Word origins

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Word origins

• What is in a word ?

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To know the origin of words is to know how men
think, how they made their civilisations.

• Key idea

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For Example

• Politics comes from the word polis meaning
  city state or community
• Democracy demos meaning people and kratis
  meaning power.
• Gymnasium from gumnasion meaning exercise
  naked

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Each of these words could only come from the
Ancient Greeks, as before their time, none of
these ideas existed. So when you use the word
Democracy - it comes straight from that era
over 3000 years ago. We make words today, that
are particular to our time and place. Every year
The Oxford English Dictionary adds a few words to
its pages that have become part of our language
as they are in common use and express meaning
today in our lives NOW
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21st Century Words

• Chillybin a box for keeping things cold if
  you were going on a picnic.
• Supersize larger than average, extremely large
• Fanboy a male fan, especially one who is
  obsessed with comics, sciencefiction, or
  popmusic.
• Can you think what their origins might be ?

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Back to the Greeks .

• Here are some Greek word roots can you think
  what they might mean ?
• -bapti
• -nano
• -bol
• -mania

• Baptism
• Nanosecond
• Ball, bowl
• Maniac

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Whats My Meaning !

• Lets play this game.
• Get into pairs take your word, look it up,
  write the definition on one side of the card, and
  the word on the other (its Greek root
  underlined). Then take another piece of card and
  find an alternative definition and make another
  card.
• In teams of 8 (ie 4 pairs) present to another
  team of 8, your words, and see if you can guess
  which is the real meaning. Keep a score.