CCC Synonyms-2008 Apr-Jun

CLOSE SYNONYMS OF THE WEEK

2008

April-June
(most recent first)

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JUNE 30, 2008

EXHAUSTED / EXHAUSTING / EXHAUSTIVE

EXHAUSTED (adj)—extremely tired, completely used up

EXHAUSTING (adj)—tiring

EXHAUSTIVE (adj)—including everything relevant

Note that it is a change in suffix that alters the meaning.

Some related forms:

EXHAUST (verb/noun)
EXHAUSTION (noun)

SAMPLE SENTENCES:

I was exhausted from so many delays during our trip; but the most exhausting thing was having to locate our lost luggage at the terminal.

Being sent from counter to counter totally exhausted whatever patience I had left.

I had done exhaustive research to decide which country to visit, but neglected to check on the quality of the airline facilities.

JUNE 23, 2008

PHOBIA
(noun / noun suffix)

For a bit of a departure from the usual, this edition focuses on the suffix –PHOBIA, denoting fear (or, by extension, dislike or hatred) of whatever the prefix is. Here’s a list of some of the more common or interesting phobias (all nouns; some with alternates or alternate spellings).

ACROPHOBIA—fear of heights (also ALTOPHOBIA)
AGOROPHOBIA—fear of being in open or public or inescapable places
ANCRAOPHOBIA—fear of wind (also ANEMOPHOBIA)
AVIOPHOBIA—fear of flying (also AVIATOPHOBIA)
BASOPHOBIA—fear of falling (also BASIPHOBIA)
CLAUSTROPHOBIA—fear of confined places
DENDROPHOBIA—fear of trees
DENTOPHOBIA—fear of dentists
ENTOMOPHOBIA—fear of insects
FRANCOPHOBIA—fear of France (people and/or culture)
HOMOPHOBIA—fear of homosexuality
PANOPHOBIA—fear of everything
PEDOPHOBIA—fear of children
SINOPHOBIA—fear of China (people and/or culture)
SOMNIPHOBIA—fear of going to sleep
TECHNOPHOBIA—fear of technology
XENOPHOBIA—fear of foreigners
YANKEEPHOBIA—fear of the United States (people and/or culture)

Note that you can create a phobia by appending the -PHOBIA suffix to a selected prefix of your own invention. For example, combining PIZZA + PHOBIA will produce the word PIZZAPHOBIA, signifying fear, dislike or hatred of pizza.

Also note that a person who has the specified fear, dislike or hatred is denoted by the noun suffix -PHOBE, as in PIZZAPHOBE. While adjectives are formed through the use of the adjective suffix -IC, as in PIZZAPHOBIC. (By the way, you can also create words with the opposite meaning by adding the suffix -PHILE. For instance, PIZZAPHILE, someone who loves pizza.)

For an impressively comprehensive (though not exhaustive) list of phobias, see:

http://phobialist.com/index.html

JUNE 16, 2008

PARTLY / PARTIALLY

PARTLY (adv)—not completely

PARTIALLY (adv)—not completely (with somewhat more emphasis on the extent)

Note that it is a change in suffix that makes the difference. PARTLY and PARTIALLY are almost always interchangeable, though PARTLY is shorter to say and therefore more frequently used. However, certain contexts may dictate the use of one rather than the other. (Note too that PARTIALLY can have a different meaning, referring to having a bias.)

Some related forms:

IN PART (adv)

SAMPLE SENTENCES:

It was partly cloudy, so we decided not to go swimming as it might be too cold.

It was partly / partially/ in part due to a change in the weather that we canceled our trip, but mostly we just preferred to stay home and relax.

JUNE 9, 2008

UNDERSTANDING / COMPREHENSION

UNDERSTANDING (noun/adj)—the psychological, emotional or intellectual ability to perceive the meaning of something; an agreement, possibly implicit or unspoken; sympathetic recognition of a person’s thoughts, beliefs, feelings or circumstances / characterized by a tolerant or sympathetic disposition
UNDERSTAND—verb; UNDERSTANDABLE—adj; UNDERSTANDABLY—adv

COMPREHENSION (noun)—the primarily intellectual ability to perceive the meaning of something
COMPREHEND—verb; COMPREHENDIBLE / COMPREHENSIBLE / INCOMPREHENSIBLE—adj; COMPREHENSIBLY / INCOMPREHENSIBLY—adv; COMPREHENSIBILITY / INCOMPREHENSIBILITY—noun

Note the inclusion above of the negative forms adding the prefix IN. Also note the alternative spellings of the adjective form of COMPREHENSION, and that only the form spelled with an ‘S’ is available in the negative or as an adverb or noun.

A related synonym:

APPREHENSION* (formal noun)

*See http://www.crossculturecom.com/Synonyms_2005_2nd_Q.htm, entry dated May 23, for further clarification of APPREHENSION.

SAMPLE SENTENCES:

At the end of the email explaining his absence from my birthday party, my friend from Italy wrote in English: “Thanks for your comprehension.” This choice of word, however, was incorrect. He meant, and should have said: “Thanks for your understanding.”

JUNE 2, 2008

AMATEUR / AMATEURISH

AMATEUR (noun/adj)—non-professional*; for the love of doing something, rather than for pay

AMATEURISH (adj)—unprofessional*; without expertise; of unskilled, careless or inferior quality

Note that it is the addition of the suffix that alters the meaning. In the past, depending on context, AMATEUR could be neutral or have the negative connotation of being not serious and/or of poor quality. However, with the rise of user-generated content on the Internet—much of which is AMATEUR, yet authoritative and of superior quality—it is becoming increasingly useful to emphasize the distinction between AMATEUR and AMATEURISH.

Etymology note [from http://www.etymonline.com/index.php]:
AMATEUR—1784, "one who has a taste for (something)," from Fr. amateur "lover of," from O.Fr., from L. amatorem (nom. amator) "lover," from amatus, pp. of amare "to love"

*See http://www.crossculturecom.com/Synonyms_2006_3rd_Q.htm, entry dated 06-09-25, for the distinction between NON-PROFESSIONAL and UNPROFESSIONAL.

A related form:

AMATEURISM (noun)

SAMPLE SENTENCES:

There are several videos on that website that are created by amateurs, yet they have reliable content and professional production standards. However, other videos on the same site seem amateurish to me—inaccurate and sloppy.

MAY 26, 2008

MNEMONIC

To clarify a word associated with today’s Memorial Day holiday, this edition focuses on the close homonyms MNEMONIC and PNEUMATIC (similar in sound but not related in meaning).

MNEMONIC (noun/adj)—a mental device for remembering something / acting as an aid to memory

PNEUMATIC (adj)—relating to compressed air

Note that the ‘M’ in MNEMONIC and the ‘P’ in PNEUMATIC are both silent; also note the ‘U’ in PNEUMATIC.

SAMPLE SENTENCES:

I need a mnemonic for remembering the difference between MNEMONIC and PNEUMATIC.

But the noise of the pneumatic drill outside my window is making it difficult for me to remember anything.

For information about Memorial Day:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Day

MAY 19, 2008

SANGUINE (adj)

Though most words in English have only one general meaning, there are many that have distinct and separate applications—including related or extended meanings or entirely unrelated usages. This series highlights a few of the more common and confusing of such words. The following is an example.

SANGUINE 1—the color of blood, ruddy

SANGUINE 2—confident, optimistic

SAMPLE SENTENCES:

1. She’d been out of shape, her cheeks pale, eyes dull; but after she started practicing yoga, her complexion became radiantly sanguine and her eyes sparkling.

2. My friend has had a lonely past, suffering episodes of depression; but now that he’s married, he’s become quite sanguine about prospects for the future.

MAY 12, 2008

SOUTH AMERICA / LATIN AMERICA

SOUTH AMERICA and LATIN AMERICA are both proper nouns referring to more or less the same thing*. However, some commentators feel that it’s best to use SOUTH AMERICA when referring to geography and LATIN AMERICA when referring to culture.

*Note that LATIN AMERICA, in addition to its Spanish and Portuguese heritage, includes French influence as well (French Guiana). Lying outside the ‘Latin’ designation in SOUTH AMERICA is Suriname, previously a Dutch colony (plus offshore territories under the dominion of the UK). Also note—somewhat complicating the distinction between the two terms—that while Central America is geographically considered to be part of North America, it is culturally part of LATIN AMERICA.

Related forms:

SOUTH AMERICAN (proper adjective)
LATIN AMERICAN (proper adjective)

SAMPLE SENTENCES:

The Western hemisphere is generally considered to be comprised of the continents of North America and South America (with the area between them, known as Central America, considered part of North America).

Latin American culture has had a big impact around the world—some of my favorite contributions are Brazilian music, Argentine tango and coffee.

MAY 5, 2008

HISPANIC

For a bit of a departure from the usual, in honor of today’s Cinco de Mayo (5th of May) holiday, festively celebrated in various regions of Mexico and among Hispanic communities in the USA, the following concerns use of the word HISPANIC.

HISPANIC (proper adj/proper noun)—relating to Spain, its culture, history, and Spanish-speaking people around the world; someone descended from Spaniards

Note that, in the Western hemisphere, the Spanish conquered and colonized all the territory from Mexico (including parts of what is now California, the American southwest and Texas) to the tip of South America—with the major exception of Brazil, the inhabitants of which were conquered and colonized by Portugal. Hence, Brazilians, while certainly considered Latin Americans, do not consider themselves HISPANIC.

For more about Cinco de Mayo, see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinco_de_Mayo

APRIL 28, 2008

GAIA

For a bit of a departure from the usual, in belated honor of last week’s Earth Day holiday (April 22), this edition focuses on the increasingly significant environmental notion known as GAIA.

GAIA (proper noun)—ecological concept proposing that living and nonliving parts of the Earth comprise a complex interacting system that can be thought of as a single organism

While there have been a number of precursors to Gaia theory, the first scientific form of the idea was proposed as the Gaia hypothesis by British research scientist Dr. James Lovelock in the 1960s/70s. Named after the Greek goddess of the Earth, this notion postulates that all things in creation have a mutually-interdependent effect on the Earth's environment that regulates the entire biosphere for the benefit of the whole.

The above has been gathered from various entries in Wikipedia. For more information see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaia_hypothesis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaia_philosophy

APRIL 21, 2008

REGARDLESS / DISREGARD

REGARDLESS (adv/adj/prep)—in spite of or ignoring something or someone (Literally: without regard; not to be confused with IRRESPECTIVE—see note below. Also note that the grammatical designation of this word—which is typically followed by OF—is ambiguous.)

DISREGARD (verb/noun)—to ignore or pay no attention to something or someone, or to treat it-him-her with disdain / lack of respect, esteem or attention

Note that you may hear or read people, even native speakers, using the form “IRREGARDLESS.” However, the word REGARDLESS already has the negative suffix LESS. IRREGARDLESS (adding the negative prefix ‘IR’) is therefore a double-negative, redundant, and generally considered incorrect.

SAMPLE SENTENCES:

When transferring to the university, it’s the grades that you get during your two years in community college that will count, regardless of your high school grades.

The university is concerned only with your performance during your two years of community college and will disregard your high school grades.

APRIL 14, 2008

REGARDING / IN REGARD TO / AS REGARDS

REGARDING / IN REGARD TO / AS REGARDS (prepositional phrases)—concerning, in reference to, about

Note that REGARDING, IN REGARD TO and AS REGARDS are all almost always interchangeable. They are given above in order of increasing formality.

SAMPLE SENTENCES:

Regarding the professor I mentioned, I just found out he’s published another book. In this regard, he can be considered one of the most prolific writers in the department.

In regard to the professor I mentioned, . . . .

As regards the professor I mentioned, . . . .

APRIL 7, 2008

REGARD / REGARDS

REGARD (noun/verb)—respect or esteem / to think about in a particular way

REGARDS (pl. noun)—greetings, good wishes

Note that it is just the additional ‘S’ that alters the meaning. Note too that REGARD has other usages, both as a noun and a verb.

SAMPLE SENTENCES:

This professor is held in high regard, his lectures are always well attended. I regard him as one of the best teachers in the school.

Please give my regards to your professor, I haven’t seen her in awhile.