Unit 5
MAL CATA PROT/PROTO ANTE ORTHO RECT EU DYS Latin
Borrowings
Quiz 5-1 Quiz 5-2 Quiz 5-3 Quiz 5-4 Quiz 5-5 Review Quizzes 5
MAL comes from a Latin word meaning “bad.” A malady is a bad condition
—a disease or illness—of the body or mind. Malpractice is bad medical
practice. Malodorous things smell bad. And a malefactor is someone guilty
of bad deeds.


malevolent

Having or showing intense ill will or hatred.

• Captain Ahab sees Moby Dick not simply as a whale but as a powerfully
malevolent foe.
Malevolence runs deep. Malevolent enemies have bitter and lasting feelings
of ill will. Malevolent racism and bigotry can erupt in acts of violence against
innocent people. Malevolence can also show itself in hurtful words, and can
sometimes be seen in something as small as an angry look or gesture.


malicious

Desiring to cause pain, injury, or distress to another.

• The boys didn't take the apples with any malicious intent; they were just
hungry and didn't know any better.
Malicious and malevolent are close in meaning, since both refer to ill will that
desires to see someone else suffer. But while malevolent suggests deep and
lasting dislike, malicious usually means petty and spiteful. Malicious

gossipers are often simply envious of a neighbor's good fortune. Vandals may
take malicious pleasure in destroying and defacing property but usually don't
truly hate the owners. Malice is an important legal concept, which has to be
proved in order to convict someone of certain crimes such as first-degree
murder.


malign
about.

To make harsh and often false or misleading statements

• Captain Bligh of the Bounty may be one of the most unjustly maligned
figures in British naval history.
Malign is related to verbs like defame, slander, and libel. The person or
group being maligned is the victim of false or misleading statements, even if
the maligner isn't necessarily guilty of deliberate lying. Someone or
something that's frequently criticized is often said to be “much maligned,”
which suggests that the criticism isn't entirely fair or deserved. Malign is also
an adjective, and writers often refer to a person's malign influence. The very
similar malignant, which used to be a common synonym of malign, today
tends to describe dangerous medical conditions, especially cancerous tumors.


malnourished

Badly or poorly nourished.

• When they finally found the children in the locked cabin, they were pale
and malnourished but unharmed.

Malnourished people can be found in all types of societies. Famine and
poverty are only two of the common causes of malnutrition. In wealthier
societies, malnutrition is often the result of poor eating habits. Any diet that
fails to provide the nutrients needed for health and growth can lead to
malnutrition, and some malnourished people are actually fat.


CATA comes from the Greek kata, one of whose meanings was “down.” A
catalogue is a list of items put down on paper, and a catapult is a weapon for
hurling missiles down on one's enemies.


cataclysm
(1) A violent and massive change of the earth's
surface. (2) A momentous event that results in great upheaval and often
destruction.
• World War I was a great cataclysm in modern history, marking the end of
the old European social and political order.
The -clysm part of cataclysm comes from the Greek word meaning “to wash,”
so cataclysm's original meaning was “flood, deluge,” and especially Noah's
Flood itself. A cataclysm causes great and lasting changes. An earthquake or
other natural disaster that changes the landscape is one kind of cataclysm, but
a violent political revolution may also be a cataclysmic event. Many
cataclysms could instead be called catastrophes.


catacomb
An underground
passageways with recesses for tombs.


cemetery

of connecting

• The early Christian catacombs of Rome provide a striking glimpse into the
ancient past for modern-day visitors.
About forty Christian catacombs have been found near the roads that once led
into Rome. After the decline of the Roman empire these cemeteries were
forgotten, not to be rediscovered until 1578. Catacomb has come to refer to
different kinds of underground chambers and passageways. The catacombs of
Paris are abandoned stone quarries that were not used for burials until 1787.
The catacombs built by a monastery in Palermo, Sicily, for its deceased
members later began accepting bodies from outside the monastery; today you
may wander through looking at hundreds of mummified corpses propped
against the catacomb walls, dressed in tattered clothes that were once
fashionable.


catalyst
(1) A substance that speeds up a chemical reaction or
lets it take place under different conditions. (2) Someone or something that
brings about or speeds significant change or action.
• The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand in Sarajevo in 1914 turned out to
be the catalyst for World War I.
Chemical catalysts are substances that, in very small amounts, can bring
about important chemical changes in large quantities of material. The
catalytic converter in your car's exhaust system, for instance, uses tiny
amounts of platinum to swiftly convert the engine's dangerous gases to
carbon dioxide and water vapor. And it's easy to see how the meaning of
catalyst could broaden to include nonchemical situations. We can now say,

for example, that the Great Depression served as the catalyst for such
important social reforms as Social Security.


catatonic
(1) Relating to or suffering from a form of
schizophrenia. (2) Showing an unusual lack of movement, activity, or
expression.
• After an hour, extreme boredom had produced a catatonic stupor in those of
the audience who were still awake.
Catatonia is primarily a form of the terrible mental disease known as
schizophrenia, though it may show up in patients with a variety of other
mental conditions. A common symptom is extreme muscular rigidity;
catatonic patients may be “frozen” for hours or even days in a single position.
Its causes remain mysterious. Serious though the condition is, most
nondoctors use catatonic humorously to describe people who seem incapable
of moving or changing expression.


Quiz 5-1
A. Choose the closest definition:
1. malevolent
a. wishing evil b. wishing well c. blowing violently d. badly done
2. cataclysm
a. loud applause b. feline behavior c. disaster d. inspiration
3. malign
a. speak well of b. speak to c. speak ill of d. speak of repeatedly
4. catacomb
a. underground road b. underground cemetery c. underground
spring d. underground treasure

5. malicious
a. vague b. explosive c. confusing d. mean
6. catatonic
a. refreshing b. slow c. motionless d. boring
7. malnourished
a. fed frequently b. fed poorly c. fed excessively d. fed occasionally
8. catalyst
a. literary agent b. insurance agent c. cleaning agent d. agent of
change
Answers


B. Indicate whether the following pairs of words have the same or
different meanings:
1. catacomb / catastrophe
same ___ / different ___
2. malnourished / overfed
same ___ / different ___
3. cataclysm / disaster
same ___ / different ___
4. malign / slander
same ___ / different ___
5. catatonic / paralyzed
same ___ / different ___
6. catalyst / cemetery
same ___ / different ___
7. malicious / nasty
same ___ / different ___
8. malevolent / pleasant
same ___ / different ___

Answers


PROT/PROTO comes from Greek and has the basic meaning “first in time”
or “first formed.” Protozoa are one-celled animals, such as amoebas and
paramecia, that are among the most basic members of the biological
kingdom. A proton is an elementary particle that, along with neutrons, can be
found in all atomic nuclei. A protoplanet is a whirling mass of gas and dust
that astronomers believe may someday become a planet.


protagonist

The main character in a literary work.

• Macbeth is the ruthlessly ambitious protagonist of Shakespeare's play, but it
is his wife who pulls the strings.
Struggle, or conflict, is central to drama. The protagonist or hero of a play,
novel, or film is involved in a struggle of some kind, either against someone
or something else or even against his or her own emotions. So the hero is the
“first struggler,” which is the literal meaning of the Greek word pr tag nist
s. A character who opposes the hero is the antagonist, from a Greek verb that
means literally “to struggle against.”


protocol
(1) A code of diplomatic or military rules of
behavior. (2) A set of rules for the formatting of data in an electronic
communications system.
• The guests at the governor's dinner were introduced and seated according to

the strict protocol governing such occasions.
The basic meaning of proto- is a little harder to follow in this word. Protocol
comes from a Greek word for the first sheet of a papyrus roll. In English,
protocol originally meant “a first draft or record,” and later specifically the
first draft of a diplomatic document, such as a treaty. The “diplomatic”
connection led eventually to its current meaning of “rules of behavior.”
Someone wearing Bermuda shorts and sandals to a state dinner at the White
House would not be acting “according to protocol,” and royal protocol
forbids touching the queen of England except to shake her hand. But protocol
is also now used for other sets of rules, such as those for doing a scientific
experiment or for handling computer data.


protoplasm
of cells.

The substance that makes up the living parts

• A mixture of organic and inorganic substances, such as protein and water,
protoplasm is regarded as the physical basis of life.
After the word protoplasm was coined in the mid-19th century for the
jellylike material that is the main substance of a cell, it began to be used
widely, especially by scientists and others who imagined that the first lifeforms must have arisen out of a great seething protoplasmic soup. Since
protoplasm includes all the cell's living material, inside and outside the
nucleus, it is a less useful scientific word today than more precise terms such
as cytoplasm, which refers only to the living material outside the nucleus. But
many remain fascinated by the image of that soup bubbling away as the
lightning flashes and the volcanoes erupt.



prototype
(1) An original model on which something is
patterned. (2) A first, full-scale, usually working version of a new type or
design.
• There was great excitement when, after years of top-secret development, the
prototype of the new Stealth bomber first took to the skies.
A prototype is someone or something that serves as a model or inspiration. A
successful fund-raising campaign can serve as a prototype for future
campaigns, for example, and the legendary Robin Hood is the prototypical
honorable outlaw, the inspiration for countless other romantic heroes. But the
term is perhaps most widely used in the world of technology; every new
“concept car,” for example, starts off as a unique prototype.


ANTE is Latin for “before” or “in front of.” Antediluvian, which describes
something very old or outdated, literally means “before the flood”—that is,
Noah's Flood. And antebellum literally means “before the war,” usually the
American Civil War.


antechamber
often used as a waiting room.

An outer room that leads to another and is

• The antechamber to the lawyer's office was both elegant and comfortable,
designed to inspire trust and confidence.
One expects to find an antechamber outside the private chambers of a
Supreme Court Justice or leading into the great hall of a medieval castle. In
the private end of the castle the lord's or lady's bedchamber would have its

own antechamber, which served as a dressing room and sitting room, but
could also house bodyguards if the castle came under siege. Anteroom is a
less formal synonym, one that's often applied to the waiting rooms of
professional offices today.


antedate
(1) To date something (such as a check) with a date
earlier than that of actual writing. (2) To precede in time.
• Nantucket Island has hundreds of beautifully preserved houses that antedate
the Civil War.
Dinosaurs antedated the first human beings by almost 65 million years,
though this stubborn fact never used to stop cartoonists and screenwriters
from having the two species inhabit the same story line. Dictionary editors
are constantly noticing how the oral use of a word may antedate its first
appearance in print by a number of years. Antedating a check or a contract
isn't illegal unless it's done for the purpose of fraud (the same is true of its
opposite, postdating).


antecedent
(1) A word or phrase that is referred to by a
pronoun that follows it. (2) An event or cause coming before something.
• As I remember, she said “My uncle is taking my father, and he's staying
overnight,” but I'm not sure what the antecedent of “he” was.
A basic principle of clear writing is to keep your antecedents clear. Pronouns
are often used in order not to repeat a noun (so instead of saying “Sheila turns
22 tomorrow, and Sheila is having a party,” we replace the second “Sheila”
with “she”). But sloppy writers sometimes leave their antecedents unclear
(for instance, “Sheila helps Kathleen out, but she doesn't appreciate it,” where

it isn't clear who “she” is). Watch out for this possible problem when using
not just he and she but also they, them, it, this, and that. And keep in mind
that antecedent isn't just a grammar term. You may talk about the antecedents
of heart disease (such as bad eating habits), the antecedents of World War II
(such as the unwise Treaty of Versailles), and even your own antecedents
(your mother, grandfather, etc.).


anterior
(1) Located before or toward the front or head. (2)
Coming before in time or development.
• When she moved up to join the first-class passengers in the plane's anterior
section, she was delighted to recognize the governor in the next seat.
Anterior generally appears in either medical or scholarly contexts. Anatomy
books refer to the anterior lobe of the brain, the anterior cerebral artery, the
anterior facial vein, etc. Scholar and lawyers may use anterior to mean
“earlier in time or order.” For example, supporters of states' rights point out
that the individual states enjoyed certain rights anterior to their joining the
union. And prenuptial agreements are designed to protect the assets that one
or both parties acquired anterior to the marriage.


Quiz 5-2
A. Fill in each blank with the correct letter:
a. antedate
b. protoplasm
c. anterior
d. protagonist
e. prototype
f. antecedent

g. protocol
h. antechamber
1. The ___ of The Wizard of Oz is a Kansas farm girl named Dorothy.
2. According to official ___, the Ambassador from England ranks higher than
the Canadian Consul.
3. A butterfly's antennae are located on the most ___ part of its body.
4. There under the microscope we saw the cell's ___ in all its amazing
complexity.
5. She was tempted to ___ the letter to make it seem that she had not
forgotten to write it but only to mail it.
6. The engineers have promised to have the ___ of the new sedan finished by
March.
7. Please step into the judge's ___; she'll be with you in a few minutes.
8. The British would say “The company are proud of their record,” since they
treat “the company” as a plural ___.
Answers


B. Match the definition on the left to the correct word on the right:
1. to date before
a. protocol
2. cell contents
b. antechamber
3. what comes before c. protagonist
4. rules of behavior d. antecedent
5. toward the front e. protoplasm
6. model
f. antedate
7. waiting room
g. prototype

8. hero or heroine
h. anterior
Answers


ORTHO comes from orthos, the Greek word for “straight,” “right,” or
“true.” Orthotics is a branch of therapy that straightens out your stance or
posture by providing artificial support for weak joints or muscles. And
orthograde animals, such as human beings, walk with their bodies in a
“straight” or vertical position.