Hello folks! Welcome to the 9th blog of the GRE English Word List. This series of blogs is a weekly GRE Words List that helps GRE aspirants bolster their GRE English, and ace the GRE Verbal section.

If you haven’t already, check out our other blogs here.

Back at it with the white vans

We're back to themed lists, with today's themed GRE English Word List - BadJectives. Adjectives that have negative connotations, or in some cases, are straight-up vices.
This week's words are Narcissistic, Lackadaisical, Hedonistic, Irascible and Machiavellian.
Read on for some interesting word origins and trivia.

i. narcissistic

Part of Speech - adjective
Definition - having or showing an excessive interest in or admiration of oneself and one's physical appearance.
Word Origins - from the Greek name Narkissos/Narcissus + -ism.
Synonyms - vain, self-centred, egocentric.
Usage - He’s such a narcissist that his walls must be covered in mirrors.

Narc is sus

This Greek origin story is a twofer - Two mythical figures having a shared origin story. Seldom ends well, and this one isn't any different.
This is one version of the myth - Ovid's Metamorphoses - but is generally accepted to be true.

When Narcissus was born, a great seer made a prediction about Narcissus' life. He said that Narcissus would live long if he didn't discover himself (See the irony in that?).
Years later, Echo, a nymph became attracted to Narcissus and stalked him. Sensing that he was being followed, Narcissus asked, 'Who's there?' Echo repeated "Who's there?" and revealed herself.

A bit of context - Echo was a mountain nymph who was ordered by Zeus to distract Hera while he consorted with other nymphs. Echo was a fast-talker and managed to do so long enough for Zeus to escape. So, Echo incurred Hera's wrath and was cursed by Hera to be only able to repeat the last words spoken to her.

Back to Narcissus

Startled by her approach, Narcissus rebuffed her advances and left Echo heartbroken. Echo withdrew from society and became so lonely, that quite literally, only an echo of her remained. Yet, she still pined for Narcissus.

Nemesis, the Goddess of Revenge, wanted Narcissus to get his comeuppance.
She made him come across a body of water, in which he caught his reflection.
So taken by his own image, he fell in love with it, neither able to divert his gaze nor do anything about his love.
As he lay wasting away over his love, he uttered "Oh marvellous boy, I loved you in vain, farewell" and turned into a flower. Echo, who was watching, uttered "farewell" and faded away as well. Only her voice remained, destined to repeat what others say.

Sorry for ruining the fun of every Echo Point you visit henceforth.

[Fun Fact: The Portrait of Dorian Gray is based on the myth of Narcissus.]

ii. lackadaisical

Part of Speech - adjective
Definition - lacking enthusiasm and determination; carelessly lazy.
Word Origins - mid 18th century (also in the sense ‘feebly sentimental’): from lackaday or its obsolete extended form lackadaisy.
Synonyms - careless, lazy, unenthusiastic.
Usage - His parents did not approve of his lackadaisical attitude towards his studies.

Upsy-Daisy

Unlike what the word seems to suggest, the origins of lackadaisical has nothing to do with daisies.
One story suggests that it originated from alas/alack and grew to 'alack the day' as referenced in Romeo and Juliet. In this context, the word suggests regret or disappointment.

The other variant is more in line with the modern usage (if any) of the word.
The phrase 'alack the day' was taken and made to sound whimsical, by apparently adding a 'sical' to the end, thus giving the word a slightly less sombre meaning.
To get a better account of how lackadaisical traces its origins, check this blog out.

iii. hedonistic

Part of Speech - adjective
Definition - engaged in the pursuit of pleasure; sensually self-indulgent.
Word Origins - from Greek hēdonē ‘pleasure’ + -ism.
Synonyms - self-indulgent, luxurious, excessive.
Usage - If you overcome your inhibitions, you’re free to express your hedonistic tendencies.

The Pleasure's All Mine

Hedonism as a concept has been part of most civilizations. The earliest instance of advocacy of hedonism is believed to be in the ancient Sumerian Civilization. Then on, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans seem to have taken it to heart. There's a reason 'Bacchanalian', a word derived from the Roman god Bacchus, has come to signify the most extravagant and wildest of parties/revelries.

However, as time went on, the ideology of conservatism and modesty started gaining traction.
Some religions started considering hedonism a sin, and either outright condemned it or advocated moderate measures of hedonism, asking practitioners to consider morality, responsibility, etc. as more important than seeking pleasure for its own sake.

Modern philosophers looked at hedonism from the perspective of utilitarianism.
Utilitarians aim for the maximization of happiness for themselves as well as others affected.

Bentham and Mill, two English philosophers had two contrasting theories about pleasure.
Bentham stated that he could measure pleasure quantitatively. The value of pleasure is its intensity multiplied by its duration. In contrast, Mill believed that pleasure was purely qualitative - people could experience different intensities and layers of pleasure. He also said that lower beings (used pigs as an example) are content with lower forms of pleasure, whereas higher beings are in the pursuit of higher quality of pleasure, and often ignore what's easily available.

iv. irascible

Part of Speech - adjective
Definition - having or showing a tendency to be easily angered.
Word Origins - from late Latin irascibilis, from Latin irasci ‘grow angry’, from ira ‘anger’.
Synonyms - irritable, short-tempered, cranky.
Usage - The Hulk is irascible; he’s always angry.

v. Machiavellian

Part of Speech - adjective
Definition - cunning, scheming, and unscrupulous, especially in politics.
Word Origins - someone who schemes like Niccolo Machiavelli.
Synonyms - devious, sly, conniving.
Usage - His Machiavellian plan to usurp the king's throne was successful.

The Chanakya Of Florence

Niccolo Machiavelli was an Italian diplomat and politician who lived during the Renaissance.
In his political treatise "Il Principe' or 'The Prince', he made clear his opinions and principles for politics.
He maintained that politics didn't need emotion. According to him, it was a chess game between opponents, not enemies.
He condoned and in fact, advocated the use of 'dishonest' and 'cruel' means by rulers to get what they wanted. This was as long as the intention behind the actions, and the ends were beneficial to the larger population.

He wasn't the first to advocate divorcing politics and emotion, however. Closer home, over a millennium ago, Chanakya had already advocated and executed his Arthashastra to great success and infamy. To read more about the legend of Chanakya across cultures, click here.

Machiavelli's works were so influential, they contributed to the negative connotations/perceptions people have of the words 'politics' and 'politicians'.
An apocryphal tale also claims it's because of him that The Devil has the nickname - 'Old Nick.'

Rapper Tupac was greatly influenced by Machiavelli's works, when in prison.
He changed his stage name to Makaveli when he got out; and the rest, as they say, is history.

That's all for this week's blog, folks.
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GRE Verbal Words #4

GRE Verbal : GRE-Ology

Hello folks, welcome to the 4th blog in a series of GRE Verbal Vocabulary Blogs that we bring you, to help you ace the GRE Verbal section.

#1 – It’s all Greek and Latin!
#2 – Welcome to the Blob!
#3 – Must-Know GRE Words Set 1
#4 – GRE-Ology
#5 – Reading Apprehension

We’re back with a set of words that are connected by a theme.

This week’s words are all branches of study that you’ll need to know a bit about to ace those GRE Verbal Section RCs!

This week’s words are Entomology, Etymology, Anthology, Epistemology, and Pathology, along with a set of uncommon branches of medicine that all end with -ology!

i. Entomology

Part of Speech – noun
Definition – the branch of zoology concerned with the study of insects.
Origin –  from Greek entomon (denoting an insect) + -logia (study of)
Usage – She decided to specialize in entomology after graduation.

Creepy-Crawlies

Most of us would’ve heard this fact – there are more than 200 million insects for each human on the planet. That really makes one shudder.

Each year, several species and sub-species of insects are discovered and the list of things to be afraid of (watch out for next week’s blog!) keeps growing longer. One such much-feared insect is the spider.

But, did you know that the spider isn’t an insect?
It’s an arachnid. All arachnids have eight legs, and unlike insects, they don’t have antennae.

Arachnids derive their name from Arachne, an ancient mythological Greek seamstress. Arachne’s story serves to remind mortals (that’s us!) not to have hubris, which means excessive pride or self-confidence.

Arachne was a gifted seamstress but was very conceited about her talents. She was so conceited, she challenged Athena, the goddess of wisdom and warfare to a weaving contest. (Bad idea!). At the end of the contest, Arachne’s tapestry appeared to be the better of the two.

When Athena couldn’t find a single flaw in Arachne’s tapestry, she beat Arachne with a sewing implement. (OMG, right?) Ashamed, Arachne hung herself. Out of pity, she was turned into a spider.

Another version of the story skips the morbidity and has Athena herself, turn Arachne into a spider for her insolence.

The next time someone tells you cleanliness is next to godliness, tell them this story, to be very wary of humans putting themselves on the level of gods.

I merely jest! Back to the words!

ii. Etymology

Part of Speech – noun
Definition – the study of the origin of words and how their meanings have changed throughout history.
Synonyms – derivation, origin, source.
Usage – The etymology of the word Pali is uncertain.

iii. Anthology

Part of Speech – noun
Definition – a published collection of poems or other pieces of writing/art.
Origin –  from Greek anthos ‘flower’ + -logia ‘collection’
Synonyms – collection, compilation, potpourri.
Usage – Black Mirror is an anthology about the dangers of technology.

Haunt-ologies

Anthologies, in the modern sense, have come to represent a series of ‘connected by theme, unconnected by plot’ TV shows. The most prominent among them, is Black Mirror.

Love, Death, & Robots is another excellent show that started strong but hasn’t lived up to itself in its second season, which is out now.

Seeing a pattern?

Closer home, Netflix has forayed into anthologies in partnership with Indian directors.
‘Paava Kadhaigal’ is a wonderful, Tamil-language series that explores fate, societal pressures, caste-ism, and ‘a series of unfortunate events,’ if you will. Check it out here.

Ghost Stories is a four-segment horror film that while seemed promising, didn’t pan out well.

‘Ray’ is a series of four gripping stories inspired by the works of renowned filmmaker Satyajit Ray, and might have been released when you’re reading this! (June 25). Check it out here.

iv. Epistemology

Part of Speech – noun
Definition – the theory of knowledge, especially about its methods, validity, scope, and the distinction between justified belief and opinion.
Origin –  from Greek episteme ‘knowledge’ + -logy ‘study of
Usage – She saw that the theories of the origin of knowledge in idealistic epistemology are unsound.

Epistemologists study the origin and scope of knowledge. Over the years, there have been various determined efforts to document knowledge for posterity. There have been, and still are various civilizations, societies, and tribes that could not/cannot pass on their knowledge directly, due to lack of a means of communication or differences in ideologies.

For a long time, the considerable knowledge held by the ancient Egyptians was inaccessible to the medieval world. That all changed with the discovery of the Rosetta Stone.

The Rosetta Stone

The Rosetta Stone is an ancient stele issued in Memphis, Egypt in 196 BC. It bears inscriptions of Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and Ancient Greek.

Because the stele had both these languages, historians and linguists were able to decode Egyptian scripts. That allowed us, as non-Egyptians, to decode centuries worth of anthropologically valuable information and learn from it. Due to the magnitude of the impact this stele had, it became a byword for ‘an essential clue in a new field of knowledge.’

PS: A ‘byword‘ is a person or thing cited as a notable and outstanding example or embodiment of something.

E.g., Benedict Arnold became a byword for a traitor in America after he deserted them to join the British, during the American War for Independence.

v. Pathology

Part of Speech – noun
Definition – the science of the causes and effects of diseases.
Origin –  from Latin patho ‘of disease’ + -logy ‘study of’
Usage – He earned a master’s degree in plant pathology from the University of Wisconsin.

Because we brought up pathology, we also wanted to discuss other branches of medicine that ended in -ology. Most of us know the meanings and origins of branches like cardiology, ophthalmology, etc. So, let’s look at some more of those words

Do you know what these Fields of Medicine are about?

  • Oncology is the study of cancers.
    From Greek onco – meaning spike/barb/burden/mass, and ology – meaning the study of.

  • Anesthesiology is the study of anesthetics.
    From Greek root an meaning not, and aisthesis meaning sensation.

    General anesthesia is used during a major surgical procedure to render a patient unconscious. Another variant, local anesthesia, may be used for less drastic, or localized procedures such as dental surgery.

  • Endocrinology is the study of endocrine glands.
    From Greek endo meaning within, and krinein meaning to sift/secrete.

    Endocrine glands regulate hormones that affect the development of our body, and psychological factors as well.

  • Immunology is the study of the body’s immune system.
    From Greek immunis, meaning ‘exempt from.’ This refers to the immune system’s function of keeping the body exempt from diseases and conditions.

  • Rhinology is the study of the nose.
    From Greek ‘rhin’ for nose.

On the Nose

Speaking of noses, the Rhinoceros gets its name from ‘rhin’ meaning nose, and ‘keros’ meaning horn.

There are several species of rhinos, but there’s one specific subspecies that was in the news for quite a while. It is the Northern White Rhino, formerly native to several countries in East and Central Africa. The last male of the subspecies, Sudan, had to be euthanized in 2018.

As a result, there are only 2 northern white rhinos in the world, both living at the Ol Pejeta Conservatory currently. However, efforts are being undertaken for assisted reproduction. Kenyan and San Diego zoologists are creating viable embryos.

Read more about the northern white rhinos here.

That’s all, folks!
See you next week!

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