WEEK 16 字源筆記

1. prefix, root and suffix

succeed, success, successful, successful, successive, predecessor
predecessor (n.) the person who had a job or official position before someone else

der : skin                                        eg. hypodermic, dermatology
hypodermic (n.) a narrow plastic tube with a needle used for putting drugs into your body through the skin

dermatology (n.) the scientific study of skin diseases and the treatment of people who have them 

dum : document                             eg. memorandum, referendum 
memorandum (n.) a short written statement containing information about a particular subject, passed between officials in a government or organization
referendum (n.) an occasion when everyone in a country can vote to make a decision about one particular subject

 
ob : negative                                  eg. obsequious, obstacle
obsequious (adj.) too keen to please someone, in a way that does not seem sincere

amend : fix, replace                        eg. amendment
amendment (n.) a change made to a law or agreement

 

2. extra information

a. Francis of Assisi

Saint Francis of Assisi born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, informally named as Francesco was an Italian Roman Catholic friar and preacher. In 1219, he went to Egypt in an attempt to convert the Sultan to put an end to the conflict of the Crusades. By this point, the Franciscan Order had grown to such an extent that its primitive organizational structure was no longer sufficient. He returned to Italy to organize the Order. Once his community was authorized by the Pope, he withdrew increasingly from external affairs. Francis is also known for his love of the Eucharist. In 1223, Francis arranged for the first Christmas live nativity scene.In 1224, he received the stigmata, during the apparition of Seraphic angels in a religious ecstasy making him the first recorded person to bear the wounds of Christ's Passion. （被烙印後聽得懂鳥語）

b. Steven Crane

Stephen Crane was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer. Prolific throughout his short life, he wrote notable works in the Realist tradition as well as early examples of American Naturalism and Impressionism. He is recognized by modern critics as one of the most innovative writers of his generation.
The ninth surviving child of Protestant Methodist parents, Crane began writing at the age of four and had published several articles by the age of 16. Having little interest in university studies, he left college in 1891 to work as a reporter and writer. Crane's first novel was the 1893 Bowery tale Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, generally considered by critics to be the first work of American literary Naturalism. He won international acclaim in 1895 for his Civil War novel The Red Badge of Courage, which he wrote without having any battle experience.

c. Red Herring

A red herring is something that misleads or distracts from a relevant or important issue. It may be either a logical fallacy or a literary device that leads readers or audiences towards a false conclusion. A red herring might be intentionally used, such as in mystery fiction or as part of rhetorical strategies (e.g. in politics), or it could be inadvertently used during argumentation.