: In physiology, a pressure-sensitive receptor organ of the nervous system, found, for example, in the walls of blood vessels.

baroclinity, baroclinicity, barocliny: In physics, a state of fluid stratification in which isobaric surfaces and isosteric surfaces are not parallel, but intersect.

barocyclonometer: An aneroid barometer with diagrams and directions for detecting the existence of a storm at a distance of several hundred miles.

barodontalgia: Toothache associated with the reduction in atmospheric pressure in high-altitude flying. Also: aerodontalgia.

barodynamics: In mechanics, the study of the mechanics of heavy structures that are liable to collapse under their own weight.

baric: Relating to barometric pressure (as in isobar) or to weight generally.



bentho-
(Greek: deep, depth; the fauna and flora of the bottom of the sea; sea bottom; depth [by extension, this element includes lake, river, and stream bottoms])


benthos: 1. Those organisms attached to, living on, in or near the sea bed, river bed, or lake floor.
2. The biogeographic region at the bottom of a sea or ocean (or, more broadly, at the soil-water interface of an ocean, sea, or lake). The organisms living in such a region include the permanently attached or immobile forms (e.g., sponges, corals, oysters), creeping forms (e.g., crabs, snails), and the burrowing animals (e.g., worms). Barnacles, the larger seaweeds, and sea squirts are also members of this group.
3. The organisms living on sea or lake bottoms. The benthos are divided into sessile organisms (those that are attached to the bottom or to objects on or near the bottom) snd vagrant organisms (those that crawl or swim along the bottom).



Berserk
(Old Norse: berserkar, literally, “bear’s skin”; a Norse-myth warrior)


berserk: 1. Behaving in an uncontrolled way as a result of anger or irrational feeling; to go berserk.
2. Extremely excited or enthusiastic about something (informal): "The crowd went berserk when the movie star finally appeared."
3. Destructively or frenetically violent: "The berserk worker started to smash all of the windows."
4. Mentally or emotionally upset; deranged: "She was berserk with grief."
5. Informal: Unrestrained, as with enthusiasm or appetite; wild: "They went berserk over the chocolates."



bio-, bi-, -biotic
(Greek: life; living, live, alive, bi- meaning "two")


biophotometer: An obsolete instrument once used for measuring the rate and degree of dark adaptation, as in vitamin "A" deficiency.

biophylaxis, biophylactic: Nonspecific defense reactions of the body, e.g., phagocytosis, vascular and other reactions of inflammatory processes.

biceps: A muscle with two points of origin; especially, the large muscle at the front of the upper arm that flexes the elbow joint and the large muscle at the back of the thigh that flexes the knee joint.

biophysics: 1. The science dealing with the mechanical and electrical properties of the parts of a living organism.
2. The study of biological processes and materials by means of the theories and tools of physics.
3. The study of physical processes (e.g., electricity, luminescence) occurring in organisms.
4. The science that applies the laws and methods of physics to the study of biological processes (used with a singular verb).

biophysiologist: One who investigates the physiology of living beings.

biophysiolography: Structural or descriptive biology.

biophysiology: That part of biology that includes organogeny, morphology, and physiology.

biophyte: A plant that feeds on other living organisms; a parasitic or predatory plant; or plants that get sustenance from living organisms.



Biopiracybiopiracy


1. Biological theft; illegal collection of indigenous plants, microbes, enzymes, etc. by corporations who patent them for their own commercial use.
2. The commercial development of naturally occurring biological materials; such as, plant substances or genetic cell lines, by a technologically advanced country or organization without fair compensation to the peoples or nations in whose territory the materials were originally discovered.The patenting of plants, genes, and other biological products that are indigenous to a foreign country; for example, some developing tropical nations are saying that if the West cries foul over piracy of intellectual property or computer software, then biopiracy in Western labs of jungle extracts should also be considered a high economic crime.Biopiracy usually refers to the privatization and unauthorized use of biological resources by entities (including corporations, universities, and governments) outside of a country that has pre-existing knowledge. This privatization and use is sometimes claimed to be predatory. Particular activities usually covered by the term are: Exclusive commercial rights to plants, animals, organs, microorganisms, and genes; as well as, commercialization of traditional communities' knowledge on biological resources; and patenting of biological resources.



bromo-, brom-
(Greek: stench, stink, bad odor; unpleasant bodily odor; bromine)


bromhidrosis, bromidrosis: 1. Sweat that is fetid or offensive due to bacterial decomposition. It occurs mostly on the feet, in the groin, and under the arms.
2. Also called kakidrosis, cacidrosis, fetid sweat, fetid perspiration, osmidrosis, ozochrotia. Bromhidrosis, or body odor, is caused by bacteria growing on the body. These bacteria multiply considerably in the presence of sweat, but sweat itself is almost totally odorless. Body odor is associated with the hair, feet, crotch (upper medial thigh), anus, skin in general, breasts, armpits, genitals, and pubic hair.

bromidrosiphobia: A mental disorder in which there is an abnormal fear of personal odors, accompanied by hallucinations.

bromidrosiphobia, bromidrosophobia: An abnormal fear of one’s own personal body odors or those from others; sometimes with the belief that such an odor is present even when it is not.

bromohyperhidrosis: Profuse bromhidrosis. Also known as, bromohyperidrosis.

bromomenorrhea: Menstruation characterized by an offensive odor.

bromopnea: 1. A strong, offensive smell, or stench from the mouth.
2. Foul breath which may be caused by a disease within the mouth (dental caries, severe ulcerative stomatitis, ulceromembranous pharyngitis, etc.) or the nose (ozena, malignant disease, etc.), but frequently defies medical diagnosis.
3. Also known as, halitosis, fetor ex ore, stomatodysodia, and ozostomia.



caco-, cac-, kako-, kak-
(Greek: bad, harsh, wrong, evil; incorrect; unpleasant; poor; used most of the time as a prefix)

alexicacon, alexikakon: A preservative against evil; a safeguard against bad.

cacaerometer: Measuring bad air.

cacaesthesia, cacesthesia, kakesthesia: Abnormal dysfunctional sensations on the skin; such as, a feeling of numbness, tingling, prickling, or a burning or cutting pain; heightened sensitivity. Also, dysesthesia and paresthesia.

cacergasia, kakergasia: The malfunctioning of the functions and reactions of the total individual in contradistinction to the functions of individual organs or parts of the human organism.

cachectic: Relating to or suffering from cachexia.

cachexia, cachexy: 1. A state of ill health, malnutrition, and wasting. It may occur in many chronic diseases, certain malignancies, and advanced pulmonary tuberculosis.
2. A general weight loss and wasting occurring in the course of a chronic disease or emotional disturbance.
3. A chronic catabolic state, associated with certain infections and malignancies, characterized by weight loss that continues despite the consumption of an adequate diet.

cacidrosis, kakidrosis: Sweat that is fetid or offensive due to bacterial decomposition. It occurs mostly on the feet, in the groin, and under the arms.

cacochylous: A reference to bad chyle or difficult digestion.

cacodemon, cacodaemon, cacodemonia: 1. An evil spirit or demon.
2. A name for nightmare.

cacodemoniac: One possessed with an evil spirit.

cacodemonomania: A delusion that one is, or is about to be inhabited by or possessed of, a devil or some evil spirit (demon).

cacodermia: Bad skin; i.e., a condition in which one has a pimply or rough skin.

cacodontia, cacodentia, cacodental: Having bad or malformed teeth.

cacodorous: Bad-smelling, ill-smelling, malodorous.

cacodox: Holding what is considered to be wrong or evil opinions, teachings, or doctrines.



digit-, digiti-
(Latin: finger, toe; from Greek daktylos)


bidigitate, bidigital: Having two digits, fingers, or finger-like processes.

digit: 1. A finger or toe in human beings or the corresponding part in other vertebrates.
2. Any of the Arabic numerals 0 to 9; one of the elements that collectively form a system of numbers.
3. Any of the symbols of other number systems, as 0 or 1 in the binary.
4. The width of a finger used as a unit of length, equal to approximately 2 cm (3/4 in).
5. In astronomy, the twelfth part of the sun's or moon's diameter; used to express the magnitude of an eclipse.In anatomy, a jointed body part at the end of the limbs of many vertebrates. The limbs of primtes end in five digits, while the limbs of horses end in a single digit that terminates in a hoof. The fingers and toes are digits in humans.

digital: 1. Pertaining to, resembling, or using a digit or digits.
2. Resembling an impression made by a finger.
3. Pertaining to data in the form of discrete states as contrasted to analog data in the form of continuously variable physical quantities.In computer science, representing or operating on data or information in numerical form. A digital clock uses a series of changing digits to represent time at discrete intervals; for example, every second. Modern computers rely on digital processing techniques, in which both data and the instructions for manipulating data are represented as binary numbers.

digitalgia: Pain in a digit.

digitalgia paresthetica: Pain, paresthesiae, and numbness restricted to the distribution of a single digital nerve.

digitaliform: A reference to the form of the corolla of the fox-glove.

digitalis: The dried leaf of Digitalis purpurea, the purple foxglove.The flower digitalis, long known as a heart stimulant, is so named bcause a human finger, or digit, fits snugly into one of its deep-throated bells.

digitalisation, digitalization: The administration of digitalis for the treatment of certain heart disorders.

digitally: By means of digits; in digital form.

digitaria: Crab grass; finger grass.

digitary: Of or pertaining to the fingers.

digitate: 1. Having fingers or toes, or having parts that are like fingers or toes; having radiating divisions or leaflets resembling the fingers of a hand.
2. A description of leaves that have divisions or parts arrayed from a central point like the spread fingers of a hand.

digitate: 1. Possessing several fingerlike processes or impressions.
2. Arranged like the fingers of the hand.
3. Of quadrupeds that have separate or divided digits or toes.
4. Of leaves, etc.: Having deep radiating divisions; now usually applied to compound leaves consisting of a number of leaflets all springing from one point, as in the horse-chestnut.

digitated: Having divisions for the toes.

digitately: 1. Having digits or fingerlike projections.
2. In botany, having distinct parts arising from a common point or center; palmate.

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

acous-, acou-, -acoustical, -acusis-, -acusia
(Greek: hearing, listening, of or for hearing)


acouasmIn psychiatry: a nonverbal auditory hallucination, such as a ringing or hissing in the ears; acousma; also known as tinnitus.

acoubouy: Used by military ordnance, a listening device dropped by parachute onto land and water, used to detect sounds of enemy movements and transmit them to orbiting aircraft or land stations.

acouesthesia: The sense of hearing; auditory perception."You can hear cow bells but you can't hear cow horns.—Evan Esar"We hear what we listen for.—Anonymous"A good listener is one who can give you his full attention without hearing a word you say. "—Anonymous

acoumeter: An instrument used for estimating the power or extent of the sense of hearing before the introduction of audiometers. Variant spellings include these words: acouometer, acoumeter, acousmeter, acousmetric, acousmometric, acoumetry, and acoumetric.

acouophone: An obsolete term for an electric hearing aid.

acouophonia: "Auscultatory percussion" or the act of listening to sounds produced within the body; especially, the chest and abdomen, as a means of detecting evidence of disorders or pregnancy

acousia: This is now spelled acusis.

acousma: A simple auditory hallucination, such as ringing or buzzing sounds "in the ears"; also acouasm.

acousmata: Things received (heard) on authority; a technical word for a school of philosophy.

acousmatagnosis: In psychology, an abnormal inability to understand spoken words and to recognize meaningful sounds.

acousmatamnesia: 1. Failure of the memory to call up the images of sounds.
2. The inability to remember certain sounds.

acousmatic: A professed hearer, a class of scholars under Pythagoras, who listened to his teachings, without inquiring into their inner truths or basis.

acoustic, acoustical, acoustically: Pertaining to the sense of hearing; adapted to aid hearing; the science of audible sounds.

acoustic agraphia: The inability to write from dictation (from what is heard).

acousticate: To deny that one has been correctly heard even when one is painfully aware that there has been no mistake, this denial being often supported by the hasty fabrication of a new utterance, similar in sound to the original, but more agreeable in sense."I quickly acousticated 'fatuous ass' into 'anfractuous mass,' and nobody noticed a thing."—In a Word, edited by Jack Hitt; as quoted from Richard Tristman, professor.

acoustic hypoesthesia (hypoacusis): Partial loss of hearing.

acoustician: A specialist in acoustics.

acoustico: facialRelating to both the eighth (auditory) and seventh (facial) cranial nerves.

acousticomotor: A motor response to sound.acousticonAn instrument for helping the hearing impaired to hear.

acousticopalpebral: Relating to both the acoustic part of the eighth cranial nerve and the eyelids. The orbicularis oculi muscle, which closes the eyelids, is innervated by the seventh (facial) nerve.

acousticophobia, akousticophobia: An abnormal fear of hearing noises in general or specific noises or sounds. This phobia goes beyond just being startled by sudden loud noises. Some people fear specific noises, such as whistling, balloons popping, or sonic booms.

acoustics: 1. The science of sound and the phenomena of hearing.
2. In physics, the science and study of sound, including its production, transmission, and effects. 3. In architecture: a. The sum of the qualities, as absence of echo or reverberation, that determine the value of a room, enclosure, or auditorium with respect to distinct hearing.
b. The science of planning and building an enclosure so that sound will be perfectly transmitted within it.
4. In psychology: the part of psychology dealing with hearing. Acoustics is usually construed as a singular noun, except in the sense with reference to the science of sound qualities for buildings as in "3.a" above. acoustimeterA portable electronic device for measuring noise levels, especially those of traffic.acoustoelectric effectIn electronics, the generatioin of a DC voltage in a crystal or in a metallic material, due to acoustic waves traveling along the surface of the material.

acoustoelectronics: The use of acoustic energy to create electromagnetic waves, usually with crystals or metals that react when bombarded with acoustic waves, and the processing of such waves prior to reproduction of the original sound.

acoustogram, acoustigram: The graphic tracing of the curves, delineated in frequencies per second and decibel levels, of sounds produced by motion of a joint. Applied to the knee joint, an acoustogram will show the sound of the moving semilunar cartilages, the moving contact between the articular surfaces of the femur and tibia, and the circulation of the synovia.

acousto-optics, acousto-optic, acousto-optical, acousto-optically: The science and technology of the interactions between sound waves and light waves passing through solid materials, especially as applied to the modulation and deflection of laser beams by ultrasonic waves; important in laser and holographic technologies.

acoutometer: An instrument for measuring the level of sounds.

acusis: 1. The ability to perceive sounds normally; normal hearing.
2. Hearing, used in combination to denote a specified kind of hearing, as in presbyacusis, hypoacusis, etc.



acro-, acr-
(Greek: high, highest, highest point; top, tip end, outermost; extreme; extremity of the body)


acroagnosia: Lack of sensory recognition of a limb.

acroagnosis: Lack of sensory recognition of a limb (arms and/or legs); also, acragnosis.

acroanesthesia: Loss of sensation in the extremities; such as the hands, fingers, toes, and feet.

acroarthritis: Arthritis affecting the extremities (hands or feet).

acroasphyxia: 1. An obsolete term for acrocyanosis.
2. Neurosis marked by asphyxia of the extremities.
3. Impaired digital circulation, possibly a mild form of Raynaud’s disease, marked by a purplish or waxy white color of the fingers, with subnormal local temperature and paresthesia. Also known as “dead fingers”, or “waxy fingers”.

acroataxia: Ataxia affecting the distal portion of the extremities; such as, hands and fingers, feet, and toes.Ataxia is the inability to coordinate muscle activity during voluntary movement, so that smooth movements occur.

acrobat, acrobatic: A performer on the trapeze, tightrope, etc.

acroblast: A body in the spermatid from which arises the acrosome.

acrobrachycephaly: A condition resulting from fusion of the coronal suture, causing abnormal shortening of the anteroposterior diameter of the skull.

acrobryous: Growing only at the tip.

acrobystitis: Inflammation of the prepuce (foreskin).

Acrocanthosaurus: A “high-spined lizard” from Early Cretaceous Oklahoma , Utah, and Texas, USA. Named by U.S paleotologists John Willis Stovall and Wann Langston, Jr. in 1950.

acrocarpous: Bearing fruit at the end of the stalk, as some mosses.

acrocentric: A type of chromosome having the centromere near one end of the replicating chromosome, so that one arm is much longer than the other.

acrocephalia, acrocephalic, acrocephalous, acrocephaly: Denoting a head that is pointed and conelike; also known as, oxycephaly, oxycephalous.



aesth-, esth-, aesthe-, esthe-, aesthesio-, esthesio-, aesthesia-, -esthesia
(Greek: feeling, sensation, perception)


aesthacyte: A sensory cell of primitive animals such as sponges.

aesthesia, esthesia: The ability to feel sensations; perception.

aesthesic, esthesic: A reference to the mental perception of sensations.

aesthesiogenic: Producing or causing sensation.

aesthesiometer: An instrument for the purpose of determining the degree of tactile sensibility possessed by the patient.

aesthesis: The perception of the external world by the senses.

aesthesodic: Of nerves that provide a path for sensory impulses; conveying sensations from the external organs to the brain or nerve center.

aesthetasc: An olfactory receptor on the small antennae of some crustaceans; such as, Daphnia (water fleas, some species of which are commonly used as food for aquarium fish).

aesthete, esthete: 1. A person who is highly sensitive to art and beauty.
2. One who has an acute delight in the beauty of color, line, sound, and texture with a violent distaste for the ugly, shapeless, and discordant.
3. A person who artificially cultivates artistic sensitivity or makes a cult of art and beauty.

aesthetes, esthetes: A reference to sense organs or the plural of esthete.



alcoholo-, alcohol-, alcoho-
(Arabic > Latin: alcohol, originally an "essence or very fine powder", from Arabic al-kuhl which is from al-, "the", and kohl or kuhl, "antimony sulfide" )


alcholimetric: A reference to a device, called a alcoholometer, that measures the quantity of alcohol contained in a liquid.

alcholizer: An alcohol breath-test screening instrument; a breathalyzer with an analyzer cell used in police units worldwide to check drivers suspected of excessive drinking.

alcholometrical: A reference to the use of an alcoholometer.

alcogel: A gelatinous precipitate from a colloidal solution in alcohol.

alcohol: 1. A colorless, volatile, pungent liquid; synthesized or derived from fermentation of sugars and starches, it can be burned as fuel, is used in industry and medicine, and is the intoxicating element of whiskey, wine, beer, and other fermented or distilled liquors. It is also called "ethyl alcohol".
2. Any of a series of hydroxyl compounds, the simplest of which are derived from saturated hydrocarbons, and include ethanol and methanol.

alcoholate: A tincture or other preparation containing alcohol.

alcoholature: An alcoholic tincture prepared with fresh plants.

alcoholemia, hyperalcoholemia: The presence of ethanol in the blood.

alcohol-ether: A chemical compound used in shampoos, bubble baths, body wash, liquid soaps.

alcohol fuel: A motor fuel of gasoline blended with 5-25% of amhydrous ethyl alcohol; used particularly in Europe; gasohol.

alcoholic: 1. Relating to, containing, or produced by alcohol.
2. One who suffers from alcoholism.
3. One who abuses or is dependent upon alcohol.O God! That men should put an enemy in their mouths to steal away their brains.—Cassio, in Othello by William Shakespeare (1564-1616)alcoholicaSpanish word for alcohol.

alcoholicity: The degree of alcoholic content.

alcoholimeter: A device, such as a form of hydrometer, that measures the quantity of alcohol contained in a liquid.

alcoholism: 1. Chronic alcohol abuse, dependence, or addiction; chronic excessive drinking of alcoholic beverages resulting in impairment of health and/or social or occupational functioning, and increasing adaptation to the effects of alcohol requiring increasing doses to achieve and sustain a desired effect; specific signs and symptoms of withdrawal usually are shown when one stops such drinking.
2. "Alcohol dependence" (currently the preferred term); "alcohol addiction". The terms refer to a variety of disorders associated with the repetitive consumption of alcohol, usually over a long period of time, in amounts that the drinker is unable to handle physiologically, emotionally, or socially.People who drink to drown their sorrow should be told that sorrow knows how to swim.—Ann Landers



andro-, andr-, -ander, -andry
(Greek: man, men, male, masculine; also, stamen or anther as used in botany)


andragogy, andragogue: 1. The methods or techniques used to teach adults. Mistakenly used to refer to adult education for both male and female learners. “Mistakenly” because andro, -andra- refers only to males.
2. Another erroneous definition is, the art and science of helping adults learn.

andranatomy: 1. The dissection of the male body.
2. The physical structure of the male body.

andriatry, andriatrics: 1. Medical science relating to the treatment of diseases of male genital organs and of men in general.
2. The branch of medicine dealing with diseases of men; such as, those of the male genitalia.

andric: Male, like a male, male characteristics.

andrium: The male portion of a flower.

androblastoma: A rare, benign tumor of the testis that histologically resembles the fetal testis, with varying proportions of tubular and stromal elements; the tubules contain Sertoli cells, which may cause feminization.

androcentric, androcentricity: 1. Dominated by or emphasizing masculine interests or points of view; as an androcentric society.
2. Having a man, or the male, as the center of importance.The four stages of man are: infancy, childhood, adolescence, and finally obsolescence.—Art LinkletterandrocephalousHaving a man’s head (upon an animal’s body).

androchorous, androchory, androchore: Dispersed by the agency of man.

androconium, androconial: Scales on the wings of certain male Lepidoptera (butterflies) from which the attractive scent of the male is diffused.

androcracy, androcratic: The political rule by men or males; male supremacy.

androcyte: Male sex cell, especially of an immature stage; spermatid.

philander, philanderer: 1. To carry on a sexual affair, especially an extramarital affair, with a woman one cannot or does not intend to marry.
2. To engage in many love affairs, especially with a frivolous or casual attitude.
3. Philanderer actually means "a lover of men" or of "one's husband", but a mistake was made in the adoption from the Greek and a different meaning was applied (according to David Muschell.)

polyandrous, polyandry: 1. A reference to a female who mates with several males; having more than one husband or having several husbands.
2. Literally having many male sexual partners.
3. In botany, having numerous stamens.

protandrous, protandry, protandric: The condition of a hermaphrodite in which the male portion develops first or which is first male, and later sex reversed to female.
2. Said of a flower in which the pollen matures before the stigma is receptive.

proterandrous, proterandry: 1. In botany, having the stamens or male organs mature before the pistil or female organ.
2. In zoology, a hermaphrodite animal; or a colony of zooids, having the male organs, or individuals, sexually mature before the female.

pseudandrous, pseudandry: Use of a masculine name by a woman as a pseudonym



angio-, angi-, -angium
(Greek > Latin: [receptacle], vessel, often a blood vessel; "covered by a seed or vessel", a seed vessel; a learned borrowing from Greek meaning "vessel", "container")


adenoangiosarcoma: An angiosarcoma involving gland structures.

anangioid: Seemingly without blood vessels.

anangioplasia, anangioplastic: 1. The imperfect vascularization (formation of new blood vessels) of a part due to poorly formed or unformed blood vessels.
2. Imperfect vascularization of a part due to nonformation of vessels, or vessels with inadequate caliber (diameter of a hollow tubular structure).

androgametangium (antheridium [s], antheridia [pl]): 1. A male reproductive structure producing gametes, occurring in ferns, mosses, fungi, and algae.
2. The male sex organ of spore-producing plants; produces antherozoids; equivalent to the anther in flowers.

angialgia, angialgistic: Pain in a blood vessel.

angiasthenia: Instability or loss of tone in the vascular system.

angiectasia: Dilation of a lymphatic or blood vessel.

angiectasis, angioectatic: Abnormal, usually gross dilatation and often lengthening of a blood or lymphatic vessel.

angiectatic: 1. Marked by the presence of dilated blood vessels.
2. A reference to or characterized by angiectasis.

angiectid: An abnormal intradermal venous dilatation, consisting of a circumscribed conglomerate mass of venules, which causes a frequently tense and tender elevation of the skin.

angiectomy: 1. The excision or resection of a vessel.
2. Excision of all or part of a blood vessel; also known as, arteriectomy or a venectomy.

angiectopia, angiectopic: 1. An abnormal position or course of a vessel.
2. Displacement or an abnormal location of a blood vessel.

angiitis, angiitides: Inflammation of a blood or lymph vessel.

angina: 1. Any of various diseases or conditions characterized by painful or cramping spasms.
2. Any attack of painful spasms characterized by sensations of choking or suffocating.
3. Chest pain due to an inadequate supply of oxygen to the heart muscle. The chest pain of angina is typically severe and crushing. There is a feeling just behind the breastbone (the sternum) of pressure and suffocation.
4. Any spasmodic, choking, or suffocating pain.
5. An old term for a sore throat.

anginal: 1. Angina pectoris.
2. A condition, such as severe sore throat, in which spasmodic attacks of suffocating pain occur.



arena [harena], areni-
(Latin: harena; sand, sandy place, sea-shore; place of combat [literally, "place strewn with sand"])


arena: 1. An indoor or outdoor area, surrounded by seating for spectators, where shows or sports events take place.
2. A group of adjoining mating territories of a species.arenaceoA prefix that can be attached to other words with the meaning of sandy, mixed with sand; as with arenaceo-argillaceous: of the nature of sandy clay.

arenaceous: 1. Used to describe rocks or deposits that are composed of sand grains or have a sandy texture.
2. A reference to plants that grow best in sandy soil.
3. Derived from or containing sand; having the properties of sand; growing in sand; sandy.
4. Resembling sand in texture, sandy, or gritty.

arenavirus: A reference to the dense granules resembling sand inside their virion.

arenicole: 1. Living or growing in sand.
2. Any organism that thrives in sandy areas.

arenicolite: A worm-hole made originally in sand and preserved in a sandstone rock.

arenicolous: Occurring or growing and developing in sandy areas.

arenilitic: Of or pertaining to sandstone.

arenoid: 1. Like or similar to sand.
2. Resembling grains of sand.



auto-, aut-
(Greek: self, same, spontaneous; directed from within)

autacoid, autacoidal: An organic substance formed by cells of an organ and carried by the circulatory system to a remote site where it affects another organ.

autaesthesy, autesthesy: Self-consciousness.

autagonistophilia: A sexual perversion in which sexual arousal and orgasm are contingent upon displaying one’s self in a live show, i.e. being observed performing on stage or on camera. The observer’s condition (if the stage or camera performance by the partner is a necessity for sexual arousal) is termed scoptophilia, [scopophilia], not voyeurism.—Psychiatric Dictionary, 7th ed., by Robert J. Campbell]

autantonym: A word that means its opposite.An example is the word fast, which when referring to a fast runner means a runner who runs rapidly or swiftly; but when it refers to a fast color, it means a color that doesn't run at all.

autarcesiology: The scientific study of natural immunity.

autarcesis: Natural immunity.

autarch: An absolute ruler; autocrat; a tyrant.

autarchy: 1. Absolute sovereignty, despotism.
2. Self-government; an autocratic government by one person with unlimited authority over others.

autarkist: Someone who rules a nation that has a policy of economic independence.

autarky, autarkic, autarkical: 1. The condition of self-sufficiency; especially, economic, as applied to a nation.
2. A national policy of economic independence.

autassasinophilia: Stage-managing one’s own murder, reported as an extreme form of masochism.

autechoscope: An instrument for self-auscultation.

autecology, autoecology, autecological, autoecological: 1. The ecology of an individual organism or species.
2. The study of the ecology of an individual plant or species; the opposite of synecology.

autemesia: 1. Idiopathic or functional vomiting.
2. Vomiting that is self-induced by provoking the gag reflex.
3. Vomiting induced by autosuggeston, as observed in certain mental patients.

autism: 1. Mental introversion in which the attention or interest is fastened on the patient's own ego; a self-centered mental state from which reality tends to be excluded.
2. A mental disorder characterized by severely abnormal developments of social interaction and verbal and nonverbal communication skills.
3. A tendency to view life in terms of one's own needs and desires.Affected individuals may adhere to inflexible, nonfunctional rituals or routine. They may become upset with even trivial changes in their environment. They often have a limited range of interests but may become preoccupied with a narrow range of subjects or activities. They appear unable to understand others' feelings and often have poor eye contact with others.Unpredictable mood swings may occur. Many demonstrate stereotypical motor mannerisms; such as, hand or finger flapping, body rocking, or dipping. The disorder is probably caused by organically based central nervous system dysfunction, especially in the ability to process social or emotional information or language.

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Greek/Latin Roots

a-, an-
(Greek: a prefix meaning: no, absence of, without, lack of, not)


These prefixes are normally used with elements of Greek origin, a- is used before consonants and an- is used before vowels. It affects the meanings of hundreds of words.

abacterial
Free of bacteria; without bacteria.

abaptism
Taboulic, abulic

abarognosis
1. Loss of ability to appreciate the weight of objects held in the hand, or to differentiate objects of different weights.
2. Loss of the sense of weight; unaware of weight.
3. When the primary senses are intact, caused by a lesion of the contralateral parietal lobe.

abasia
The inability to walk due to a limitation or absence of muscular coordination; not able to walk.

abiogenesis: [ab" ee oh JEN uh sis, ay" bigh oh JEN uh sis]
1. The origin of living things from things inanimate; i.e., life coming from non-living material.
2. Spontaneous generation; the concept that life can slimply arise spontaneously from non-living matter by natural processes without the intervention of supernatural powers.





Grammatical Articles a, an
(confusion exists about usage of "a" and "an" in front of other words)


The Inconsistent Articles "a" and "an"
Everyone who has a desire to improve his/her English skills should strive to develop fluency and accuracy by having access to information that presents a better understanding of the many confusing words that exist in English. Learning about confusing words is essential to better communication.


The proper use of "a" and "an"
There is an article on the proper use of "a" and "an" in just about every usage book ever written, although apparently few native speakers of English have any difficulty with them; in fact rarely does anyone think about them in speech.If there is any difficulty, it is to be found in writing. The basic rules are as follows: Use "a" before a consonant sound; use "an" before a vowel sound. Before a letter or an acronym or before numerals, choose "a" or "an" according to the way the letter or numeral is pronounced: an FDA directive, a United Nations' resolution, a $50.00 bill.
As we might expect, actual usage is more complex than the simple rules tend to lead us to expect. Here are some of the things that actual usage shows:In line with the basic rule, before words with an initial consonant sound, "a" is the usual application in speech and writing.
Before "h" in an unstressed or weakly stressed syllable, "a" and "an" are both used in writing (an historic, a historic) but an is more usual in speech, whether the "h" is pronounced or not. This variation exists as a result of historical development; in unstressed and weakly stressed syllables, "h" was formerly not pronounced in many words as it is currently pronounced by many people. A few words; such as, historic and (especially in England) hotel, are in transition, and may be found with either a or an. Apparently, people may now choose the article that suits their personal pronunciation preferences with several h words. Occasionally in modern writing and speech and regularly in the King James Version of the Bible, an is used before "h" in a stressed syllable, as in an hundred. Again, we have the same historical change: many more words were pronounced with a silent initial "h" in the past than are in the present. A few words; such as, heir, hour, and honest, generally have silent "h"; some others, like herb or humble are pronounced both ways. Use a or an according to your personal pronunciation preferences.
Before words beginning with a consonant sound but an orthographic vowel, an is sometimes used in speech and writing (an unique and such an one). This use is less frequent now than in the past.Before words with an initial vowel sound, an is usual in speech and writing. This is in line with the basic rule.


abjure (ab JOOR)
1. To renounce, reject, or give up rights or allegiance on oath: "The man said he would abjure his citizenship if his country continued with its policies of war instead of negotiating peaceful solutions to international problems."
2. To repudiate, renounce or recant publicly; disclaim: "He abjured his life of bad eating and drinking habits."

ability (uh BIL i tee)
1. The power or capacity to do or to act physically, mentally, legally, morally, financially, etc.
2. The competence in an activity or occupation because of one's skill, training, or other qualification: "He had the ability to learn languages easily."
3. A particular gift for doing something well; abilities, talents; special skills or aptitudes: "Learning mathematics seems to be beyond his abilities."

ablution (ab LYOO shuhn)
1. A washing of one’s body; washing, bathing, cleaning, bath, lavation: "Because of the heat, he felt the need for a daily ablution."
2. A washing or cleansing as a religious ceremony of purification; ceremonial washing, ritualistic washing: "After ablutions in the river, the holy man contiued on his journey."

absolution (ab" suh LOO shuhn)
1. A freeing from sin, guilt, or blame; or a declaration that frees a person from guilt or punishment for sin: "The priest gave absolution to church members which always makes the parishioners feel a great deal better."
2. Release from a duty or promise; discharge: "The soldier obtained absolution from the charges made by a fellow soldier."

abuse (uh BYOOZ)
1. To use wrongly or improperly; misuse, harm; maltreatment, injure: "Qaeda Militants (terrorists) must stop abusing hostages."
2. To assail with abusive words; revile, vilify, disparage: "The old shrew abused everyone in a loud voice."
3. A corrupt practice or activity; unfair use, improper use: "Too many politicians tend to abuse their positions with dishonest practices."





abacus
(Hebrew > Greek > Latin > Middle English: dust)


The source of our word abacus, the Greek word abax, is thought to come from Hebrew 'abaq, "dust", although the details of such a transmission are obscure. In postbiblical usage 'abaq meant "sand used as a writing surface". The Greek word abax has as one of its senses "a board sprinkled with sand or dust for drawing geometric diagrams." The difference in form between the Middle English word abacus and its Greek source abax is explained by the fact that Middle English actually borrowed Latin abacus, which came from the Greek genitive form (abakos) of abax.

abacus (s); abaci (pl)
1. A manual computing device consisting of a frame holding parallel rods strung with movable counters.
2. In architecture, a slab on the top of the capital of a column.





abdomino-, abdomin-, abdomen-
(Latin: belly, venter [the use of "stomach" is considered incorrect for this element])


abdomen
That portion of the body which lies between the lower thorax (chest) and the pelvis; or "the region of the trunk below the diaphragm, containing the largest cavity in the body". Also called belly (popular), venter, and stomach (incorrect). Derived from abdo, abdere, "to hide", and so probably originally referred to the "hidden part of the body".

abdominal, abdominally
Pertaining to the abdomen.
A stomach ache has been defined as an abominable pain in the abdominal area.
—Anonymous
"The stomach (which is in the abdominal area) is lined with thirty-five million glands that produce about three quarts (2.85 liters) of gastric juices daily. Hydrochloric acid makes up roughly five percent of these juices and, together with other acids and various enzymes, constantly works to digest food particles."
—Neil McAleer in his The Body Almanac

abdominalgia
Pain in the abdomen; a belly ache.

abdominoanterior
With the abdomen forward [denoting a position of the fetus in utero].

abdominocentesis
Paracentesis (surgical puncture of the abdominal wall cavity for the aspiration [removal by suction] of peritoneal fluid); i.e., puncturing of the abdomen with a hollow needle or trocar, usually for the purpose of withdrawing fluid.





-ability
(Latin: a suffix )


Just a few examples out of hundres of words presented as the noun forms of -able; forming nouns of quality from, or corresponding to, adjectives in -able; the quality in an agent that makes an action possible. The suffix -ible has related meanings.


absorbability
The state or quality of being absorbable; capability of being absorbed.

accountability
1. The state of being accountable, liable, or answerable.
2. Responsibility to someone or for some activity.
3. In education: a policy of holding schools and teachers accountable for students' academic progress by linking such progress with funding for salaries, maintenance, etc.

achievability
The state or condition of being achievable.

affability, affableness
The quality of being affable; readiness to converse or be addressed; especially, by inferiors or equals; courteousness, civility, openness of manner.

applicability
Relevance by virtue of being applicable to the matter at hand.





-able
(Latin: a suffix; capable of, able to, can do)


A suffix that forms adjectives. The suffix -ible has related meanings; expressing ability, capacity, fitness; capable of, fit for, able to be done, can be done, inclined to, tending to, given to.


abominable
A bad omen; nasty and disgusting; vile; loathsome.

acidifiable
Capable of being converted into, or of combining so as to form, an acid.

acquaintable
Easy to be acquainted with; affable.

affable
Easy of conversation or address; civil and courteous in receiving and responding to the conversation or address of others; especially, inferiors or equals; accostable, courteous, complaisant, benign.

amiable
1. Friendly and agreeable in feeling and disposition; showing good will; good-natured and likeable.
2. Cordial; sociable; congenial; such as, "an amiable gathering".





Ablutions or Bathing, Historical Perspectives
(Latin: abluere, to wash away)


Ablutions from the Past to the Present
In a leading public health textbook of 1908, W.T. Sedgwick noted that because personal hygiene is a means to control infectious diseases, “the absence of dirt is not merely an esthetic adornment.” He added that cleanliness is “doubtless an acquired taste.” Sedgwick’s comment came at a time of transition, when personal hygiene wasn’t a widespread habit.
Through great periods of European and much of U.S. history, clieanliness was inconvenient, religiously restricted, or just plain out of fashion. Living unwashed were saints, the masses, and monarchs alike. In response to the debauchery of Roman baths, the early Christian church frequently discouraged cleanliness. “To those that are well, and especially to the young,” Saint Benedict in the sixth century commanded, “bathing shall seldom be permitted.”
Saint Francis of Assisi considered an unwashed body a stinking badge of piety. Queen Isabella of Castile boasted that she had had only two baths in her life—at birth and before her marriage.
Colonial America’s leaders deemed bathing impure, since it promoted nudity, which could only lead to promiscuity. Laws in Pennsylvania and Virginia either banned or limited bathing. For a time in Philadelphia, anyone who bathed more than once a month faced jail.


Bathing facilities often were not available
The English of that era really couldn’t bathe even if they wanted to, notes V. W. Greene, a professor of epidemiology at the Ben Gurion Medical School in Beersheva, Israel. “There was no running water, streams were cold and polluted, heating fuel was expensive, and soap was hard to get or heavily taxed. There just weren’t facilities for personal hygiene. Cleanliness wasn’t a part of the folk culture.” Through much of the 19th century, adds Greene, Europeans and Americans lived in wretched filth, and many died young of associated diseases.
Archaeological evidence suggests 5,000-year-old bathing facilities in Gaza. Soaplike material found in clay jars of Babylonian origin has been dated to about 2800 B.C. Before the time of Abraham in Middle Eastern desert climes, custom dictated that hosts offer washing water to guests to clean their feet. One of the first known bathtubs comes from Minoan Crete that was found in the palace at Knossos and is dated about 1700 B.C. The palace plumbing system had terra-cotta pipes that were jointed and cemented together and were tapered at one end to give water a shooting action to prevent the buildup of clogging sediment. Their technology put Minoans in the hydrological vanguard.





abluto-, ablut-
(Latin: washing; especially as a ritual; cleansing)


From Latin ab- and luere, "to wash" which is related to lavare, "to wash".


abluent
1. Serving to cleanse.
2. A cleansing agent; a detergent.

ablution
1. A cleansing of the body, especially in a religious ceremony.
2. The liquid used in such a washing.

ablutionary
1. Of or pertaining to washing the body, or parts of it.
2. Cleansing the body by washing; especially, ritual washing of the hands, etc.

ablutions
This may refer to the practice of removing sins, diseases or earthly defilements through the use of ritual washing, or the practice of using ritual washing as one part of a ceremony to remove sin or disease.

ablutomania
1. An obsessional preoccupation with cleanliness, washing, or bathing, often accompanied by compulsive rituals.
2. An obsessive-compulsive disorder is very often seen in a condition; such as, obsessive-compulsive psychoneurosis.
3. A morbid impulse to wash or to bathe, or an incessant preoccupation with thought of frequent hand-washing, or bathing; often seen as an obsessive-compulsive disorder.





-ably, a suffix;
(able manner, capably)


In an able manner, or capably; forming adverbs corresponding to adjectives in -able.


amiably
Friendly and agreeable in disposition; good-natured and likeable.

durably
Capable of withstanding wear or decay.

laudably
Deserving praise.

probably
1. In all likelihood; very likely.
2. With considerable certainty; without much doubt.3. Easy to believe on the basis of available evidence.

veritably
True, unquestionable.





abort-, aborti-
(Latin: miscarry, pass away, perish by an untimely birth)


abort, aborted, aborting
1. To give birth before the fetus is viable; have a miscarriage; to fail to be completed.
2. To cut short because of some failure in equipment: "To abort a flight because of radio failure."
3. Originally, "to set" or "to disappear" (as the sun). Composed of ab-, "from" and oriri- "to arise"; the part of the sky, or the world, in which the sun rises; the East.

aborticide
The killing of a fetus during an abortion.

abortifacient
A drug or device that causes an abortion or kills the fetus before birth.


abortion, abortional
1. Expulsion of a fetus from the womb before it is viable; however, medical personnel will also use this term for a miscarriage, which is involuntary, calling it a "spontaneous abortion".
2. Induced termination of pregnancy before the fetus is capable of independent survival.
3. Anything that fails to develop, progress, or mature; such as, a design, project, or a badly developed plan, etc.
4. To miscarry, to disappear.
5. Etymology: ab-, "from, away from" and oriri, "to come into being, to rise, to be born".


abortionist
1. One who believes and promotes the practice of abortion. 2. One who makes a business of inducing illegal abortions





aboulo-, aboul-, abulo-, abul-
(Greek: irresolution, indecision, loss or defect of the ability to make decisions)


aboulia, abulia
1. Loss or impairment of the ability to perform voluntary actions or to make decisions.2. Loss of will-power, as a mental disorder.3. Reduction in speech, movement, thought, and emotional reaction; a common result of bilateral frontal lobe disease.

aboulias, abulias
Loss or impairment of the ability to make decisions or act independently.

aboulic, abulic
Relating to or suffering from aboulia/abulia.

aboulomania, abulomania
A mental disorder in which there is a loss of will-power.

abulia, abulic
1. Absence of willpower or wishpower; the term implies that the subject has a desire to do something but the desire is without power or energy.
2. A disorder marked by the partial or total inability to make decisions.

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