Lumiere English Academy; A Basic Grammar, Lesson 16; Latin, French and Greek Contributions to English

Lumiere English academy

A Basic Grammar
Lesson 16

Latin, French and Greek
Contributions to English

Use some Latin, French and Greek

 

To give your English a touch of chic

 

 

 

SOME EXAMPLES OF THE MANY FREQUENTLY

EMPLOYED LATIN AND FRENCH TERMS
 

N.B. The French terms are in italics

 

Ad infinitum                                          repeated endlessly
 

Ad nauseam                                           repeated until you feel ill
 

A.D.                 Anno Domini               the year of Our Lord
 

a.m.                  Ante Meridiem             before noon
 

au fait  with                                            familiar with/

                                                               conversant with
 

B.A.                  Baccalaureus Artium   Bachelor of Arts
 

C.V.                  Curriculum Vitae         brief summary of one's life

                                                               (and qualifications)
 

D.V.                  Deo volente                  if it please God -

                                                                if I'm still alive
 

Déjà vu             Already seen                 the feeling that you

                                                                have already experienced

                                                                this event

 

et cetera                                                  and the rest
 

e.g.                     exempli gratia              for example
 

i.e.                      id est                            that is
 

inter alia                                                 among other things

in medias res                                          in the middle of the matter

                                                               (without a long

                                                                introduction)

M.A.                  Magister Artium          Master of the Art
 

M.Com              Magister Commercii   Master of Commerce
 

M.Sc.                 Magister Scientiae       Master of Science
 

Non sequitur                                          the remark has nothing to

                                                                do with what was said

                                                                before
 

Noblesse oblige                                      when you are courteously

                                                                treated you must be
 

                                                                courteous too
 

N.B.                   nota bene                     please note
 

Ph D                  Philosophiae doctor    Doctor of Philosophy
 

p.m.                   Post Meridiem             after noon
 

P.M.                  Post Mortem                after death - an

                                                                examination into cause of

                                                                death
 

P.S.                    Post Scriptum              an extra paragraph in a

                                                                letter after it has been

                                                                signed
 

Raison d'être                                          the main reason for
 

R.S.V.P.     Respondez s'il vous plait    Please reply
 

R I P           Requiescat in pace              Rest in peace
 

Viz              Videlicet                              namely

 

YOU WILL FIND IT EASIER TO UNDERSTAND

DIFFICULT ENGLISH WORDS IF YOU KNOW THE

FOLLOWING BASIC LATIN AND GREEK DERIVATIONS

 

Auto                    -                   self
 

Bene                   -                    well
 

Bi                        -                    two
 

Bios                    -                     life
 

Circum               -                     around
 

Ex                       -                     out of
 

Graphos             -                     writing
 

Inter                   -                     between
 

Mal                     -                     bad
 

Non                    -                     no
 

Mono                 -                     one
 

Pan                     -                     all
 

Pathos                -                     feeling
 

Peri                    -                     around
 

Phone                -                     voice
 

Poly                   -                     many
 

Pre                     -                     before
 

Pseudo              -                      false
 

Semi                  -                      half
 

Sub                    -                      under
 

Super                -                       above
 

Sym                   -                       together
 

Tele                  -                       far   
 

Trans                -                       across
 

Uno                  -                       one
 

Verbum            -                       word

 

EXERCISE: In groups make lists of words starting off with one 

of these and put the explanation with it,

e.g. verbalise - to put into words;
 

semi-circle - half circle;
 

unanimous - all are agreed.

 

Dr Luky Whittle

 

 

 

 

                                                           

                 



 

 

 

 



 

 



 

Lumiere Education Academy; Some Common Lapses in Pronunciation (15)

Lumiere English academy

A Basic Grammar

Some Common Lapses in Pronunciation

Whether in commerce or the mining situation
There is no substitute for good pronunciation

Age	Not edge	But ay-j
Anniversary	Not aniver=SAH-ry	But anni-VUH-sri (draw out the uh sound)
Basically	Not basic-Al-ly	But BAY-sic-li
Bird	Not b-i-d	But b-uh-d (draw out the uh sound)
Body	Not baw-dy	But boh-di
Brash	Not brush	But brash
Bursary	Not buzzAry	But b-uh-sri (draw out the uh sound)
Committee	Not COM-mittee	But  com-MIT-tee
Controversy	Not con-TRO-versy	But CON-troversy
Creativity	Not crea-ay-TEE-vity	But Crea-ay-TIV-iti
Did	Not dEEd	But d-i-d (like ink)
Different	Not DUF-erent	But Dif-rent
Etcetera	Not EK-setera	But eT-setera
Excuse me	Not es-TUSE me	But ex-KYOOS me
First	Not fist	But f-uh-st (draw out the uh sound)
Heard	Not hid	But h-uh-d (draw out the uh sound)
Inventory	Not invent-TO-ry	But IN-ven-tri
Itch	Not each	But i-ch
Live	Not leave	But liv
Negotiations	Not nego-SHAY-shuns	But ne-go-see-AY-shuns
Possess	Not POS-es	But puz-ES
Responsibility	Not respons-SA-bility	But responsuhBILity
Secretary	Not se-cre-TAH-ry	But SEC-re-tri
Seventeen	Not sev-EN-teen	But SEV-unteen
Suffering	Not su-fah-ring	But SUF-ring
Third	Not  t-id	But th-UHd (draw out the uh sound)

Dr Luky Whittle

Lumiere English Academy; Is or Are; Has or Have (14)

Lumiere English academy

A Basic Grammar

Is or Are; Has or Have

The singular takes IS, the plural ARE

This is only confusing if we do not determine the subject. Otherwise it's plain sailing.

EXERCISE

1. The man sitting with those people is/are ...a millionaire (is)

2. The man sitting with those people have/has ... a million dollars (has)

3. The men sitting with person is/are ... millionaires (are)

4. The men sitting with those people have/has ... millions of dollars (have)

5. The lady carrying the flowers are/is ... wearing the diamond necklace (is)

6. The lady carrying the flowers have/has ... a diamond necklace (has)

7. Those ladies sitting at the table are/is ... wearing diamond necklaces (are)

8. Those ladies sitting at the table all has/have ... diamond necklaces (have)

9. Everybody here have/has ... a diamond necklace (has)

10. All the women at the dance has/have ... a diamond necklace (have)

11. Nobody at the dance has/have ... a diamond necklace (has)

12. I wish I had/has ... a diamond necklace (had)

13. The ladies carrying the flowers has/have ... diamond necklaces (have)

14. Each of the ladies carrying the flowers has/have ... a diamond necklace (has)

Second language English speakers tend to mix up the verbs to take part and to partake.

To take part means to join in, to partake means to eat or drink, e.g. "I took part in the school play" but "I partook of the wine"

Dr Luky Whittle

Lumiere English Academy; Indirect Speech (13)

Lumiere English academy

A Basic Grammar

Indirect Speech

Some frequent mistakes which instantly betray the second language English speaker include the following: (some of this repeats what has been stressed before, but it cannot be over-emphasised for the benefit of those who keep making this kind of mistake):

She said she has gone to town

The correct version is: She said she HAD gone to town because it follows said, which is in the past tense.

He went to London as soon as he can.

The correct version is: He went to London as soon as he COULD because it follows went, which is in the past tense.

He told her that he will be back soon.

The correct version is: He told her that he WOULD be back soon because if follows told, which is in the past tense.

EXERCISE;  CONVERT THE FOLLOWING EXAMPLES INTO INDIRECT SPEECH

Isaac says: "I think it will rain tomorrow"

Isaac said ..............................................................................

Isaac said he thought it would rain tomorrow

Isaac says ..............................................................................

Isaac says he thinks it will rain tomorrow

Thabo complained, saying: "The weather is most unpredictable"

Thabo complains ..................................................................

Thabo complains that the weather is most unpredictable

Thabo complained ................................................................

Thabo complained that the weather was most unpredictable
Juliet admitted: "The test results were a correct reflection of my application"
Juliet admits ..........................................................................
Juliet admits that the test results were a correct reflection of her application
Juliet admitted .......................................................................
Juliet admitted that the test results had been a correct reflection
of her application
Jacob says: "I have passed my first term"
Jacob says ...............................................................................
Jacob says that he has passed his first term
Jacob said ................................................................................
Jacob said that he had passed his first term
Eugene says; "I shall pass my second semester" 
Eugene says .............................................................................
Eugene says that he will pass his second semester
Eugene said ..............................................................................
Eugene said that he would pass his second semester
Tebogo says: "I can go to class tomorrow"
Tebogo says .............................................................................
Tebogo says that he can go to class tomorrow
Tebogo said .............................................................................
Tebogo said that he could go to class tomorrow

Dr Luky Whittle