The paper needs to be typed, double spaced and will require a title page which follows the FRA guidelines. The paper needs to be 3 (full pages) - 4 pages. The papers will have 1 inch margins. Pages need to be numbered in the top right corner. The paper will be expected to exhibit good grammar and syntax; points will be subtracted for bad grammar and misspellings. I am not expecting too much in the way of citations and sources other than the dictionary, but if you are going to do research, use proper citation and bibliography methods consistently. Web-site citations should be limited mostly to the domain .edu – websites are not the most reliable source for citations so use good judgment.
The topics for the papers are as follows:
1) Using your growing knowledge of Latin prefixes, suffixes and roots, create a word. This word can be a person’s/god’s/hero’s name, a verb, noun, whatever, but think of something that will allow you to discuss this word/name for about 3-4 pages. With a name there can be a story about the person/god/hero and how it relates to the name that was given to him/her.
2) Take your favorite song and analyze the meaning of the individual words in the lyrics (i.e. what is the meaning of the word and why did they use it). Do not discuss the topic or plot of the song or talk about the artist (I will take off 1 letter grade if you do). I want to know what kind of words they use: slang, Latin words, Greek words, any other languages? How do they phrase them together? Is there rhyming?, etc.
*I want a copy of the lyrics attached to the paper* (I will take 5 points off if you forget).
3) Discuss the influence of any single language on currently spoken English. What words are made from that language? What sorts of objects, actions, etc. are they used to describe? When were they introduced to our language?
4) Choose a passage of poetry, literature or drama from any author and discuss it by analyzing the meaning of the individual words in the author’s use of English (i.e. what is the meaning of the word and why did they use it). I want to know what kind of words they use: slang, Latin words, Greek words, any other languages? How do they phrase them together? Is there rhyming? etc.
*I want a copy of the poem or short passage attached to the paper, no need if you are talking about a larger work*
5) Take an article from a newspaper or a speech by a politician and discuss the use of circumlocution and euphemism.
*I want a copy of the article attached to the paper* (I will take 5 points off if you forget).
6) In your extracurricular interest (i.e. sports, music, etc.), discuss the terms used in it.
What kind of words do they use? Latin words, Greek words, any other languages? How have they changed to get their present meaning? Degeneration or elevation, etc. What do they actually describe? (i.e. what is their definition?)
To facilitate your creation of the word, here are some examples of what I want.
If you pick a name, you might want to think of something like a god or a hero named OPTIMANIMUS BARBARUS.
I. In the introduction, I would expect a definition of the bases and prefixes that are used to make the word and then a definition of the word.
a. Be creative, but keep the basic meaning of the bases.
i. I would say that the bases are OPTIM-, meaning the best;
ii. ANIMUS-, meaning life, feeling, mind; and
iii. BARBAR- meaning barbarian or foreign.
iv. The definition of such a name could represent the barbarian god who makes everyone feel the best, by giving to or doing for them. . . take it from there.
II. In the next 3-4 pages, I am expecting a detailed story of how the god/hero acquired that name.
a. Give his life story,
b. how he has dealt with people or
c. what he did for people, etc.
If you pick a word, you might want to think of something like
I. MAGNACOMATINITY
a. from the bases MAGN-, meaning great;
b. COMAT-, meaning lethargic;
c. TIN- (TEN-), meaning to hold;
d. and the suffix –ity, meaning the quality of.
e. The definition being the quality of holding laziness with great regard. . . expand from there.
II. In the rest of the paper,
a. one could expand by talking about why there is a need for such a word,
b. the person who was the example for the word
c. and the person who came up with the word and why.
You can use any bases you like from the book – Greek, Latin, English, etc. – or some that you don’t find in the book, but are in a dictionary.
You can be as creative as you want. No points are taken off for comedic value or subject matter, only for not explaining the meaning of the word, spelling and grammar.
Jerard White, Magister Linguae Latinae
last updated Saturday, August 21 2004