by Donna | Jul 31, 2013
The prefix ir is an interesting prefix for a number of reasons:
1. It means not. There are many prefixes that can mean not, such as de, a, un, non; however, ir also means not, which is interesting to me because I don’t think it sounds like it should mean not! To me, it sounds like it should mean again or repeating or something besides not!
2. It only comes before base words that begin with R. In other words, you do not put ir in front of most any word to mean not, like you often do with un or non.
3. This isn’t really interesting–but I like to say it whenever I teach about prefixes. A prefix is a letter or group of letters that you “affix” (which is why it and suffixes are called affixes) to the beginning of a word. It is important to remember that a prefix does not change the spelling of the base word. That is especially crucial in spelling ir words because the ir precedes an R already–and you must keep the base word’s spelling, so when you add this prefix to a word, you will ALWAYS have two R’s in a row: irregular, irresponsible, etc.
4. It is most often put before a word that is should never come before: regardless. We hear people constantly say irregardless, which is, of course, an oxymoronic word because less means without (or not) and ir means not. I guess that makes it sort of like using a double negative! You do not put ir before regardless because regardless already means without regard. With ir in front of it, you are saying not without regard, I guess…. Anyway, irregardless is not a word. So don’t use it. Okay? 🙂
Note: It is correct, however, to use irrespective, which is a substitute (some of the time) for when you are tempted to say irregardless.
However, there are many base words that begin with R that can have ir put before them to mean NOT or the opposite of what the base word means before ir is added to it.
Here is a list to get you started. Notice how if you take the ir off, you have a positive base word (or one that means yes–yes regular, yes responsible, yes revocable, etc.) However, with the ir, the word means not—not regular, not responsible, not revocable, etc.
Remember: You know more than you think you know!
And remember: Use what you already know to learn even more!
irregular
irresponsible
irrevocable
irrefutable
irradiate
irreconcilable
irredeemable
irreducible
irrefutable
irregularity
irrelevant
irreverence
irreligious
irreparable
irreplaceable
irreversible
irresolute
irretrievable
irresistible
Irrelevant
by Donna | Jul 17, 2013
We are having a heat wave here in Indiana. We have had temperatures above ninety degrees this week. Today it was 92 degrees–a perfect day to go swimming and a perfect day to get a sunburn!
For today’s WORDY WEDNESDAY, I thought we would look at two prefixes that have to do with July in Indiana–SOL and THERM.
If you have been reading Language Lady very long, you know my two rules of thumb for learning:
1. You know more than you think you know.
2. Use what you already know to learn even more!
Those two rules of thumb definitely apply to today’s prefixes.+
We encourage our students to take a key word–any word that you already know–that has to do what you are trying to learn.
In the case of sol and therm, you can take two words you already know as your “key words” to help you remember these two prefixes:
SOL–solar….you know that solar means sun if you have ever talked about a solar blanket for your pool, solar power (generating power through the sun), or solar eclipse
THERM–thermos or thermal…you know that THERM means heat if you have ever carried your soup or coffee in a thermos or had “thermal underwear” on in the winter to keep you warm.
So…take your two KEY WORDS and use them any time you see the prefixes SOL and THERM:
1. Sol
a. solar
b. solarium–part of a room that is exposed to the sun
c. solstice–the pointer in which the sun stands sill
2. Therm
a. thermoplastic
b. thermos
c. thermodynamics
d. thermoelectric
The “solar heat” is high right now in Indiana, and the thermometer shows it at in the low nineties!
+Remember: A prefix is an affix. An affix is a letter or letters attached to a word that give more meaning to the word. The affix itself actually has meaning. A prefix is an affix that is added to the beginning of a word–thus, the prefix to the word prefix PRE (meaning before)!
by Donna | May 29, 2013
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| Picture by Lisa Rivera |
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Oh my word! My tips and tricks for peek, peak, and pique aren’t nearly as cute and memorable as the ones Lisa Rivera has created in the picture above! In our curriculum materials, and on the web, I don’t have access to that kind of graphic representation of words. I might have to look into that in the future!
In the meantime, her picture says a thousand words–okay, well really just three:
1. Peek
a. Verb meaning a secretive look–And then I am going to peek into the package.
b. Noun meaning a small glance–She took a peek into the package.
c. Thus, the two EYES in the middle of the word peek in the graphic. (We do have that in our books, but we just tell it not show it–showing it is so much better!)
2. Peak
a. Verb meaning to reach the highest point—They said that the dancer was going to peak at just the right time.
b. Noun meaning the highest point—They reached the mountain’s peak.
c. Adjective meaning highest point—They were at their peak performance.
d. Love the graphic with the A being a high, mountainous point.
3. Pique’
a. Verb meaning to arouse curiosity–They really tried to pique’ our attention with those pictures.
b. Noun meaning resentment–He slammed the door in a fit of pique’. (Use it interchangeably with “quick anger.”
c. Noun or adjective meaning nubby fabric–He wore his pique’ bright yellow polo shirt.
d. The verb is the most common meaning; and thus, we see the cat at the bottom of the q in the picture because “curiosity killed the cat.” CLEVER!
If you don’t have that great picture above, here are ways to remember these three:
1. Peek–has two e’s, and we have two eyes and peek with our eyes
2. Peak—not two e’s OR They have a lEAK in the pEAK of their roof.
3. Pique’–Ends with que—question begins with que
Happy Wordy Wednesday! If you like our blog, share it with others! Put the FB link on your timeline, so others can learn with Language Lady each week! Smile…
by Donna | May 15, 2013
In my complete language arts books, I have a weekly lesson called “Wacky Words.” When I began writing language arts books for a different publisher fourteen years ago, I did not have this section in my books.
Then I began testing…and testing…and testing…my materials. As I tested them, I discovered that even mature writers have difficulties with homophones (words that sound the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings). Then along came message boards, email groups, and FaceBook, and I discovered EVERYBODY has trouble with homophones. From these experiences, the Wacky Word lessons were born.
This week I was thinking of the plays that our daughter is directing for a community youth program called The Young Playwrights. I have seen the word playwrights before, but this week, it struck me that we do not have that word in our Wacky Word lessons with write, right, and rite.
Then, of course, I thought more (thinking is what I do!) and wondered why, if the children are writing plays, the term is not playwrite. So…that takes us to this Wordy Wednesday/Wacky Word post!
The picture above gives us some idea of why the word is playwright and not playwrite. The picture is of a wheelwright shop–that is, a shop in which one crafts wheels.
Though the word “wright” is most commonly associated with crafting with wood (wheelwright), the word “wright” is used in other contexts to indicate crafting or creating as well:
playwright
wheelwright
shipwright
millwright
wainwright
In that way, a playwright is not simply “writing” a play, but he or she is “crafting” something–perhaps he or she is even meticulously creating the script, like a wheelwright meticulously creates wheels.
So our four “Wacky Words” for “Wordy Wednesday” can be remembered with the following tips:
1. Write–to pen or scribe the written word
2. Right–correct; opposite of wrong; from the fight, might, light family, phonetically speaking
3. Rite–a ritual or ceremony; a rite of passage (This makes the Rite-Aid stores all spelled wrong–unless they mean “aid” for a ceremony or passage, which I don’t think they mean. I think they want to say that their stores give the “right” kind of aid/assistance.)
4. Wright–a crafter, especially of wooden creations
by Donna | May 8, 2013
When Joshua and I teach vocabulary, we try to do a few things:
1. Relate the word to anything we think the students might already know. (“Aquaduct? Well, you know what aquatic means, don’t you?”)
Of course, this is where we say, “You know more than you think you know!”
2. We ask the students if they can tell us anything about the word based on the context. Is it happy or sad? Is there a word near that word that helps you?
3. We help them examine the type of word it is. We say over and over to them that OUS words are often adjectives (delicious) and ATE words can often be verbs.
4. We help the students examine roots and affixes.
a. Prefix–an affix (“stuck on”) to the beginning of a word
b. Suffix–affix added to the end of a word
We also give the students tools all the time. Below is a list of prefixes and suffixes that we give to our students and discuss with them, along with their meanings.
Be a lifelong student! If you are an adult, these vocabulary tips will still help you every day.
(a) GEN–birth, race, kind
generous, generate, generation, geneology, gender
(b) DIC, DICT, DIT–tell, say, word
dictate, verdict, edict, contradict, predict, diction, indict
(c) SPEC, SPIC, SPIT–look, see
perspective, aspect, spectator, spectacle, suspect
(d) SUPER, SUR, SUM—above
surpass, summit, supersede, superstition
(e) TENT, TENS, TEND, TENU–stretch, thin
tension, extend, tendency, tendon, tent, distend
(f) TRANS—across
transfer, transient, transitory, transgress, transport
(g) DOC, DUC, DAC–teach, lead
conduct, document, doctrine, induce, indoctrinate
(h) CO, CON, COM-with, together
company, collaborate, comply, congruent,
(i) VERS, VERT—turn
convert, revert, subvert, divert, diverse, extrovert, versatile
(j) LOC, LOG, LOQU–word, speech
eloquent, logic, apology, monologue, dialogue, prologue
(k) SEN–feel, sense
sensitive, sensation, consent, dissent, assent, sentiment
(l) DE–away, down, off
denounce, defraud, decry, deplete, devoid, defile
(m) NOM, NOUN, NOWN, NAM, NYM–name, order, rule
anonymous, nominate, renounce, renown, misnomer
(n) CLA, CLO, CLU–shut, close
closet, enclose, disclose, include, conclude, seclude
(o) VO, VOC, VOK, VOW—call
vocal, advocate, vocation, convoke, revoke, avow
(p) MAL–bad
malicious, malady, dismal, malign, malevolent
(q) FRA, FRAC, FRAG—break
fracture, fraction, fragment, fragile, frail, fractious
(r) OB—against
objective, obsolete, obscure, obstruct, obstinate
(s) SUB—under
submissive, subordinate, sublime, subtle, subversion
(t) AB–from, away
abandon, abhor, abstain, absolve, abstruse, abstract
(u) GRESS, GRAD—step
progress, regress, gradual, digress, degrade, transgress
(v) SEC, SEQU—follow
second, sequel, sequence, consequence, prosecute
(w) PRO–much, for, a lot
prolific, profuse, prodigal, prtracted, prodigy, propensity
(x) QUE, QUIS–ask, seek
inquire, question, request, quest, query, acquire, querulous
(y) SACR, SANCT, SECR—sacred
sacrifice, sanctuary, sanctify, sanction, consecrate
(z) SCRIB, SCRIP—write
scribble, describe, script, prescribe, ascribe, inscribe
(aa) PATHY, PAS, PAT—feeling
apathy, sympathy, empathy, antipathy, passionate
(bb) DIS, DIF—not
disdain, dissuade, dismay, disparate, disparage
(cc) CIRCU—around
circumference, circulation, circumstances, circumvent
(dd) NON, UN, IN, AN, A–no or not
nonviolent, uncooperative, inappreciative, anonymous
(ee) AD–to
adhere, adjective, addict, adverb
(ff) INFRA—below
infrastructure, infraction, infrared, infra-bass
