Vocab: Words from German

Hi Folks,

Been a long time, as usual various reasons for the tardiness, primarily because of problems with my laptop. Not that it should be reason enough for such a long gap, but still..........

Words from German populate the English language but surprisingly tend to get overshadowed by words from French, Spanish, Latin etc. But as the list below shows German loanwords are quite interesting. Check out the last one. ;-)

Leitmotif (lahyt-moh-teef)

A theme associated throughout a music drama with a particular person, situation, or idea.

Etymology: Leiten = to lead + Motive

Putsch (pooch)

A secretly plotted, sudden attempt to overthrow a government.

Etymology: Putsch = thrust, blow

Ersatz (ER-zahts, er-ZATS)

Being an imitation or a substitute, usually an inferior one; artificial.

Etymology: Ersetzen = to replace

Zeitgeist (tsahyt-gahyst)

The spirit of the time; general trend of thought or feeling characteristic of a particular period of time.

Etymology: Zeit = time + Geist = spirit

Schadenfreude (shahd-n-froi-duh)

Delight at the misfortune of others

Etymology: Schaden = harm + Freude = joy

On that joyful note.

Ciao

GK: Current Affairs

Aloha Folks,

Another set of easy questions. Go right ahead and crack the same, without looking up our friend Google. :-)

1. Who or what is known as the "Payyoli Express"? Ans. P.T. Usha

2. What is the “Susu”? Ans. It is the Ganges river dolphin that has been recognized by the government of India as our national aquatic animal.

3. Who is the new world No. 1 in women’s tennis? And whom did she unseat from that position? Ans. Serena Williams who unseated Dinara Safina from that position.

4. Who is the Corporate Affairs Minister at the Centre? Ans. Salman Khursheed

5. Why is Alex von Tunzelmann in the news? Ans. Alex von Tunzelmann is the author of Indian Summer: The Secret History of the End of an Empire. The book deals with, among other things, the intense and clandestine love affair between Edwina Mountbatten and Chacha Nehru. The Govt. has given permission for this to be filmed.

And that is time up...

Vocab: Idiomatic uses of Verbs

Hi Everyone,

I have been asked on a number of occasions to post idioms, well today let’s take look at the idiomatic use of some verbs.

Back
Back out: Withdraw from an understanding; to fail to keep an engagement or promise.
Back up: Supports one’s claim; to bring (a stream of traffic) to a standstill; to reinforce.
Back down: Abandon claims.

Bear
Bear away: Win a prize.
Bear with: To be patient or forbearing with a person.
Bear up: To keep spirits up.
Bear out: Substantiate a charge.

Bring
Bring forth: Produce fruit or young; to give rise to.
Bring forward: Show; produce arguments.
Bring in: Introduce a new custom; to yield, as profits or income.
Bring out: To expose; reveal; to publish, as a book or play; to introduce officially into society.
Bring up: Educate or rear a child; to introduce or mention for attention; to vomit.

Till tomorrow,

Ciao

GK: Current Affairs

Hi Folks,

Back with another quiz on Current affairs. All these questions are based on today's newspapers, so I don't think you guys need to Google for answers this time. ;-)

Happy Quizzing.

1. What is common to: Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Carol W Greider and Jack W. Szostak? Ans. This year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was given to these three scientists who have solved a major problem in biology: how the chromosomes can be copied in a complete way during cell divisions and how they are protected against degradation. The Nobel Laureates have shown that the solution is to be found in the ends of the chromosomes – the telomeres – and in an enzyme that forms them – telomerase.

2. Identify the politburo member of the banned CPI(Maoist) who was arrested recently. Ans. Kobad Ghandy

3. What is the connection between: Richard Goldstone, Mahmoud Abbas and Gaza? Ans. Mahmoud Abbas is the President of the Palestinian National Authority. Richard Goldstone is a former South African judge who authored the the Goldstone report calling for an investigation into possible war crimes during Israel's winter war in Gaza.

4. Why are the towns of Jiafeng and Nanchenpu in the Sanxi province of China in the news? Ans. China’s first privately funded rail project which began on their 60th anniversary will link the towns of Jiafeng and Nanchenpu over a stretch of 64.29 kilometers

5. The Aditya Birla Group is de-merging the cement business of flagship Grasim Industries into another company. Name the company. Ans. 'Samruddhi'

Ciao

Freedom Struggle

Hi Folks,

I have a question this time. Do you guys know which are the words that have entered the English lexicon because of the Freedom Struggle? If you do know any, feel free to post them in the Comments section.

Ciao

Reading Comprehension

Hi Folks,

Time for some reading comprehension. This is an extract taken from BBC's h2g2 site. This is about the Mayan Civilisation that flourished in Central America. It is a fairly easy read unlike the other passages posted before. ;-)

Read the entire passage and post the summary in the comments section.



Mayan Civilisation - Classic Period, 300 - 900 AD

Rather like the Greeks, but unlike the Inca or Aztecs, the Mayans had a series of city-states that were politically independent, with similar (but not identical) cultures. Cities such as Tikal, Palenque, Yaxchilán, Copán and Quirigua traded and fought with each other, and seem to have been heavily influenced by the culture of Teotihuacan in central Mexico.

Mayan politics was hugely complex, with trading alliances, royal marriages, wars and feuds taking place between all the cities. The collapse of Teotihuacan in around 650 AD had a knock-on effect on Mayan politics, with dramatic shifts in the power relationships between the various cities. This also seems to have heralded the peak of Mayan culture in terms of arts, science and population; their cities were larger and their astronomy - particularly with regard to the movements of Venus - more accurate than anything in Europe at the time.

The Mayans had a complicated calendar, and a system of writing using distinctive rounded hieroglyphs. They shared with other Mesoamerican cultures a fondness for monumental architecture, and their ziggurat-like temples are particularly well-known. Sites such as Palenque show that some of their palaces were equally imposing, although the majority of people would have lived in wooden suburbs that have left no visible trace 2.

Mayan artworks were among the most beautiful of the Mesoamerican peoples, often using gold and jade. Painted murals, inked codexes and carvings in stone had an elaborate, stylised quality, often so dense with detail that it can be hard to make out the subject matter. There is often little distinction between art and writing, with publicly visible obelisks covered in inscriptions.

A network of raised roads (sacbes) connected the cities to each other and with the cenotes. These allowed easy travel through the forests and farmland that made up the Mayan territories, which was essential to supply food to cities of any great size.

The Mayans were noted traders. Mayan goods are found throughout ancient Mesoamerica; and Columbus encountered a boatload of Mayan traders in the Caribbean in 1502. We know from archaeological finds that Mayan jade and obsidian were widely traded, and it is likely that salt and perishables such as food (primarily maize but also honey and cocoa), wax, furs, cloth and slaves were too. Trade certainly brought Mayan civilisations into contact both with each other and neighbours such as the Teotihuacans. It is very likely that conflicts also ensued, although we have little historical evidence of this.

There is good evidence that some cities specialised in certain products - for example, agriculture in the lowlands, or various crafts. Other cities such as Tikal appear to have been 'middlemen' where traders could exchange goods from different regions - in the case of Tikal, food from the Petén lowlands for salt from the coast and stones (mostly obsidian and jade) from the highlands.

Remarkably, the Mayans achieved all this without access to metal tools. Although they used metals such as gold for decorative purposes, their tools and weapons were made of obsidian, wood or stone.

Vocab: Greek Myth

Hi All,

I am totally surprised that it has taken 50 posts for me to zero in on Greek myth as a topic. [Er… that was a not so subtle way of saying Yipppeeee!!! I have touched 50 posts. ;-)] Given my interests I would have thought that this topic would have come up much earlier. Anyway a few characters from Greek myth who have turned into words in English.

Siren song
An enticing plea or appeal, especially one that is deceptively alluring.
The Myth Connection: The Sirens were one of a group of sea nymphs in Greek mythology who by their sweet singing lured mariners to destruction on the rocks surrounding their island.


Herculean
Of unusual size, power, or difficulty.
The Myth Connection: The word derives from Hercules, the son of Zeus (the Supreme God) and Alcmene. Hercules was a hero of extraordinary strength who won immortality by performing 12 labors demanded by Hera.


Promethean
Boldly creative; defiantly original.
The Myth Connection: Prometheus was a Titan who stole fire from Mt. Olympus (the abode of the Greek gods) and gave it to humankind for which Zeus chained him to a rock and sent an eagle to eat his liver, which grew back daily. Happy times. ;-)


Achilles heel 
A portion, spot, area, or the like, that is especially or solely vulnerable.
The Myth Connection: Achilles was supposed to have been dipped into the river Styx by his mother Thetis in order to make him invulnerable. However as she held him by his heel, it wasn't touched by the water and that meant that his heel was the only spot where he was vulnerable.


Satyr
A licentious man; a lecher (a man given to excessive sexual indulgence… in short All Men….. oops have I let a secret out???!!!???)
The Myth Connection: A Satyr was a woodland creature depicted as having the pointed ears, legs, and short horns of a goat and a fondness for unrestrained merrymaking.

And on that rather candid note,

Ciao

CAT Registration extended till October 11, 2009

Aloha Folks,

Here is an announcement that might interest the late latifs (and CAT aspirants) among you. This is from the IIM website:

"In view of a series of bank holidays that may have inconvenienced some candidates, IIMs and Prometric have extended the sale of CAT 2009 vouchers to 8 October 2009. Candidates will have until 11 October 2009 to complete their online registration and scheduling. The edit feature will also be available until 11 October 2009."

In case you have not yet registered or not even bought the vouchers please don't wait any longer. Please get it over and done with today.


Ciao

Commonly Confused Words

Hi folks,

Here are some more words that are often confused. Could be asked in question sets like “Fill in the blanks” etc.


Casual:
Occasional, irregular, careless
Causal:
Of the nature of cause and effect

Ceremonial:
Relating to ceremonies or rites
Ceremonious:
An excess of form; overdose of formality

Childish:
Silly. Often used in the negative sense.
Childlike:
Innocent, simple and frank. Often used in the positive sense.

Complement:
That which helps to complete a satisfactory whole
Compliment:
A mark of courtesy; an expression of praise, commendation, or admiration

Confidant:
A person entrusted with knowledge of one’s private affairs
Confident:
Fully assured

Ciao

GK: Air India

Aloha Folks,

I am watching TV coverage of the mess that Air India finds itself in and I can’t help but marvel at how low it has sunk, there is actually talk of a “Lock Out”. Of course, given that this is not the first time that AI finds itself in such a situation we can be forgiven for forgetting the glorious history it has had.

And a great history it really did have. Air India was started as Tata Aviation Service on 15th October 1932 by JRD Tata. The initial purpose for starting the Air Lines was speeding up the mail but it gradually became a name to reckon with in international aviation circles.

I thought that now is as apt a time as possible for a quiz on Air India and that pioneering aviator, the great JRD.

Here goes….

1. 15th September 1932 was scheduled for the inaugural flight of Tata Aviation Service but was later postponed. Why was it postponed?

2. From which airport did the inaugural flight of the Tata Aviation Service take off?

3. JRD went to England and bought two Puss Moths (a type of aircraft) for Tata Airlines. He was supposed to fly one of them back to India but could not. How did he get them to India?

4. Air India International was formally incorporated on March 8th 1948 and June 8th 1948 saw the inaugural flight. What was the name of the aircraft?

5. A graduate in history from Oxford University he was responsible for conceptualising the Air India Maharajah. Who was he?

6. What was JRD’s Pilot License number?

Happy quizzing.

The usual boring requests, No Googling and answers in the Comments section.

Ciao