Moving on with this prolific Greek and Latin root word, more English vocabulary words derived include "incision," which is nothing but a "cutting in," that is, during surgery; it can also be a "cut," or notch, in a leaf. To "excise" text from a book is to "cut" it out, perhaps for the purposes of being "concise," that is, a way of speaking or writing that is "thoroughly cut" for the purposes of elegant brevity. Note that Occam's Razor certainly would be an apropos allusion for practicing written "conciseness" and "excision." Is a surgeon being "incisive" when making an "incision"? Probably not; if one is "incisive," one is quickly "cutting" into the heart of a difficult matter, "killing" any extraneous substance or superfluous conjecture. So as not to make this entry any longer than a "precis," or concise summary, a brief introduction that is "cut before" a more expansive text which tells the reader what to expect, similar to a scientific abstract, I shall end. So as not to "cut" oneself off from other derivatives stemming from this not so "concise" root, see it in all its wonderful, colorful detail at Greek and Latin roots examples, or view it in a Greek and Latin roots poster format.
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English Vocabulary via Greek and Latin Root Word Origins
- Magister Brunner
- I have long been fascinated by Greek and Roman mythology, and the Greek and Latin roots of English vocabulary words; their infusion within the English language respectively forms the core of cultural literacy and English vocabulary. Learning a vast array of English vocabulary words can help people write more powerfully, speak clearly and confidently, and read with a much deeper appreciation for great literature, not to mention perform well on college and graduate school entrance examinations, such as the SAT and GRE. Other than intense reading itself, there is no better way of learning and, most importantly, remembering English vocabulary words than by learning Greek and Latin root words. My own love for reading and subsequent keen interest in English vocabulary began with the B.A. (hon) degree in English I received from UW Madison, and continued with the M.A. in English I earned from the University of Virginia; I currently teach Latin and Greek and Roman mythology at Tandem Friends School in Charlottesville, VA, farm organically, am Executive Editor of Membean.com, and practice yoga and dhyana on a daily basis (qigong when clement!).
