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Questions and Answers
What is the primary purpose of a dictionary?
What is the primary purpose of a dictionary?
- To list words in alphabetical order along with their meanings and pronunciations (correct)
- To serve as a grammar guide for writing and speaking
- To provide translations of words in different languages
- To offer literary critiques of various texts
What does etymology study?
What does etymology study?
- The origin of words and how their meanings change over time (correct)
- The rules of grammar in alphabetically arranged sentences
- The pronunciation of difficult words in languages
- The classification of words based on their length
Which of the following is an example of a blended word?
Which of the following is an example of a blended word?
- piano
- NASA
- brunch (correct)
- phone
Which term describes a word formed from the initial letters of other words?
Which term describes a word formed from the initial letters of other words?
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What is a clipped word?
What is a clipped word?
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Study Notes
Using a Dictionary
- A dictionary lists words in alphabetical order.
- Each entry includes a word's meaning, pronunciation, and often examples of usage.
- Dictionaries are useful for understanding unfamiliar words encountered while reading or writing.
- For example, looking up "enormous" in a dictionary reveals its meaning as "very large" or "huge."
- Dictionaries are also valuable for verifying correct spellings.
Etymology
- Etymology is the study of word origins and how their meanings have changed over time.
- It helps us understand the evolution of words and their historical context.
Types of Etymological Changes
- Foreign: Words adopted from other languages. For instance, the English word "piano" originated from the Italian "pianoforte."
- Clipped: Words shortened by removing parts. "Phone" is a clipped form of "telephone."
- Blended: Words formed by combining two existing words. "Brunch" is a blend of "breakfast" and "lunch."
- Acronyms: Words created from the initial letters of other words, pronounced as a single unit. "NASA" stands for "National Aeronautics and Space Administration."
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