CLA 30: Word Roots (Greek and Latin Elements in English Vocabulary)

Winter 2013
Section 001
MWF, 3:10-4:00 p.m.
STORER 1322
Final Exam: Friday, March 22 at 1:00 pm
CRN: 74303

Marie-Lan Nguyen / Wikimedia Commons

photo taken at the Louvre, Paris

Instructor: Allison Nguyen

almnguyen@ucdavis.edu
Office: 718 Sproul
Office hours: TW 1:00-2:00 pm, R 2:00-3:00 pm
and by appointment.
Readers: Rachel Tyra, Shyloh Ash
Required Text:
Waldo Sweet and Glenn Knudsvig, A Course on Words
(University of Michigan Press, 1989)

You must also buy UCD 2000 Scantron forms (only!) for
weekly quizzes

Classics Office: 215 Sproul

Visit us at classics.ucdavis.edu for links to useful

resources!

A clay tablet from the Harra

hubullu,
one of the earliest extant
dictionaries, produced in the early 2nd
millennium B.C.E.,
and excavated at Uruk in modern
Iraq
(not a required text for this course)

1. Class Description
For students who have not had the opportunity to learn Latin and Greek, this course introduces the tools
of vocabulary building as well as the intriguing study of the origins of words. Our primary aim is to
enhance English reading and writing skills for native speakers as well as students whose second
language is English. But we also explore the power and pleasure of words and the legacy of our
common language, with an occasional look at Latin in everyday use. There will be particular study of
vocabulary essential for the study of the biological sciences, emphasizing words that humanists also
ought to know.
Approximately 65% of English vocabulary is derived from Greek and Latin. If we consider the
specialized terminology of law, medicine, and other sciences, this share goes as high as 90%. We
review the history of the English language and the basic principles of etymological analysis, including
the concepts of morphemes and combining words. The student who completes this course can expect
to have a greatly increased control over the use of the English language, the meaning of words, and the
structure of English grammar.
Our textbook is a self-teaching workbook that contains ten units. We will complete all ten units this
quarter. The textbook assumes that students will memorize certain vocabulary items, and we strongly
recommend using little flash cards for words and morphemes that you do not know. The lectures will
supplement the book with lessons on English grammar, the Greek alphabet, and additional terminology
from the biological sciences.
There will be nine multiple-choice quizzes covering materials from the two previous weeks. The first
quiz will cover the material covered in the first week of class. The second quiz will cover material from
the first and second week of class. The third quiz will cover the material from the second and third
week of class and so on. Each quiz will be described in the class before it is given. Many questions will
come from the textbooks, but some will test information from lectures and classroom discussion. On
most Mondays, you will have to hand in a worksheet made available at the class SmartSite. A key will
be provided along with the worksheet so you may correct your own work. However, you must
demonstrate that you have done the worksheet by handing it in during class.
2. Class Requirements
Class participation is important. Treat this like a foreign language course, in which daily practice and
memorization are essential. Plan to be at every class meeting, having already read and prepared the
assignment for that day, marked with an asterisk(*). You are expected to work at a steady pace on the
textbook, and to submit written work on time. There will be no makeup quizzes, and written work
that is not brought in to class when it is due will not be accepted for credit. Your two lowest quiz
grades will be dropped when final grades are calculated, and you are allowed to miss two of the written
homework assignments. If you must miss a quiz, consider it one of the two that will be dropped.
Furthermore, attendance is mandatory and failure to attend class may result in percentage points lost
from your participation grade. You must pick up your checked homework assignments in class since
(aside from quizzes) this is how we check attendance. The homework folders will be checked after
weeks 3, 5, 8, and 10. If at those times there are 3 or more unclaimed homework assignments
belonging to one person, those assignments will be removed. If you have 6 or more unclaimed
assignments at the end of the quarter, you will lose 2 participation percentage points. If you have 3-5
unclaimed assignments, you will loose one point. The grading for the class:
*
*
*

Highest 7 of 9 quizzes
Written homework and classroom participation
Final exam

70%
10%
20%

You will earn a good grade in this class, without fretting, if only you consistently meet the requirements
and follow the Carnegie Rule, which assumes that a student spends at least two hours on homework for
every hour in class. Increasing your word power will be a pleasure (really!) if you learn the material as
it is assigned.
See the final page of the syllabus for important guidelines for classroom decorum.

3. Class Assignments
[* indicates assignments due that day; underlined type indicates written assignments to be turned in]

Week One
7 January: Introduction to the course.
Introducing the Greeks and the Romans.
*In your textbook, A Course on Words, read To the Student (p. vii) and
complete Unit One, frames 1-49. We will not collect workbook exercises but
will answer any questions you have about the exercises.
9 January: The development of English with emphasis on Greek and Latin influences
Introduction to the Greek Alphabet.
*Bring A Course on Words
*In your workbook, complete Unit One, frames 50-206. Do the exercises on
pages 35-38 in your book. Memorize the prefixes and bases in frame 93
11 January:

Week Two
14 January:

Greek and Latin in North America/Classical Receptions.

*Bring a U.S. one-dollar bill. (You get to keep the dollar.)
*On an 8 x 11 sheet, type a brief paragraph explaining your reason(s) for
taking this class. At the course SmartSite go to the Week 1 folder in the
resources section. Download the file called RandomHouseDictionary. This
contains the pronunciation key from the Random House Dictionary of the
English Language. Use the conventions from that key to write out your own
name phonetically. For example, Professor Nguyens full maiden name
(Allison Hack) is pronounced:
alisn hak
Tell us a little about yourself, and affix a recent photo, which can be as
simple as a photocopy of your ID picture. Finally, write the following
sentence: I understand and agree that quizzes are only given at the assigned
time and that I cannot under any circumstances take the quiz at any other
time than the assigned one and sign your name.
*Quiz 1. (Bring a UCD 2000 Scantron. Remember that each quiz also covers
all significant classroom materials from the previous week [in this case, since
day 1].)
Print and on-line dictionaries.
Introduce Parts of Speech
*Begin Unit Two. Complete frames 1-176.
*Do Worksheet 1, posted at the course SmartSite in the Resources folder. Correct
your work with the key provided, and hand in the worksheet.

(Week Two continued)

16 January: Prepositions
Greek alphabet.
The Latinate and Anglo-Saxon registers of English.
*Do the exercises on pages 62-65 in A Course on Words.
*Bring A Course on Words to class.
18 January:

Week Three
21 January:
23 January:

Conjunctions.
Biological terms.
Greek alphabet.
Quiz 2 (*Bring that Scantron!)

Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday: No Class

Inflection in Latin, Greek, and English / How Latin works.
*Complete all the frames in Unit Three. Do the exercises on pages 92-95.
*Bring A Course on Words to class.
*Do Worksheet 2; correct your work with the key provided, and hand in the
worksheet.

25 January: Grammar (interjections, pronouns and their nominative and objective forms).
Greek Alphabet.
Biology terms.
Quiz 3 (*Bring that Scantron!)
Week Four
28 January:

30 January:

Changes in words across languages / new words in English.

*Complete frames 1-87 in Unit Four. Memorize the prefixes, bases, and suffixes
at the top of p. 99.
*Do Worksheet 3; correct your work with the key provided, and hand in the
worksheet.
Hypercorrection.
The language of history.
*Complete all the frames in Unit Four. Write out the exercises on pages 120-23.
*Memorize the bases at the top of p. 110.
*Bring A Course on Words to class.

1 February: Terms from the sciences.

Greek alphabet.
Quiz 4 (*Bring that Scantron!)

Week Five
4 February:

The language of the social sciences: anthropology, sociology, and economics

*Complete frames 1-117 in Unit Five. Memorize the 12 Greek prefixes in these
frames.
*Do Worksheet 4; correct your work with the key provided, and hand in the
worksheet.

6 February: The language of psychology.

*Complete all the frames in Unit Five. Do the exercises on pages 153-55 (don't
do the ones on pp. 150-51).
*Memorize the seven Greek prefixes featured in exercises 118-162.
*Bring A Course on Words to class.
8 February: Bioscience terms.
Quiz 5 (*Bring that Scantron!)
Week Six
11 February:

13 February:

The language of government, politics, and law.

*Complete frames 1-126 in Unit Six.
*Do Worksheet 5; correct your work with the key provided, and hand in the
worksheet.
State Mottoes.
Hebrew and Greek creation stories.
*Complete all the frames in Unit Six. Do the exercises on pages 192-94 in your
book (but not the one that starts on page 191 and continues on page 192).
*Bring A Course on Words to class.

15 February: The Geological time scale.

Quiz 6 (*Bring that Scantron!)
Week Seven
18 February:

Presidents' Day holiday: No Class

20 February:

The underworld.
*Complete all frames in Unit Seven. Do the exercises on pages 227-31.
*Bring A Course on Words to class.
*Do Worksheet 6; correct your work with the key provided, and hand in the
worksheet.

22 February:

The ethereal realm: astrology and astronomy.

Quiz 7 (*Bring that Scantron!)

Week Eight
25 February:

27 February:

1 March:

Week Nine
4 March:

Biological nomenclature, Part 1: Linnaeus.

*Do Worksheet 7; correct your work with the key provided, and hand in the
worksheet.
Greco-Roman religions and the language of Christianity.
Unfortunate tattoos.
*Complete all frames in Unit 8. Do the exercises on pages 260-62.
*Bring A Course on Words to class.
Classical receptions / New words in English.
Quiz 8 (*Bring that Scantron!)

Greek and Latin numbers.

*Do all frames in Unit 9.
*Do Worksheet 8; correct your work with the key provided, and hand in the
worksheet.

6 March: Biological Nomenclature, Part 2: Naming taxa and species.

*Do the Unit 9 exercises on pp. 299-301 (don't do the exercises on pp. 297-98).
*Bring A Course on Words to class.
8 March: Geography and Geology.
Quiz 9 (*Bring that Scantron!)
Week 10
11 March: Introduction to myth week: goddesses and gods.
*Do Worksheet 9; correct your work with the key provided, and hand in the
worksheet.
13 March:

Mythology: heroines and heroes

*Complete all the frames in Unit 10.

15 March:

Mythology: the Trojan War and the wanderings of Odysseus.

*Do the Unit 10 exercises on pages 339-41. Do not do the review exercises at the
bottom of p. 338.

Week 11
18 March:

TBA

FINAL EXAM:
Section 001: Friday, March 22 at 1:00 pm
The final exam will feature questions on Unit 10 and course materials from the past week but
will also include representative questions from the first 9 Units. You will be responsible for all
the morphemes that you have memorized from the workbook. A prospectus of the final exam
will be posted at the class SmartSite. *Dont forget your Scantron!
4. Useful Resources:
Online dictionaries and thesauri through Shields Library:
http://www.lib.ucdavis.edu/ul/research/subjects/index.php?heading=126
The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, ed. C.T. Onions (1983)
(in paperback, and much cheaper: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, ed.
T.F. Hoad [1993])
Rudolf F. Schaeffer, Greek-English Derivative Dictionary (American Classical League)
- - - - -, Latin-English Derivative Dictionary (American Classical League)
Grade Issues:
This is a large class. Inevitably, a few mistakes may be made in grading. We are happy to rectify them.
But we ask that all disputes on a graded piece of work be presented to us within three weeks of the day
on which the assignment was due or the quiz was taken. We will not consider grade changes after that
time.

Rules of the Classroom

(Draconian? No beneficent!)
The following expectations aim to enhance your ability to learn in this class by avoiding disruption and distraction while
improving the quality of the classroom experience. Repeated failure to meet these expectations may result in a lower grade
for the course.
Entering/Exiting Class:
Please arrive on time to class and stay for the entire class period. Late arrivals and early departures are disruptive.
If, despite your best effort, you arrive late, please quietly take a seat at the back of the classroom. Similarly, in the rare
event that you must leave class early (e.g. for a medical appointment), sit close to the rear door and leave as
unobtrusively as possible. If you cant be there on time or must always leave early because of a class or work conflict,
either seek specific permission from us or do not take the class.
During tests, ask permission before leaving to use the restroom.
Noise:
When class begins, please stop your conversations.
Wait until class is completely over before putting your materials away in your backpack, standing up, or talking to
friends.
Electronic Devices:
No taping, filming, or photography in class without our prior permission (whether by camera, cell phone, or other
means). These activities are distracting and inhibiting to faculty and other students, may infringe upon privacy or
copyright, and have a chilling effect on classroom discussion.
Cell phones should be turned off. No talking on cell phones, text messaging, or emailing on laptops during class. Wait
until after class to return any calls received.
No listening to iPods or other electronic recording devices during class.
Laptops are permitted in the class; however, if you are going to be doing anything other than looking at the PowerPoint
or taking notes, please sit in the last row of the class so that you do not distract others.
Email Etiquette:
You are expected to write as you would in any professional correspondence. Email communication should be courteous
and respectful in manner and tone. Do not send emails that are curt or demanding.
Do not expect an immediate response via email. If your email question is sent at the last minute, it may not be possible
to send you a response before an assignment is due or a test is given.
Participation:
Because participation is counted as part of your grade, missing class could negatively impact your grade. Disrupting
class could also lower your participation grade.
Keep on the topic at hand. If you have questions off the current topic, address these outside of class at office hours or by
email with an instructor or course staff member.
Do not talk out of turn. Wait to be recognized before speaking and do not try to dominate a discussion with your
questions or comments give others a fair opportunity to participate.
Common Courtesy:
Do not read the newspaper during class. The shuffling of pages can be very distracting.
Food and drink are discouraged in class. There may be times that you need a beverage or small snack during class.
Avoid bringing in large meals or food that is noisy when unpackaged or chewed.
Show respect for fellow classmates and us. Do not interrupt another who is speaking. It is okay to disagree with an idea
but not okay to ridicule or make fun of another person and his/her ideas. Raised voices, derogatory language, namecalling, and intimidating behavior will not be tolerated.
Do not disturb others by engaging in disruptive behavior. Disruption interferes with the learning environment and
impairs the ability of others to focus, participate, and engage.
Special issues:
If you have some special complex problem, it is best to address it in an email to the instructor or in the instructor's office
hours. Please do not ask the instructor to resolve complex issues at the beginning or end of class.