English Made Easy

Here is one of my favorite lessons for my students in English Made Easy, back when I taught English as a Second Language. I just love homonyms. Do you, or do they confuse you?

Homonyms
Homonyms are words that are pronounced alike but have different meanings and spellings. In contrast, English has homophones that share pronunciation despite the fact they are spelled differently. Examples of homonyms are stalk (part of a plant) and stalk (follow/harass a person) and left (opposite of right) and left (past tense of leave). There are some subtle contexts with homographs and polysemous homonyms (polysemes) that I will deal with in a separate lesson.
Homonym has Greek roots, deriving from ὁμώνυμος (homonumos) meaning “having the same name”. This is the conjunction of ὁμός (homos), “common, same” and ὄνομα (onoma), “name”. So, it describes two or more distinct ideas or words sharing the “same name”.
Another example of a homonym is fluke. A fluke can be:
• A fish
• A flatworm
• Parts of an anchor
• The fins of a whale’s tail
• A stroke of luck
Occasionally, you will find homonyms that sound the same but are spelled differently. For example, a bow is a bending at the waist and a bough is a branch of a tree.
Homonymns can lead to communication difficulties and thus trigger misunderstandings. Thus it is critical to listen to the words surrounding the homonym in order to gather the context of the sentence. When I use the word bank, only the words that precede and follow will allow you to know if I am talking about the bank of a river, a bank of switches, a place to put my money or a billiards or pool shot.
Here are some examples of homonyms used in sentences:
1. The wind blew my blue shirt into the garden.
2. Maha rode along as we rowed the boat from the island to the lakeside road.
3. I’ve never seen such a beautiful scene.
4. We want a site for our home that will be out of sight.
5. The seam in the tent doesn’t seem to hold back the rain.
6. Due to the dry weather, we do not see any dew on the grass.
7. I knew they had a new gnu at the zoo.
8. Some people know that you add to find the sum.
9. They’re hanging their coats over there.
10. I ate the eight cakes that were on my plate.
Based on what you have learned from the lesson above, why not test yourself to see how well you understand homonyms? If you have any problems at all, please don’t hesitate to contact me and we will work together to make everything clear. Ready?
A _____ is an animal. bare, bear
When it _____, it pours. rains, reigns, reins
It is dishonest to _____. steel, steal
A _____ is a type of tree. beach, beech
Take me _____ to your leader! to, too, two
What a _____ of good milk! waist, waste
My _____ is naturally curly. hair, hare
The team _____ the playoffs. won, one
She vanished into thin _____. air, heir
The _____ of Jordan is Amman. capital, capitol
Come _____ right this minute! hear, here
The window _____ was cracked. pain, pane
That’s him! He is the _____. won, one
A _____ child is called a son. mail, male
A carrot is a _____ vegetable. root, route
To _____ means to plant seeds. sew, so, sow
Iron is used to produce _____. steal, steel
I am very honored to _____ you. meat, meet
A _____ is a type of shellfish. muscle, mussel
One tasty fish is called _____. place, plaice
How did you do? Homonyms are among the most interesting words in the English language because of their mystery and potential for fun. Let me know if you have any problems with this fascinating subject or if you simply want to comment. I really enjoy hearing from you!

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Two Inverted Idioms
By Maeve Maddox


As the residents of my state prepared for a cold front, one of the local television anchors remarked,

We are in store for a big chill.

His meaning was that extremely cold weather was about to descend upon us, but that is not what he said.

The word store in the idiom “in store for” means, “a stock of something laid up for future use.” Figuratively speaking, events or conditions (like a cold front) are “in store for” those who will experience them in the future. The people of the state were not in store for the big chill. The big chill was in store for the people of the state.

Here are some examples from the Web that get it right:

More Snow in Store for Turkey, Jerusalem This Weekend

The New Congress: What’s In Store for Natural Health?

That same television anchorman, reporting news about two businessmen, said,

They’re in the works of opening up two new restaurants.

The businessmen are not “in the works”; the two new restaurants are “in the works.”

One meaning of works (noun) is “the working parts of a machine.” For example, one removes the back of a clock to reveal the works inside.

“In the works” is a figurative expression meaning “being prepared” or “in development.”
The processes or stages of getting something done are being compared to the workings of a machine.

Here are some examples from the Web in which the expression is used correctly:

A new big solar panel farm in the works in California

Beamdog confirms that a new Baldur’s Gate game is in the works.

Posted at: Daily Writing Tips

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40 Synonyms for “Different”

Looking for a different way to say “different”? Here are forty more or less distinct synonyms, along with their sometimes similar, sometimes disparate meanings.

1. Alternate: arranged or occurring in turns, or see alternative; also, every other (also a verb)
2. Alternative: referring to a choice; also, apart from the conventional or usual
3. Assorted: consisting of different kinds
4. Differing: see distinct, or changing from one case or situation to another; also, disagreeing
5. Discernable: able to be recognized as different; also detectable or recognizable
6. Discrete: see distinct
7. Disparate: see distinct, or incompatibly different
8. Dissimilar: not alike
9. Distant: different in kind; also, separated or far away from, going a long way, or far behind, or reserved in behavior, or distracted
10. Distinct: separate, or readily distinguishable; also, notable or unmistakable
11. Divergent: differing from each other or from a standard
12. Divers: see various (also an unrelated and differently pronounced plural form of diver)
13. Diverse: see distinct, or unlike
14. Eclectic: Drawn from various sources, or see heterogeneous
15. Heterogeneous: consisting of dissimilar ingredients or parts
16. Idiosyncratic: having a distinguishable quality; also, eccentric, or hypersensitive
17. Indiscriminate: see heterogeneous or motley; also, random, unrestrained, or careless about distinction
18. Individual: see separate; also, pertaining to an individual or individuality (also a noun)
19. Kitchen-sink: consisting of noticeably different parts; also, referring to the degrading aspects of poverty
20. Magpie: collected indiscriminately; also, acquisitive (also, a person who collects indiscriminately or chatters, or the bird whose behavior inspires these usages)
21. Manifold: see diverse or various; also, many, or consisting of various qualities (also an unrelated noun)
22. Miscellaneous: see diverse
23. Mixed: consisting of more than one kind (also a verb)
24. Motley: incongruously diverse; also, having different-colored markings
25. Multifarious: see diverse or various
26. Particular: see distinct; also, detailed, specific, or exacting or meticulous (also, in plural form, a noun)
27. Peculiar: distinctive; also, unusual or abnormal (this negative connotation predominates, so use with caution)
28. Piebald: consisting of incongruous parts; also, consisting of different colors (especially black and white)
29. Promiscuous: consisting of all types, or not restricted to one type; also, casual, irregular, or tending to have multiple sexual partners (because of this provocative connotation, promiscuous is rarely used in other senses)
30. Raggle-taggle: see motley
31. Ragtag: see motley; also, ragged or slovenly
32. Respective: see separate
33. Separate: not similar; also, autonomous, detached, or individual (also a verb)
34. Several: see distinct and separate; also, exclusive or relating separately, or a few
35. Single: unlike any other; also, lone, unmarried, or celibate, or honest or exclusive, or designed for one, or having only one item or part, or undivided
36. Singular: distinctive; also, exceptional or unusual, or pertaining to a single thing
37. Sundry: miscellaneous or various
38. Variant: varying slightly; also, demonstrating disagreement or variety (also a noun)
39. Varied: see diverse and various; also, having different-colored markings (also a verb)
40. Various: unlike, or of differing kinds, or see separate; also, individual, or having a number of qualities, or an indefinite number more than one
Note, however, that different is often redundant, as in “They came up with many different ideas” (do you need to specify that the ideas they came up with were not identical?), so consider whether it is necessary to replace the deleted word at all.

Re-posted from Daily Writing Tips by Mark Nichol

7 Poor Parking Signs I’m inured to ineptly expressed messages on parking signs, but the signage reproduced here prompts a ticketing spree by the spelling police.

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Loanwords from 12+ Unexpected Languages

Language chauvinists in the United States who believe that English is being polluted by other tongues should pause to consider how few words in our language actually derive from Anglo-Saxon, the predecessor of Modern English.

One survey determined that only one-fourth of the words in English come from its linguistic ancestors. That total is exceeded by words directly from Latin (including medical, scientific, and technical terms) and from Latin’s collective daughters, such as French and Italian: Each source accounts for about 28 percent of our vocabulary. Greek contributed another 5 percent, proper names are responsible for another 3 percent, and all other languages combined add up to less than 1 percent.

But what a rich slice of the pie that last sliver is! Even though English already had a word for many of the concepts those foreign-born terms represent, the language is always generous when it comes to making room for synonyms, which often acquire distinct connotations.
I’ve omitted examples from the usual suspects, but check out these terms adopted into English from less-obvious languages, language groups, and regions:

1. Afrikaans
Contributions from the South African language descended from Dutch include apartheid (“apartness”), trek (a long journey, originally one on foot), and names of indigenous animals such as the aardvark (“earth pig”) and the meerkat (“lake cat”); scoff, from which English derived scarf (in the sense of “to wolf down”) and wildebeest (you figure it out) are from a forerunner of Afrikaans called Cape Dutch.

2. Czech
Pistol is said to have derived from the Czech word pistala (with several diacritical marks omitted here), though the name of Pistoia, a city in Italy, may have been the inspiration. Howitzer comes from the word for a catapult. Robot, from the Czech word for drudgery, was introduced in a play. But don’t associate the Czechs exclusively with war and toil, they, not the Poles, as is widely believed, coined the dance name polka (“little half”).

3. Hungarian
Coach, from kocsi, derived from the place name Kocs, is taken from Hungarian in both its noun and verb forms. Saber comes from szablya. The names for the dog breeds komondor, puli, and vizsla are all of Hungarian origin, as are the names for goulash and paprika.

4. Irish
Galore comes from go leor (“til plenty”). Other borrowings from Irish include glen (“valley”), phony (fainne, “ring”), slew (sluagh, “a large number”), and whiskey (uisce beatha, “water of life”). Scots and Scottish Gaelic provided many more words, including the obvious bard, clan, and plaid and the unexpected pet and trousers. Of indeterminate Gaelic origin are brogue (the shoe, not the accent; that’s definitively from Irish), hubbub, and smidgen.

5. Malay
This South Asian language has given enriched English with amok, bamboo,compound, gingham, gong, junk (boat), launch (both the noun meaning “boat” and the verb and noun referring to setting off), and paddy, and the animal names cassowary, cockatoo, gecko, orangutan, and siamang.

6. Maori
This language from New Zealand gave us the animal names kiwi, mako (shark), moa, and tuatara.

7. Scandinavian
Norwegian contributions include the geographical terms fjord and floe, and ski, plus slalom and telemark (from a place name), as well as the animal names brisling (a fish), krill (a relative of the shrimp), and lemming (a rodent). Swedish words used in English include ombudsman, smorgasbord (“sandwich table”), tungsten, and fartlek, the unfortunate name for a training technique for runners that has nothing to do with flatulence.
These words borrowed into English cannot be traced to a particular Scandinavian language: cog, flense (to strip blubber), flounder, lug, maelstrom, midden (kitchen-waste heap), mink, nudge, rig, snug, spry, and wicker. Dozens more entered English from Old Norse over a thousand years ago, including such basics as anger, ball, and cake.

8. Tagalog
The original language of the Philippines loaned us boondocks (bundok, “mountain,” or bunduk, “hinterland”). We also have Tagalog to thank for cooties (kuto, “head lice”).

9. Tamil
The language originating in India has shared catamaran (“tie up wood”), cheroot (“roll,” or “rolled”), corundum (“ruby”), and pariah, plus the food names curry (“sauce”), mango, and mulligatawny (“black pepper” and “water”). Various languages of India besides the major players Tamil and Hindu also contributed atoll, bandicoot, bungalow, calico, mongoose, pajamas, polo, and verandah.

10. Ukrainian
This Slavic language contributed steppe, plus the food names borscht (beet soup), kasha (porridge), and pierogi (stuffed dumpling).

11. Welsh
Welsh, harsh looking but mellifluous, is the origin of coracle (boat), crag (rock), cwm (valley, related to English combe), and likely flannel. Its nearly extinct cousin Cornish gave us brill (mackerel), dolmen (stone tomb), menhir (standing stone) — yes, men means “stone” — and penguin (“white head”), which could alternatively have come from yet another Celtic language, Breton.

12. One- or Two-Hit Wonders

Some other languages gave only one or two words to English, but we should be grateful for what we can get:

Finnish: sauna
Ilokano (related to many languages of the South Pacific): yo-yo
Romanian: pastrami (a pastra, “to preserve”), though it may derive ultimately from Turkish or Greek
Romani (Gypsy): pal (“friend,” “brother”; originally, like dozens of other English words, from Sanskrit)
Sami (a group of indigenous languages from northern Scandinavia): tundra
Serbo-Croatian: vampire and cravat (from Hrvat, the Croatians’ word for themselves)
Slovak: dobro (the instrument, from its inventors, the Dopyera brothers.

Re-posted from Daily Writing Tips by Mark Nichol

Given the subject matter of the series of posts at my blog this month, I thought this might be a timely lesson (jim).

30 Religious Terms You Should Know

When I was growing up in small town America, stories about religion were generally confined to the Saturday church pages in the local newspaper. Catholics and Jews were the most exotic religious practitioners in town, and “atheist” was a strong term of disapprobation.

These days religion is front page news. People are killed or driven into hiding because someone somewhere has labeled their work “blasphemy.” School children with attitude get away with refusing to do their homework because they know that school officials are easily spooked by anything relating to religion.

Journalists and school officials shouldn't have to tiptoe around religious topics. The topic of religion, like that of ecology, is one that concerns all human beings. Although the three Abrahamic religions get most of the news copy, the number of religions that matter to people number in the double digits. Whether we care about it or not, we ought to be able to read and write about religion with some understanding of the terminology.

NOTE: The definitions given here are not intended to be exhaustive. For one thing, some of the terms are defined differently by different religious groups. For permutations of meaning, see the OED or some other authoritative dictionary.

Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. All three faiths trace their origins to the patriarch Abraham who rejected the polytheism of ancient Sumer to embrace a belief in one, invisible, deity. Sometimes referred to as “the desert religions.”

Agnosticism: the philosophical position that the existence or non-existence of God or a First Cause is unknowable.

Anglican: relating to the Church of England. An ancient name for the English people was “Angles.” The Church of England traces its beginning to 597, the year in which Pope Gregory I sent St. Augustine to Canterbury. The Church of England remained under papal authority until 1534 when Henry VIII declared himself the Supreme Head of the Church because of conflicts with Pope Clement VII.

Animism: the belief that every material form of reality (plants, animals, stones, thunderstorms, earthquakes) have an indwelling spirit; often includes belief in the continued existence of individual disembodied human spirits capable of helping or harming the living.

Asceticism: a mode of life that excludes physical pleasures and self-indulgence. Many religions regard asceticism (fasting, abstaining from sexual activity, wearing inadequate clothing) as a means of reaching a higher spiritual state.

Atheism: disbelief in any deity or supernatural power.

Blasphemy: indignity offered to God, from Greek blasphemia, “a speaking ill, impious speech, slander.” Religions define blasphemy in terms of their own beliefs, often designating prophets and holy objects along with God as subjects not to be profaned. Many countries have anti-blasphemy laws.

Buddhism: the teaching that suffering is inherent to life and that the way to escape suffering and repeated existence is to limit one’s desires and expectations. There are various sects with varying beliefs.

Confucianism: a system of teachings characterized by central emphasis on the practice and cultivation of the cardinal virtues of filial piety, kindness, righteousness, propriety, intelligence, and faithfulness.

Ecclesiastic: relating to a church. Greek ekklesiastikos referred to the ancient Athenian political assembly. First century Christian writers adopted the word to mean “assembly of believers,” or “church.”

Episcopal: having to do with a bishop. Like “ecclesiastic,” the English word bishop derives from a Greek word, episkopos, “watcher, overseer. The Greeks used their word to refer to government officials. First century Christian writers used bishop or episkopos to refer to church elders. In time bishop came to mean the chief administrator of a diocese (administrative district governed by a bishop) with the power to ordain. Episcopal is the adjective for bishop.

Evangelical: having to do with the Christian gospel/New Testament writings. The word is also used to describe a type of Christian belief that emphasizes the inerrancy of scripture and salvation through personal conversion.
Eucharist: the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, a rite in which bread and wine are consecrated and consumed in symbolic union with Christ. The word comes from a Greek word meaning “grateful.”

Ecumenical: worldwide. As applied to religion, the word’s current use to mean cooperation among religious groups began with a 20th century movement promoting the idea of an inter-confessional Christian unity. Now an “ecumenical” group cooperating on some matter of general social benefit might include representatives from non-Christian religions.

Eschatology: the study of matters relating to the ultimate destiny of mankind and the world.

Gnosticism: the belief that salvation is to be obtained by means of secret knowledge and that the material world is evil. Gnostic mystery religions abounded in the Roman Empire. The early Christian church was fragmented into various sects, many of which taught a Gnostic version of the new religion.

Gospel: the story of Christ’s life and teachings as told in the first four books of the Christian New Testament. The literal meaning of the word is “good news.”

Heresy: a religious opinion, or adherence to such an opinion, that is contrary to an established religious teaching. The word comes from Greek hairesis, “action of taking, choice, sect.” Originally a heresy was simply a difference of opinion. It became a religious crime, often punished by death.

Hinduism: a body of social, cultural, and religious beliefs and practices found chiefly in India. It includes a belief in reincarnation and transmigration of souls.

Indulgence: in Roman Catholicism, a remission of punishment, especially punishment in Purgatory (in Catholic belief, Purgatory is an intermediate place of purification for souls that departed stained with minor sins not deserving of eternal punishment in Hell).

Immaculate Conception: the Roman Catholic doctrine that the Virgin Mary was conceived without Original Sin (the sin of Adam and Eve conveyed to all human beings). This is not the same thing as the Virgin Birth, “the belief that Jesus was divinely begotten and miraculously born of a virgin mother.”

Jihad: a holy war on behalf of Islam. The Christian equivalent word is crusade, “a campaign or war sanctioned by the Church against unbelievers or heretics.” Literal crusades were common in the Middle Ages and were directed against Christian heretics as well as non-Christians. Now the term is used figuratively to mean “any remedial activity pursued with zeal and enthusiasm.” The same meaning is becoming attached to jihad.

Lay: not in holy orders. In a monastery there are monks who pray and do intellectual work, and those who do manual work and attend to secular affairs. The latter are called lay brothers. The term has spread to non-religious professions. Someone who lacks professional knowledge of a particular profession is called a layman. In a church setting one may speak of the clergy and the laity (non-clerical members of the church).

Monotheism: the doctrine or belief that there is only one God.

Nihilism: the viewpoint that all traditional beliefs are unfounded and that human life has no meaning.

Orthodox: in agreement with the official doctrine of a given religion. The word is from Greek orthodoxein, “to have the right opinion.” The noun is orthodoxy. Departure from orthodoxy is called heterodoxy.

Pagan – This is a term difficult to define in even such a superficial treatment as this. For the early Christians, a pagan was a believer in polytheistic religion. The word originally meant “country dweller.” The rural population was slower to adopt Christianity than the city dwellers, probably because their religion was closely bound to agricultural cycles. Nowadays there are religious groups that identify themselves as Pagans. Modern paganism is earth-centered and can include polytheistic beliefs. The word heathen is used pejoratively to mean a person without religion. Like pagan, heathen also points to the fact that non-city dwellers tended to reject religious change. Heath comes from a word meaning “field.” Heathen was originally an adjective meaning “of the heath.”

Polytheism: belief in more than one god.

Profane: not holy. Anything not related to religion and spirituality is profane. The word can also be used as a verb meaning “to treat something sacred with irreverence.”

Secular: worldly, not sacred. Similar to profane, secular refers to anything that is not specifically religious.

Re-posted from Daily Writing Tips by Maeve Maddox

50 Synonyms and Idioms for “Give”

It’s better to give than to receive, and it’s easier to precisely describe giving than receiving, thanks to numerous synonyms for give. Here are dozens of them, with connotative definitions.

1. Accord: to give what is due

2. Administer: to give medication, to perform a religious ritual, or to carry out a punishment

3. Afford: to give in a manner consistent with the giver, usually something inanimate (for example, “The complication afforded us additional time to prepare”)

4. Allot: to give a portion or share, or by lottery

5. Apportion: to give in shares

6. Award: to give something that is deserved

7. Bestow: to give as a gift, with the possible connotation of condescension

8. Chip in: see contribute

9. Comp: to give something free that is normally paid for (a truncation of complimentary)

10. Confer: to give graciously

11. Contribute: to give among other providers or supporters

12. Convey: to give something originating from one party to another party

13. Deliver: to give something to the intended recipient

14. Devote: to give something useful or valuable

15. Dispense: see administer and allot

16. Dish out: to give criticism; also see administer and allot

17. Distribute: to give to a number of recipients

18. Dole (out): to give in small amounts

19. Donate: to give to an organization or other entity as an act of charity

20. Endow: to give an income to someone, or to give money for long-term maintenance or support

21. Endue (or indue): see endow and provide

22. Extend: to give so as to make available; see also proffer

23. Fork over (or fork out or fork up): to give money

24. Furnish: see provide and supply

25. Grant: to give consent or to concede; see also bestow and transfer

26. Hand down: to give an inheritance, either of material goods or of characteristics

27. Hand out: to distribute

28. Hand over: to give something intended for or due to another

29. Impart: to give from a supply

30. Kick in: see contribute

31. Lavish: to give generously

32. Mete (out): see dole (out)

33. Offer: to make available, or to give an exhibition or performance

34. Pay: to give in exchange for a product or a service, or to give or forfeit as penalty, or to give something intangible such as attention

35. Pitch in: see contribute

36. Present: to give in a ceremonial or formal manner

37. Produce: see offer

38. Proffer: see offer and tender

39. Provide: to make available

40. Pungle (up): see contribute and pay

41. Render: to give in return or retribution; see also administer, deliver, pay, and yield

42. Reward: to give in return for a service

43. Sacrifice: to give something at a loss or to give something for a belief or an ideal or for a purpose

44. Supply: see provide

45. Tender: to give something that is to be accepted

46. Transfer: see convey

47. Transmit: see convey

48. Volunteer: to give services freely

49. Vouchsafe: to give a reply, or to grant as a favor or privilege; see also bestow

50. Yield: to give as is appropriate or required, or to surrender oneself or a possession.

Re-posted from Daily Writing Tips by Mark Nichol

10 Words for Bodily Functions and Actions

No, this list isn't just for those in the medical profession. Many readers find sesquipedalianism — use of overly complicated words when a simpler synonym is available — irritating, but ostentatious vocabulary has its place in invective, satire, and standard-issue humor, and can enhance general prose, whether through figurative or literal use.

1. Borborygmus: rumbling (“What I thought was the rumbling of a truck was only a bout of borborygmus in my stomach”)

2. Emesis: vomiting (“I turned away in disgust from the vile rhetorical emesis of the racist orator”)

3. Eructation: belching (“The smokestacks engaged in endless eructation”)

4. Ingurgitation: guzzling (“We gazed in disbelief at the rampant ingurgitation occurring among the frat boys arrayed around the keg”)

5. Mastication: chewing (“The students, engrossed in the mental mastication required of the assignment, failed to notice my entrance”)

6. Micturation: urinating (“They’re micturating over all that we honor and respect”)

7. Osculation: kissing (“The odious osculation that takes place between politics and big business will never cease”)

8. Peristalsis: swallowing (“They accepted the lies with peristaltic enthusiasm — hook, line, and sinker”)

9. Sternutation: sneezing (“His incessant explosions of sternutation were unsettling”)

10. Tussis: coughing (“John produced gratuitous tussis to signal his extreme skepticism”)

Re-posted from Daily Writing Tips by Mark Nichol