LITERATE:
Defined: educated, cultured; able to read and write; versed in literature or creative writing.
This word is defined as both an adjective and a noun, most commonly used as an adjective. Its usage traces back to the early 1400's and comes from the Latin word meaning ‘letters’ or “litteratus”. The "us" was removed and the word was spelled “literat” in Middle English, and the last “e” was added later on. By adding this letter it allows readers to know that the "a" is a long "a" sound.
It would be beneficial for students to identify that this word originated from the Latin word for ‘letters’, as its current usage most always is related to reading and writing of some sort. It would also allow them to connect this idea to words such as “literacy”, “illiterate”, and “literately”, where “literate” is the root word.
DELICIOUS:
Defined: appealing to one of the bodily senses particularly of taste or smell.
This word is dated back to the 13th century and comes from Latin and French origins. Its roots come from the Latin words for "delight" and "allure". It appeared in Old French as "delicieus", but was not known in Old or Middle English. The current English spelling has changed the second "e" into an "o' which is more accurate to the pronunciation.
Students understanding of the words from Latin that delicious turned into will help them to better understand the definition of the word. It will also allow students to make connections between different languages like Latin, French and English.
FRUSTRATE:
Defined: to cause someone to feel angry, discouraged, or upset because of not being able to do something.
This word also stems from Latin and is dated back to the early 1400's. It originated as the word "frustratus" and "frustrati" meaning to deceive or disappoint. The "us" was again dropped and an "e" was placed at the end to symbolize a long "a" sound in the middle of the word.
This word is the root for many words and understanding its spelling will help to pronounce other words where the "e" isn't present. Examples include: frustrating, frustratingly, and frustrative.
LUNCH:
Defined: a light midday meal.
The word "lunch" was shortened from the word "luncheon" in 1823. The word "luncheon" dates back to the 1570s and in Old English was "nonechenche" meaning "noon snack". The word changed into "luncheon" through influences from northern English dialects and Spanish. While the word "lunch" came from wrods that meant "meat" and "bread", it is interesting that the definition we use today almost identical to its original meaning.
In this instance, knowing the origin of the word will probably not help the students with the pronunciation or the spelling. It will however, help students to understand the meaning and also to discover how words change over time. The actual spelling of the word has changed dramatically over the past 4 and a half decades.
LEAP:
Defined: to spring in the air from one point or position to another.
This word can be traced back over 1,000 years to the 10th century. It was recorded in Old English as "hleapan" and in Middle English became "lepen". The spelling of it today is more similar to the Old English version with the "ea" but the pronunciation has changed, as the ending was dropped. In Old English, it was common to put an "h" before an "l" but I am unaware of the pronunciation of the two letters together.
Students may be interested in seeing how this word has changed over time. It has actually become shorter and can be used in different tenses.
References:
www.dictionary.com
www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary
http://www.etymonline.com/
It is so fun to see the words that everyone chose! It was very interesting to learn that the word lunch came from words that used to mean meat and bread!
ReplyDeleteIn doing this assignment, I learned a lot about our language that I didn't know. Looking at the history of our language, I have learned how complex it is with all the influences of other languages; it is no wonder our language is so complicated to learn.