1. anachronism: anything that is out of place in time. It is formed by the combination of the Greek roots ana (“against”) and chronos (“time”)2. anon: soon; shortly. Used as an abbreviation, anon. means “anonymous”
3. antebellum: before the war; especially before the American Civil War. This word is formed from the Latin Prefix ante (“before”) and the root bellum (“war”)
4. antediluvian: old-fashioned; before the flood. The Latin word for “flood” is diliuvium.
5. atavism: reversion to a primitive type; resemblance to a remote ancestor. The Latin atavus means “father of a great-grandfather.”
6. augury: the art of prophecy; an omen. The original Latin word augur means “priest who presides at fertility rituals.”
7. betimes: early; promptly; before it is too late.
8. biennial: happening every two years. Biennial should not be confused with biannual, which means “twice a year”
9. diurnal: daily; of the daytime. Diurnal is contrasted with nocturnal
10. eon: long, indefinite period of time; thousand years.
11. ephemeral: short-lived; transitory. Ephemeros is a Greek word meaning “for the day”
12. epoch: noteworthy period. It comes form a Greek word meaning “pause” – almost as if mankind takes time out before entering a new important phase
13. generation: the period of time between the birth of one group and that of its offspring. A generation is about 30 years.
14. score: twenty people or objects; twenty years. It comes from the Greek word for a “scratch” or “mark” used in keeping tallies.
15. tercentenary: a period of 300 years. Ter is the Latin prefix for “three” and centenary means “hundred”
Exercises
I. Which Word Comes to Mind?
In each of the following, read the statement, then circle the word that comes to mind.
1. A woman wearing a style of dress that is completely out of date
(epoch, antediluvian, diurnal)
2. Emperor Nero looking at his wristwatch
(tercentenary, ephemeral, anachronism)
3. A young man following in his grandfather’s footsteps
(anon, atavism, score)
4. You meet your old classmates every two years at a reunion
(antebellum, betimes, biennial)
5. Your fortune is told by a gypsy
(augury, generation, eon)
6. They had been married for two decades
(eon, score, diurnal)
7. The painter believed that everyone was entitled to fifteen minutes of fame
(ephemeral, epoch, tercentenary)
8. Many inventions were introduced during the industrial Revolution
(anon, epoch, atavism)
9. Plantation life was a feature of the South in the early 1800s
(antebellum, generation, anachronism)
10. My family chore is to walk the dog each day
(biennial, antediluvian, diurnal)
II. True or False?
In the space provided, indicate whether each statement is true or false.
____ 1. Abraham Lincoln’s “Fourscore and seven” was 87 years
____ 2. Ephemeral is the opposite of “permanent”
____ 3. Someone who comes to you betimes takes his time about it
____ 4. Cotton was the great crop of the antebellum South
____ 5. The United States will have its tercentenary celebration in 2076
____ 6. An entire generation has grown up using personal computers
____ 7. To show a modern man driving up in a new car is an anachronism.
____ 8. Dinner will be served anon
____ 9. The frightening augury lashed out at the startled travelers.
____ 10. Our previous biennial reunion was in 1997 so we expect the next one in 1999
III. Fill in the Blank
Insert one of the new words in the proper space in each sentence below.
1. We spotted an ______________ in the movie when Julius Caesar looked at his wristwatch.
2. In the next decade, our company will issue five ______________ journals.
3. Industrialization spelled the end of an era for the ______________ southern states.
4. The Beatles started a musical _____________ that has gained worldwide acceptance.
5. Because of the ______________ gap, Roger found it difficult to relate to his grandson.
6. My grandfather’s _____________ notions need updating.
7. With the evident power of ____________, Liza could predict the future.
8. Guido’s interest in philately proved to be _____________ because he sold his entire collection.
9. It seemed to take an ______________ before the traffic jam allowed us to get moving again.
10. Breakfast was preceded invariably by a ______________ prayer that helped Roy get through the rest of the day.
IV. What’s the Antonym?
Which of the new words is most nearly opposite in meaning to the one provided?
1. now ________________
2. late ________________
3. modern ________________
4. permanent ________________
5. nightly ________________
6. something relevant ________________
7. nightly ________________
8. postwar ________________
9. an instant ________________
10. an advance ________________
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