Latin Root Word Origins of Italo Calvino's The Nonexistent Knight

Welcome back fans of Latin roots as they relate to English vocabulary words, and great talks about life-changing books, with a focus on great literature! In this series that I'm offering, I am expounding upon books that have made an impression upon myself and many other readers, and the Latin root words inherent in their English titles. Let's look today at the great Italian writer Italo Calvino's book The Nonexistent Knight, which, next to Don Quixote, is one of the funniest books I've ever read, and most certainly one of the strangest.

The word nonexistent comes from the Latin verb existere: to come forth, be, come into being, a compound verb of the Latin verb sistere, stand firm, stand still, both of which are the source of the following SAT vocabulary words:

consistent: If one exhibits consistent excellence, one etymologically ‘thoroughly stands firm’ in that laudable behavior.

subsist: When one "subsists" on the bare minimum, she "stands firm under" a small amount of sustenance. Note the Latin prefix sub, which I chatted about in my last blog entry which discussed the word origins of Crime and Punishment. "Subsistent" is the related adjective.

irresistible: Etymologically "not capable of standing back," that is, something that one must have, and cannot "stand firm" against.

desist: As in "stand firm from," as in stopping oneself from doing something, from the common phrase "cease and desist."

coexist: When people can "coexist," they can live together peacefully, from the Latin prefix cum with, together, thoroughly, the spelling of which gives us the following SAT word list: coagulate, coerce, cohesive, cohort, coherent, coalesce, etc. For more English vocabulary words that come from this prolific Latin prefix, check out www.wordempire.com, a site where you can find the most comprehensive Latin roots dictionary of English vocabulary words available today.

consist: When something "consists" of a particular ingredient, like dark chocolate for instance (eat dark chocolate, my friends; not only does it taste great, but it's very good for you...try cacao content of at least 70% or above; Green and Black's makes an excellent organic variety!), it "thoroughly stands firm" in it. Note the Latin prefix "con," which is yet another spelling permutation of the Latin preposition, cum, giving us the following SAT vocabulary word list: concord, congregate, conglomeration, concomitant, contemptuous, etc. etc.: for more, check out where you can find the most extensive list of SAT vocabulary available.

Now, on to iItalo Calvino's rather unusual work, The Nonexistent Knight.

Agilulf is a knight who owns a beautiful white set of armor, with an iridescent plume, but does not exist; i.e., there is just a suit of armor walking around. Nevertheless, Agilulf does talk, think, fight, and strictly follow the code of chivalry of the paladins (douzepers) of Charlemagne, King of the Franks, to the great annoyance of all the other knights, who, once off the field of silliness called war (where, in a great comic scene, translators rush about from Infidel to Christian, making sure that insults are properly understood), are quite slovenly and lackadaisical. Despite the fact that Agilulf doesn’t exist, Bradamante, a knight with a periwinkle robe and superior puissance, who is also a woman because she was attracted by the ideals of knighthood, falls madly in love with him; she has become bored with the battle/bedding routine every night, and disillusioned by the glaring imperfection of all the existing knights. The narrator, a nun in a convent who is writing the story about Agilulf as a penance and as a path to perfection, says that Agilulf apparently came to life from sheer willpower on his part, or perhaps as the crystallization of the wills of all those people who exist who will themselves not to, i.e., spend meaningless lives of no renown whatsoever, and therefore melt away into nonexistence (a veiled allusion, perhaps, to the yogic notion of putting a carapace, or armor, over one's true self, and always and never not revealing the false self as a protective mechanism); Agilulf is therefore the decoction, as it were, of all the nebulousness of squandered wills and unlived lives. He does yearn to have a body, and does things, such as dine, even though he eats nothing; at one of Charlemagne’s great feasts, he spends hours upon hours cutting up his food and transferring it from dish to dish, all the while carrying on with captious remarks as the other paladins attempt to recount their glorious exploits in war (and failing utterly as Agilulf is there to remind them of what really happened, a glorious and highly comic scene). At one such banquet, his right to bear arms is questioned, as one squire named Torrismund indicates that indeed the woman Agilulf rescued from defilement was actually not a virgin, but his mother! Agilulf is incensed, and goes on a quest to find Sophronia, the woman he saved; Raimbaut, an enterprising young idealist who has joined the Frankish army, follows as well, as he is madly in love with Bradamante, who had already left to follow her beloved but nevertheless nonexistent Agilulf. Torrismund goes to find his father, the order of the Knights of the Grail, who are his “collective father;” i.e., one day Sophronia was out in the woods, came upon the knights, and came back pregnant. Agilulf clears his name, although when he returns a misunderstanding is bruited that is immediately cleared up, although not before Agilulf flees into the woods; later, after a knight has found him (Raimbaut), all that is left is his armor, so Raimbaut dons it, sees Bradamante, who thinks it is Agilulf returning at long last to her, and she gives herself to him, with her eyes closed, muttering all the time that she knew love was possible between them (even thought Agilulf is nonexistent); post coition, she opens her eyes, sees that her lover is really Raimbaut, and screams, telling him to leave at once. Agilulf is never seen again, although his squire, Gurduloo, whom everyone in the world seems to know of, except by different names, searches for him for evermore, looking in any container—the last scene of this was Gurduloo looking into an empty bottle, calling out Agilulf’s name. The nun, who has given us interesting anecdotes about her convent, is revealed at the end as Bradamante! Who, when she hears a horse’s hooves clattering upon the flagstones of the convent, looks out the window and sees her very own Raimbaut coming for her, and she gladly runs off to be with him once more (a rather startling turn of events, especially considering her former highly negative reaction to Raimbaut).

To only parade about in one's false self, and not even knowing what one's true self is, is more nonexistent than Agilulf himself,who seems much more real than most of the existent knights. If indeed one does but follow rules that society sets upon one, one indeed does not exist, but is merely a formulation of a code of societal conduct. 

     A fine edition of The Nonexistent Knight,which also includes The Cloven Viscount, is listed below. 

Fascinated with English vocabulary words? Want to pick them apart into their constituent Greek and Latin roots? Want to know even more words that come from the Latin root words existere and sistere, and most especially the prolific prefix cum? Studying hard for the SAT or GRE verbal section, and just can't get a handle on all of those vocabulary words? Check out www.wordempire.com, where you will find the most comprehensive Greek and Latin roots dictionary available today, and also the most beautiful...it's in full color, and artistically designed. There's even a Greek and Latin roots poster available, which nicely illustrates the full power of what Greek and Latin root words can do for you.

Latin Root Word Origins of Dostoyevksy's Crime and Punishment

Welcome back fans of Latin roots as they relate to English vocabulary words, and great talks about life-changing books! In this series that I'm offering, I am expounding upon books that have made an impression upon myself and many other readers, and the Latin root words inherent in their English titles. Let's look today at Crime and Punishment, a seminal novel with a very tricky ethical impasse.

The word punishment come from the Latin verb punire: to punish, which is the source of the following SAT vocabulary words:

subpoena: When one is "subpoenaed" to a court of law, one must show up under threat of punishment (if one doesn't go), via the Latin noun poena: punishment, penalty and the preposition sub: under, below, host of a legion of English vocabulary words, such as subterranean and subjugate.

impunity: When one does something with "impunity," one does not fear any "punishment" arising from one's actions.

punitive: A "punitive" action by a judge is one that "punishes" someone for doing something.

repentant: When one is "repentant" one is sorry for what one has done, and is etymologically being "punished" during this time of remorse. Via the Latin paenitens: regretting. One can also be unrepentant, penitent (undergoing penitence, or a punishment for an action), and penitential.

pine: The English word "pain" also comes from the Latin root word for "punish;" pain is a form of bodily punishment that one has to take when one has a malady. To "pine" for someone is to long greatly for them because they are not present; one feels "pain" in one's heart. To "repine" is also to yearn after something one does not have; this is a more difficult GRE vocabulary word.

Now, on to Fyodor Dostoyevksy's great novel, Crime and Punishment.

In this novel, Raskolnikov, a poor but brilliant medical student, has a relative, a fabulously wealthy old woman, who does no good for society at all, but simply hoards her wealth. Raskolnikov, whose potential to become an excellent doctor is vast, reasons to himself that if he had the old woman's money, he would be able to do better things with it because he would be able to become a doctor, and thereby heal many sick people. The old woman is parsimonious and will give him no financial aid, so he resolves to kill her, which he does eventually do, along with a witness that he did not count on having to kill as well. This ethical dilemma seems somewhat reasonable on the surface, that is, why have someone who is worthless to society have all that money who is doing no good at all with it, and have someone who could be immensely valuable to society and save many lives be thwarted because they have no means? At first blush this sounds very reasonable; however, the primary issue here is of identity. Yogic creeds teach us that we are not our mind, feelings, or body, but rather that we are something much vaster, and indeed are not separate from the rest of the people that surround one, and so, from a yogic perspective, Raskolnikov is mistaken in thinking that his obsessive focus on money forms his identity, and in doing away with the old woman he is actually doing away with himself, as he is not separate from her. So, although to our rational minds and maybe even to our humanitarian feelings Raskolnikov is justified in what he does, from a perspective of the "true self," that is, that which is, at essence, undifferentiated and nonindividuated from the rest of humanity, the doing away with the "useless" old woman is ethically wrong (ethical relativism aside here) because she is an incarnated soul just like the rest of us.
     Probably the best pair of translators into Russian these days is Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky.  Their translations of Russian literature are truly nonpareil.  Take a gander at their Crime and Punishment; even if you've already read this seminal work, it's well worth reading again by such an astounding pair. 

Fascinated with English vocabulary words? Want to pick them apart into their constituent Greek and Latin roots? Want to know even more words that come from the Latin root word punire, and most especially the prolific prefix sub? Studying hard for the SAT or GRE verbal section, and just can't get a handle on all of those vocabulary words? Check out www.wordempire.com, where you will find the most comprehensive Greek and Latin roots dictionary available today, and also the most beautiful...it's in full color, and artistically designed. There's even a Greek and Latin roots poster available, which nicely illustrates the full power of what Greek and Latin root words can do for you.

Latin roots of Don Quixote

Welcome back fans of Latin roots as they relate to English vocabulary words, and great talks about life-changing books! In this series that I'm offering, I am expounding upon books that have changed my life, and the Latin root words inherent in their English titles. Let's look today at Don Quixote, most likely the greatest novel ever written.

The word Don, or "lord" comes from the Latin root word dominus, which means "lord" or "master." A virtual bevy of great SAT and GRE words comes from this root, including the following English words:

domineering: when one is "domineering," one is trying to lord it over others, or trying to completely master them
demesne: a "demesne" is that land or property that a "master" owns, basically the same word as "domain," or that area of land over which one is a "master."
dominion: the "dominion" one holds is that control or power or sway or "mastery" one holds in a particular situation in which one dominates one's peers or opponents
predominant: a "predominant" soccer player is one that is "master before" all others, the creme de la creme; she or he exhibits predominance in their sport.

Related to this word "master" is the feminine version, domina, from which we get the following GRE vocabulary words in addition to words such as dame, damsel, madam, Donna, and Notre Dame:

beldam: a "beldam" is a fine old woman who commands our respect (although the meaning has morphed as well into an old woman who is particularly unattractive).
duenna: a go-between who is a mistress of a love affair between two younger aspirants. Much used in Chaucer.

Now, the word "quixotic." I believe that the word "Quixote" originally referred to armor worn on the thighs (Quixote of course was a "brave" knight). One who is "quixotic" today is rather fanciful in his or her imaginings, or has "ideals" that are highly unreachable, much like the Don possessed, and which Sancho Panza never quite understood: cf. the search for the peerless Dulcinea del Toboso.

So, what's so great about the book Don Quixote that I would dare label it the best novel ever written? Shouldn't I know better since I've read thousands of books myself? Considering it was written in the very early 17th century, how could nigh 400 years not produce a better, in any language? Let's put it this way: it's by far the funniest work I've ever read; as I was last reading the Edith Grossman translation (a perfectly fabulous translation, by the bye) on the porch, I would often guffaw out loud at the Don's crazy exploits, some of which actually brought tears to my eyes...he is so believable in his craziness that you just want to love the guy...do you remember the last time you laughed uncontrollably out loud while reading a book? The other absolutely wonderful thing about this predominant work by Miguel de Cervantes is that everyone who reads Don Quixote has a different opinion about who and what the Don actually is... I know who he is to me (note the present tense here), but I would be most interested in hearing who he was to the public at large. If one were to read any one book this year, this would be the one to read; highly accessible to the general reader (we're not talking Proust here, although that too is a worthy read) and the most literate alike, it's a book for the millennium. Or, if one were to read only one book in the next decade, and you wanted to take the decade to do it, this is the one for fiction...although paradoxically, it's also one most true to life (except for perhaps Hamlet or King Lear).  By the bye, there are many excellent translations of Don Quixote out there, and I've read a number of them.  However, I think that the best translation is the Don Quixote by Edith Grossman.  Pure, pure linguistic genius.  It had me guffawing out loud!

Fascinated with English vocabulary words? Want to pick them apart into their constituent Greek and Latin roots? Want to know even more words that come from the Latin root word dominus? Studying hard for the SAT or GRE verbal section, and just can't get a handle on all of those vocabulary words? Check out www.wordempire.com, where you will find the most comprehensive Greek and Latin roots dictionary available today, and also the most beautiful...it's in full color, and artistically designed. There's even a Greek and Latin roots poster available, which nicely illustrates the full power of what Greek and Latin root words can do for you.

Latin roots of the word VACATION!!!

Welcome back, fans of Greek and Latin root words as they pertain to the word origins of English vocabulary words! I'm about to head off on vacation, and thought it might be fruitful to know just what we mean when we talk about what we all love best. So...the root word of "vacation" is:

vaco, vacare, vacavi, vacatum: to be empty, to have leisure (void) and

vacuus: empty

When we are no longer responsible for our everyday, quotidian affairs, that of picking up the kids, going to work, doing the dishes, and all the pertinent minutiae that make up life every day, we empty ourselves of those duties, those offices, and are once again (supposedly) free to enjoy life. Thus, "emptied" of these everyday responsibilities, we move into a state where we can "have leisure" to enjoy what we would like to do. The most wisely planned vacations can do that; those that are not so wisely planned, however, can include a great deal of "travail," which can come during "travel" (a word whose origin is a medieval torture device that contained "three stakes" whose use remains unknown today); consider the torture one must go through as one misses plains, or is beleageured by traffic jams, etc.

So, let's begin with other SAT words that are related to the word "vacation" and have to do with emptying include:

vacuous: a "vacuous" stare is one devoid of any intelligence whatsoever, sort of like when a cow stares at you

vacate: to vacate an area is to go away from it, hence emptying yourself from it

void: a "void" is empty of anything whatsoever; of course, words like "avoid," "unavoidable," and "avoidable" all have to do with emptying from one's overall experience as well

devoid: is something is "devoid" of matter, there is nothing in it

vacuity: total absence of matter; a vacuum; nothing there (a vacuity of brains)

vacant: a "vacant" lot has nothing in it

evacuate: to "evacuate" an area because of a natural disaster is to "empty" it of all its citizens.

Some good biological terminology also comes from this root:

vacuole: a cavity, or empty area, in a cell's cytoplasm; note that "cytology" is the biological study of cells

vacuome: a system of vacuoles in a living cell, via the Greek suffix "-ome," which means "mass." Some good botanical terms use this suffix, including rhizome, leptome, and mestome.

Well, I'm off to the Green Mountains of Vermont for a couple days of hiking. I hope that you all have great vacations this summer, and are able to "empty" yourselves of life's tribulations at least for awhile.

vacuole: part of a cell's cytoplasm that contains a cavity

Word Origins of The Omnivore's Dilemma and Commentary: Post III

Greeting, fans of etymology and Greek and Latin root word origins as they relate not only to SAT and GRE vocabulary words, but also to the title of The Omnivore's Dilemma. Thank you for reading my article from last week which concerned the Latin root word suffix -vore as I continued discussing The Latin roots of The Omnivore's Dilemma and how that book has changed my way of thinking about and eating food, and even the definition of what food is. As I mentioned in my last post, I have considered providing SAT and GRE English vocabulary words based on the root words of titles of books that have been seminal in my life, thereby not only discussing the word origins of the title and words related thereunto, but also what those works have originated in terms of social change for myself, which I am hoping may act as consulting information for helping others change their lives in positive ways, and thereby helping the world become a greener and healthier place.
The last word in the title of Michael Pollan's seminal and influential The Omnivore's Dilemmais is comprised of two Greek word roots:

dis: two, twice, double {di-}

lemma: something taken, promise

Hence, the word "dilemma" etymologically means "having taken two." If one is in a dilemma, one does not know which of two things to take, or, on the same token, one could have two incompatible things, and not know what to do about them. Imagine proposing marriage to two different people concurrently, and having them both accept...what a dilemma the proposer would be in! And yes, there is a word "trilemma" as well...a situation perhaps even more than 50% worse!

The Greek word lemma is related to the Greek root word lambanein, which means to take, seize, hold, or accept, the morphemes of which are the following: lab, lept, and leps, from which derives the following English vocabulary words:

syllable: A syllable is etymologically a group of letters ‘held’ or ‘taken together’ to form a ‘unit of spoken or written language.’ Monosyllable (having one syllable), polysyllabic (having many syllables, via the Greek root word prefix, polys--many, word origin of multiplicative English vocabulary words, such as polygon, polyhedron, polyglot, polymath, and polytheism), and syllabication (syllabification) are all related words.

epilepsy: epileptic seizures "take hold of" the afflicted for short periods of time

syllabus (plural: syllabi): A syllabus of a course lists all the work ‘taken together’ during a given term.

narcolepsy: a uncontrollable seizure of sleep, via the Greek root word narke (narc-): numbness, deadness, or torpor, word origin of narcissism (a self-love so virulent that is creates a 'torpor' of self-absorption, which is exactly what happened when Narcissus fell in love with his reflection in a pool of clear water and could not move from the spot) and narcotic, which is a drug that creates a deadness or sleepiness in someone who ingests it. Can you guess what narcomania might be?

catalepsy: etymologically a "thorough seizing" (n.b.: the Greek prefix cata- acts as an intensive, and is the word origin for such English words as catalog (a thorough collection), catapult (an instrument that "thoroughly" hurls heavy objects), and catastrophe (a thorough turning of events to the bad).

Note that the Greek prefix di- is prolific, giving us such SAT and GRE vocabulary as: diploma, dioxide, diptych, disemic, diphthong, and such dinosaurs as dilophosaurus, diplodocus, and diceratops (note that the word "dinosaur" itself means "terrible lizard" or "monstrous lizard") via the Greek roots deinos-terrible, monstrous and sauros: lizard).

Commentary on The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan

Have you ever noticed in the grocery store that the less modified foods, that is, the produce and meats, are usually in the extremities of the store, whereas the packaged and processed foods are all in the middle of the store, more easily accessible? Packaged foods are, by and large, much more profitable for grocery stores (by the bye, the word "grocery" comes from the Latin root word grossus: large, bulky thick, the idea being that a grocer buys things in ‘grosses,’ or in large quantities; a ‘gross’ (from the French grosse douzaine, ‘big dozen’) of pickles is 144 pickles. Groceries themselves can be ‘bulky’ items. Note that the letter c and the letter s, a consonant shift, tend to be interchangeable between Latin and English), not only because of their shelf life (white bread, for instance, can last for months, but is, at best, minimally nutritious, but it is nice and soft and fluffy for pampered palates, and it's also cheap, a profitable combination, but not a nutritious one), but also because of their ingredients, many of which are simply modified forms of high fructose corn syrup, a very sweet form of distilled and processed corn that moves profits on an extremely large scale (from corn that is produced in a very anti-environmental fashion, with lots of pesticides, herbicides, and petroleum-based fertilizers, all of which find their way into the water supply). If you pick up any box of just about anything, it is bound to have high fructose corn syrup in it; it is also bound to have numerous ingredients, a sure sign to stay away. Yes, it may taste good, and yes, it may even have the "blessing" of the American Heart Association on it, but that doesn't mean that it's good for you; as Pollan points out, it's not really food if there are more than five ingredients in it (a good rule of thumb to follow). And what about organic? Yes, you will pay more, but will you really? In terms of your health, and in terms of medical bills, in the long run you will pay much, much less; I have been eating organic solely now for three years, and raising my own food as well (all organically raised), and have not been sick with anything, not even a cold, for two straight years now. I feel great, have very little body fat, and have loads of energy. So yes, you could buy those non-organic, packaged "food" items (who are they kidding? Just because it's edible doesn't mean it's food) and save a little money, and they'll even taste good (your brain loves things like HFCS because sweet things in nature are very high in calories, an anti-famine response), but you will pay a price in the long run; lack of nutrition, obesity, numerous trips to the doctor, high insurance bills, etc. Eat local; eat organic; eat real food, and you'll start feeling better, and you'll be doing your part to ensure a greener planet not only for yourself, but for your descendants.

All of the subsidiary word roots discussed above: poly--many; di-two, narke: deadness, cata-thoroughly, deinos: terrible, monstrous and sauros: lizard can be found at www.wordempire.com, a site devoted not only to the Greek and Latin root words of English vocabulary words, but also to giving word lists, via trees, of SAT and GRE vocabulary words for SAT and GRE prep. Knowing the core of the English language allows one to unlock that language, making the learning of English vocabulary words much easier. At the etymology site you can find the best Greek and Latin roots dictionary available today, Word Empire III: Clarity. Happy learning!   Or, if you're looking to learn vocabulary for the SAT or GRE verbal section, check out membean.com, where vocabulary is taught to you via an Adaptive Reinforcement Engine in a fun and engaging way which at the same time enhances your memory.

Word Origins of The Omnivore's Dilemma and Commentary: Post II

Greeting, fans of etymology and Greek and Latin roots word origins as they relate not only to SAT and GRE vocabulary words, but also to the title of The Omnivore's Dilemma. Thank you for reading my article from last week which concerned the Latin root words omnis and vorare as I began discussing The Omnivore's Dilemma and how that book has changed my life vis a vis the way I do things on my farm. As I mentioned in my last post, I have considered providing SAT and GRE English vocabulary words based on the root words of titles of books that have been seminal in my life, thereby not only discussing the word origins of the title, but also what those works have originated in terms of social change for myself which I am hoping may act as consulting information for helping others change their lives in positive ways, and thereby help the world become a greener and healthier place.
The title of Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma contains the English word "omnivore" which is comprised of two Latin roots, that is:

Omnis: all (fully discussed in last week's post on the Latin root word omnis: all)
Voro, vorare, voravi, voratum: to eat (vour) (partially discussed for the Latin root word voro, vorare, voravi, voratum: eat)

We already know from last time that some English words that come from voro, vorare include devour, carnivore, herbivore, voracious, and voracity. Let's take a look at a few others:

piscivore: a fish eater: via the Latin root word piscis: fish, word origin of pisciculture (my father, Larry Lee Brunner, former owner of Willow Springs Trout Farm in Wisconsin Rapids, WI, was a pisciculturist, that is, he raised fish, specifically trout, for market), piscatory (piscatory skills concern the art of fishing), the astrological sign Pisces, piscatology, pisciform, and porpoise.

verbivore: a word eater (that is, someone who loves words so much that she just eats them right up, wanting more and more): via the Latin root word verbum: word, origin of many, many English vocabulary words, such as verb (yes, an action word), adverb (etymologically, a "word" that sits "near" another word, grammatically a modifier for a verb or adjective), verbose (wordy), verbiage (the words one uses when writing), proverb, verbatim (word for word), verve, and verbum sapienti satis est (a word to the wise is enough). For many more English words that come from the Latin root word verbum, see www.wordempire.com, your central place to describe the power of Greek and Latin roots as the primary word origins of English vocabulary.

insectivore: an eater of insects, via the Latin root word seco, secare, secui, sectum: to cut, word origin of insect (an insect has been ‘cut into’ three pieces: the head, thorax, and abdomen), section, dissect, intersection, bisect, secant, etc.

graminivore: an animal that subsists on grass, via the Latin root word gramen, graminis: grass. Check out the importance of ruminants eating grass in Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma--sunlight through grass via photosynthesis to meat via the rumen and wool. Fabulous. And most miraculous.

nucivore: an eater of nuts, via the Latin root word nux, nucis, nut, word origin of nuclear, nuciform, dinucleotide, and deoxyribonucleic acid, among many, many others.

vermivore: an eater of worms, via the Latin word root vermis: worm, word origin of vermicelli (etymologically a pasta shaped like "little worms"), vermin, vermiform appendix, vermifuge, and vermilion (from the color attributed to a specific kind of red ‘worm’).

frugivore: an eater of fruit, from the Latin word root frux, frugis, fruit, word origin of frugal (the idea is that ‘thriftiness’ bears great financial ‘fruit’), and many other related words, such as fruit, fructify, and fructose, via the Latin root word fruor, frui, fructus sum: to bear fruit, enjoy.

lactivore: an "eater" (really drinker) of milk, from the Latin root word lac, lactis, milk, word origin of lettuce (a milky white fluid leaks from its leaves when cut), lactate, lactation, galaxy (via the Greek root word gala, galactos: milk), lactoprotein, and latte.

ovivore: an eater of eggs, from the Latin root word "ovum," egg (note that this word could also mean an "eater of sheep," from the Latin root ovis: sheep); word origin of oval, ovoid, ovate, ovariotomy, ovarian, ovo-lacto vegetarianism etc. etc. Also note that the Latin phrase ab ovo usque ad mala (or " from soup to nuts") partially comes from this word.

phytivore: an eater of plants, from the Greek root word phyton--plant, word origin of such English vocabulary words as the SAT word neophyte, and numerous botanical terms, such as saprophyte, phytology, and oophyte.

fungivore: an eater of fungi, usually in reference to insects. I, myself, am an eater of mushrooms, and am most certainly a mycophile, or lover of fungus, especially mushrooms and those oh so wonderful morels.

ossivore: an eater of bones, via the Latin root word os, ossis: bone, progenitor of ossification, osseous, and ossuary.

ranivore: an eater of frogs, via the Latin root word rana--frog. A ranarium is a home for frogs, usually in a zoo, cf. aquarium and terrarium.

Commentary on The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan

Now that we have divulged some of the fascinating words that are related etymologically to the word "omnivore," let's talk about chickens. Chickens are primarily herbivores (unfortunately most non-organic chicken feed has animal byproducts in it, that is, ground up dead chickens and, even worse, chicken waste) and they love to peck through beautiful green grass and eat all the bugs and ticks therein. As they eat the grass, they ingest plenty of omega 3 fatty acids and beta carotene, which turn the eggs a deep golden color (the pale yellow color of cheap eggs, which are cheap for a reason, are about as nutritious as iceberg lettuce in comparison with, say, organic spinach or, even better, lamb's quarters, one of the world's most nutitious plants), a free source of food from chicken to you. In addition, chickens will consume not only organic waste from your kitchen (potato peelings, carrot peelings, green pepper core, apple cores, etc. etc.), but also weeds that you pick from your garden. Why mow the lawn when you can have your chickens mow it for you, using a simple chicken tractor? Why worry about ticks when chickens will clear your lawn of them? All you need do is provide a safe place where they can roost at night, and they will begin providing you with eggs from recycled food waste and lawn that you won't have to mow. I currently have a flock of 14 of these marvelous egg creating machines, who lay about 11-12 eggs/day. I feed them organic chicken feed in addition to their plant diet which I get delivered from a local co-op. I have a portable electric fence, but since I clip one of their wings (it is a mistake to clip both of them since they are off-kilter with only one wing clipped) I don't have to use the electricity for the fence, which I rotate about once every two weeks to allow the pecked through grass to revivify. There is truly little more satisfying for you or your children to gather eggs at the end of the day and have them for breakfast the next day. To read why you probably don't want to purchase cheap white eggs that sell for around a dollar a dozen, consider chickens trapped in a egg-producing factory, which are much like the cafos I discussed in my last post and which Michael Pollan discusses oh so very well in his eye-opening book on food (and how that term is misused when referring to fast "food"), The Omnivore's Dilemma.

My next post will focus on words related to "dilemma," including commentary on high fructose corn syrup and the dilemma one faces when one is in a grocery store...does one go organic and non-processed and pay more, or does one pay more (but much less in the long run due to fewer medical bills) to really eat?

All of the subsidiary word roots discussed above: piscis: fish; verbum: word; secare: to cut; vermis: worm; frux, frugis: fruit; lac, lactis: milk, etc. can be found at www.wordempire.com a site devoted not only to the Greek and Latin root words of English vocabulary words, but also to giving word lists, via trees, of SAT and GRE vocabulary words for SAT and GRE prep. Knowing the core of the English language allows one to unlock that language, making the learning of English vocabulary words much easier. At the etymology site you can find the best Greek and Latin roots dictionary available today, Word Empire III: Clarity.  Or, if you're looking to learn vocabulary for the SAT or GRE verbal section, check out membean.com, where vocabulary is taught to you via an Adaptive Reinforcement Engine in a fun and engaging way which at the same time enhances your memory. 

Word Origins of The Omnivore's Dilemma and Commentary: Post I

Greetings, fans of word origins of English vocabulary words, especially Greek and Latin roots that form the vast majority of the English language! Thank you for reading my article from last week which concerned the Greek roots phyein--to produce and physis--nature, the primary root words for the English words physician, physical, and physics, an article which I will continue in 2 weeks time. I have been considering future posts, and have decided to begin analyzing different books that have changed my life, titles which have Latin or Greek roots embedded within them, from which I will not only illuminate the contents of the book, but also their relative etymologies.
Let's begin with Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma, a book which I will be discussing during the next two word origins posts. The English word "omnivore" is comprised of two Latin roots, that is:

Omnis: all
Voro, vorare, voravi, voratum: to eat (vour)

Focusing first on words that derive from the Latin root omnis:

bus: yes! An "omnibus" is a vehicle of transporation "for all," the "ibus" ending being the dative plural of the adjective "omnis." Omnibus was later shortened to "bus."

omniscient: All-knowing, via the Latin root scio, scire, scivi, scitum--to know, word origin of science, conscious, conscience, plebiscite, conscionable, etc.

omnipotent: All-powerful, via the Latin root potens, potentis--capable, powerful, word origin of such English words as potentate, potent, impotent, possess, posse, etc.

omnifarious: of all kinds, cf. multifarious

omnidirectional: in all directions

omnipresent: being in all places at one time

omnia vincit amor: Love conquers all (things), quoted by Geoffrey Chaucer in The General Prologue when describing the Prioresse, a Nonne, that is, a Nun who was a Prioress; the phrase originated in Virgil's Eclogues.

Focusing secondly on English words whose word origin is the Latin root word vorare:

devour: to swallow quickly or eat greedily

voracious: via the Latin adjective vorax, voracis: ravenous.

carnivore: an eater of meat, via the Latin root word caro, carnis: flesh, meat, word origin of
carnival, carnal, carrion, carnage, incarnation, carnation, etc.

herbivore: an eater of plants, via the Latin root herba: plant, grass, word origin of herb,
herbicide, arbor (not to be confused with the Latin root for Arbor Day, which derives from the
Latin root arbor, arboris: tree), herbalism, herbicolous, etc.

In my next post I will continue with more English vocabulary words that come from the Latin root word voro, vorare, and with the etymology of "dilemma," including SAT and GRE vocabulary related to that word.

Commentary on The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
A hugely influential book that discusses the origin of our food supply. Most people don't give a thought about where our "food" comes from, other than somehow magically appearing at the grocery store or something we get quickly at a fast food drive through (by reading Pollan's book, one will soon realize that "fast food" is one of the most pernicious oxymorons omnipresent in our culture). Pollan goes to great lengths to illuminate, for instance, where most of our meat supply comes from, and focuses on CAFOs, or Confined Area Feeding Operations, where most of the red meat supply originates; CAFOs are horrible places of disease, antibiotics, grain feeding to ruminants who aren't meant to digest grain all in the name of quickly produced meat, and living short lives in self-created filth. I will never look at red meat in the grocery store in the same way again; indeed, I now raise my own meat (I was a vegetarian for over a decade until I read Pollan's work) via oviculture, or sheep farming, where I allow the sheep to eat my lawn, fertilize it, and thereby grow meat and wool, all linking back to solar radiation, the ultimate origin of all of our food. I used to spend 4 to 5 hours mowing my lawn at least once/week, not to mention fertilizing it (most fertilizers are petroleum based, which are also very hard on the environment) with 10-10-10 or some such commercially produced non-green product; now, since I let my sheep into my lawn every weekend, I have cut down my mowing and weed eating time from 5 hours every 5 days to 45 minutes once/week, and I also do not have to fertilize the lawn either, which is in beautiful shape; also, the lawn, instead of just being purposelessly and, I must admit, mindlessly cut, is now producing food from sunlight for my family, all in a green hence environmentally friendly fashion. By not cutting all the lawn, I also do not have to replant; I leave sections of "standing lawn," which go to seed, thereby not only reseeding the lawn naturally as the wind blows (really, now, plants indeed do create their own seed...why buy it in a bag, made out of plastic itself, and use the gas to go to the store to get it, not to mention buying a spreader to spread the seed when the wind will do?) but, by letting those areas grow throughout the summer naturally they become "standing hay" which the sheep eat during the winter, hence not wreaking havoc by pulling out short sections of the lawn (which, by the way, after two years of this practice, has never looked better; I challenge any pesticide/herbicide/seeding/mowing/vast lawn-industrial-complex company to do a better job than sheep at a cheaper price with better and more environmentally friendly results). I am now in the process of selling my string trimmer, a hideously noise making device that pollutes the atmosphere at a rate that highly exceeds vehicle emissions; the average lawn mower, as well, pollutes at a rate almost 10 times that of the average car; so, one can own a Prius (as I do), but if one mows one's lawn, it's really quite self-defeating in terms of limiting one's carbon footprint. Yes, yes, one's lawn will not "look" as good, but really, is it worth the time, effort, large amounts of money, and environmental degradation? Remember that the origin of lawns were affectations for the wealthy who did not need the land to produce food; it amuses me that, even in the current economic crisis, people continue to cultivate lawns when they could be feeding their families with the land they own (why not create usable land via gardening instead of a headache-producing, noise-enhancing plot of useless grass?). Imagine all the grass in the U.S. being put to work growing food instead of being mindlessly mowed every weekend to only be looked at...a truly effete notion.
I will discuss more next week, focusing on chickens that lay wonderfully nutritious organic eggs while primarily subsisting on grass, which gives the eggs plenty of omega 3 fatty acids and a beautiful golden color, rich in vitamin E, much lower in saturated fat, and a high concentration of omega 3 fatty acids, about 33% of which is DHA. All while not mowing my lawn. Hmmm....free food, less work, no pollution, no buying gas, spending more time with my children....or an "emerald-green" but in reality herbicide-riddled green carpet. You take your pick.
    Michael Pollan also has another very good book, which is a short guide to eating, entitled: Food Rules: An Eater's Manual.  And also In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto. I have these two books as well; they will change the way you think about food, and especially its origin, which is often NOT of people's radar!

All of the subsidiary word roots discussed above, such as scio, scire, scivi, scitum: to know, potens, potentis--capable, powerful, caro, carnis: flesh, meat; herba: plant, grass can be found on www.wordempire.com a site devoted not only to the Greek and Latin root words of English vocabulary words, but also to giving word lists, via trees, of SAT and GRE vocabulary words for SAT and GRE prep. Knowing the core of the English language allows one to unlock that language, making the learning of English vocabulary words much easier.  Or, if you're looking to learn vocabulary for the SAT or GRE verbal section, check out membean.com, where vocabulary is taught to you via an Adaptive Reinforcement Engine in a fun and engaging way which at the same time enhances your memory.