Language and Literature, Part 2
Six sections finishing off Chapter 2 — phobias, famous quotes, tricky one-word definitions, world languages, why months are named what they are, and Latin phrases still used in English today.
2.5 Fears
| Phobia | Fear of… |
|---|---|
| trypanophobia | injections |
| lockiophobia | childbirth |
| haphephobia | being touched |
| iatrophobia | doctors |
| glossophobia | speaking in public |
| pteridophobia | ferns |
| equinophobia | horses |
| melanophobia | the colour black |
| nosocomephobia | hospitals |
| belonephobia | pins and needles |
| anuptaphobia | staying single |
| tonitrophobia | thunder |
| dendrophobia | trees |
| selenophobia | the moon |
| chronomentrophobia | clocks |
| ephebiphobia | teenagers |
chrono- (time) → chronomentrophobia, like "chronological." glosso- (tongue/speech) → glossophobia, like "glossary." melano- (black) → melanophobia, like "melanin." equino- (horse) → equinophobia, like "equestrian." dendro- (tree) → dendrophobia, like "dendrite."
Iatrophobia = fear of the DOCTOR (the person). Nosocomephobia = fear of the HOSPITAL (the place). Also: anuptaphobia is the fear of staying single — NOT fear of marriage, the opposite!
2.6 Words of Great People
Eight famous quotes — you're given the quote plus a clue about the speaker, and must name who said it. The clue is often the easier way in!
| Quote | Clue about speaker | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| "…That's relativity." | Physicist, theory of relativity | Albert Einstein |
| "Everyone is a moon and has a dark side…" | Real name Samuel Langhorne Clemens | Mark Twain |
| "Insanity in individuals is rare…" | German philosopher, challenged Christianity | Friedrich Nietzsche |
| "The reward of a thing well done…" | American essayist, transcendentalism | Ralph Waldo Emerson |
| "As long as I have a want…" | Only person to win Nobel Prize AND Oscar | George Bernard Shaw |
| "Out of intense complexities…" | British WWII wartime leader | Winston Churchill |
| "As I would not be a slave…" | 16th US President | Abraham Lincoln |
| "Resistance to tyrants is obedience to Gods." | US founding father, first public library | Thomas Jefferson |
The correct spelling is Friedrich Nietzsche (not "Neitzsche"). The correct name order is George Bernard Shaw (not "Bernard George") — write the corrected names in your exam.
George Bernard Shaw is the only person in history to win BOTH a Nobel Prize for Literature (1925) AND an Oscar (1938, for "Pygmalion").
2.7 One-Word Answers
Twenty definitions — write the exact single word for each. The longest list in this chapter, so grouping by meaning-type helps a lot.
| Definition | Word |
|---|---|
| Reads the same forward and backward | palindrome |
| Too willing to serve or obey | obsequious |
| A young cow that hasn't borne a calf | heifer |
| A university degree (BA, BSc etc.) | baccalaureate |
| Eager to fight | bellicose |
| One who walks in sleep | somnambulist |
| A burial vault, tomb or grave | sepulchre |
| One who abstains from alcohol | teetotaller |
| Lewd or lustful | lascivious |
| Planned movement of troops/warships | maneuver |
| Harsh discordance of sound | cacophony |
| Sun, earth, moon in a straight line | syzygy |
| A person sent on a mission | emissary |
| Speaks/writes several languages | polyglot |
| Eats all kinds of foods | pantophagist |
| One who steers a boat | coxswain |
| Uncompromising, stubborn | intransigent |
| Excessively talkative | garrulous |
| The quality of seeming true | verisimilitude |
| Being everywhere at the same time | ubiquitous |
Describes a person's habit (9): obsequious, bellicose, lascivious, intransigent, garrulous, teetotaller, somnambulist, pantophagist, polyglot. A job/role (2): coxswain, emissary. About words/sound (3): palindrome, cacophony, verisimilitude. Academic/ place (3): sepulchre, baccalaureate, maneuver. Unusual/science (3): heifer, syzygy, ubiquitous.
madam, level, noon, racecar, civic — all read the same forward and backward. And syzygy happens during an eclipse!
2.8 Medium of Communication
Ten languages and writing systems — each clue mixes where it's spoken, who uses it, and one standout fact.
| The one fact to remember | Language / system |
|---|---|
| European languages borrowed much of their vocabulary from it; used officially by the Roman Catholic Church | Latin |
| Written right to left; the Holy Quran is written in it | Arabic |
| Ancient Egyptian writing; literally means "sacred carvings" | Hieroglyphs |
| Devised in 1821 by a blind Frenchman; used by Helen Keller | Braille |
| Spoken in Somalia/Mozambique; only African-origin African Union language | Swahili |
| Developed in England, Anglo-Saxon era; widely used in Commonwealth countries | English |
| A Dravidian language, official in Puducherry; first Indian classical language | Tamil |
| An artificial international language, devised 1887 | Esperanto |
| The earliest known written language | Sumerian |
| Close to Hebrew; many believe Jesus preached in it | Aramaic |
Braille is a system of writing (raised dots) that can represent any language — don't confuse it with a spoken language like Arabic or Tamil. And Esperanto was deliberately invented in 1887 by one person, unlike the others which developed naturally.
Religious connection: Latin (Church), Arabic (Quran), Aramaic (Jesus). Written/read, not spoken: Hieroglyphs, Braille. "First/earliest" facts: Sumerian (earliest written), Tamil (first classical Indian language), Esperanto (invented, not natural).
2.9 Baptism of Months
"Baptism" means naming — where each month's name comes from. Roman gods, Roman people, and Latin number-words all hide inside our calendar.
| Month | Where the name comes from |
|---|---|
| January | Janus, Roman god of beginnings and endings |
| February | Februa, a Roman festival of purification |
| March | Mars, Roman god of war |
| April | Latin "aperire" = "to open" (buds opening) |
| May | Maiesta, Roman goddess of honour; also "maiores" (elders) |
| June | Goddess Juno; also "juniores" (young men) |
| July | Julius Caesar — his birth month |
| August | Emperor Augustus — fortunate events in his life |
| September | Latin "septem" = seven — the old 7th month |
| October | Latin "octo" = eight — the old 8th month |
| November | Latin "novem" = nine — the old 9th month |
| December | Latin "decem" = ten — the old 10th month |
September, October, November, December are the Latin words for seven, eight, nine, ten — but they're our 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th months. Why? Because the old Roman calendar began in March, not January — so September really was the 7th month back then. You already know "octopus" has 8 legs and a "decade" is 10 years — the same roots hide in these month names!
July = Julius Caesar (his birth month). August = Augustus (his successor). Two different men, two months in a row. Remember: July for Julius.
2.10 Foreign Words in English
Fifteen Latin phrases English still uses today, especially in law and formal writing. You've probably already heard "status quo" and "ad hoc"!
| Meaning | Foreign phrase |
|---|---|
| In good faith | bona fide |
| On one side only (legal term) | ex-parte |
| By virtue of one's office | ex-officio |
| In bad faith | mala fide |
| An eminent composer/musician | maestro |
| Method of operating | modus operandi |
| A way of living/working together | modus vivendi |
| For this specific purpose | ad hoc |
| On first appearance/consideration | prima facie |
| The existing state of affairs | status quo |
| Afternoon | post meridiem (pm) |
| Out of kindness, not obligation | ex-gratia |
| In the year of the Lord | anno domini (AD) |
| Before noon | ante meridiem (am) |
| Therefore | ergo |
bona/mala: bona fide (good faith) vs mala fide (bad faith) — same second word, opposite first word. ante/post meridiem: before noon vs after noon — "ante" = before (antenatal), "post" = after (postpone). The ex- family: ex-parte, ex-officio, ex-gratia — all official/legal, all start "ex-".
Modus operandi = method of an ACTION (how a task is done). Modus vivendi = a way of LIVING together (a lifestyle or temporary agreement). Both start "modus" (method/way) but mean different things.
Practice like the real exam
(b) the moon
George Bernard Shaw
Ubiquitous
Braille
The old Roman calendar began in March, not January.
Modus operandi
You did it! 🎉
🏁 GK Chapter 2 · Sections 2.5–2.10 · Prishita, Class 8