Lesson 6: Up and Down

These words come from the Latin roots CUBO and INCUMBO, meaning "to lie down" or "to recline." They often carry a sense of yielding to a force or holding a position of responsibility.

Key Words

📝Example Usage:

• It is incumbent upon all students to complete their homework. (This means it is their duty or responsibility).
• The patient remained in a recumbent position for several days to help his back heal. (This means lying down).

🧠Memory Trick:

• It was incumbent upon the recumbent knight not to succumb to the dragon's fiery breath.

From the Greek root HUPO, meaning "under" or "beneath," these words describe concepts that exist below the surface, such as an underlying theory or a psychological state.

Key Words

📝Example Usage:

• The detective formed a hypothesis that the butler was the culprit, but he needed more evidence to prove it. (This is an underlying theory that needs investigation).
• His constant complaints about imaginary illnesses were a clear sign of hypochondria.

🧠Memory Trick:

• My hypothesis is that the patient's hypochondria stems from an underlying fear he can't explain.

The Greek root KATA means "down." Words from this root often relate to downward motion, destruction, or launching something with great force.

Key Words

📝Example Usage:

• The sudden success of her first book seemed to catapult the new author to fame overnight.
• The meteor shower's impact caused a global cataclysm, changing the planet's climate for centuries.

🧠Memory Trick:

• The force of the catapult was so great it nearly caused a cataclysm in the castle courtyard.

The Latin root SUB, meaning "under," gives us words that deal with things that are secret, hidden, or personal. These concepts often operate beneath a more obvious or factual exterior.

Key Words

📝Example Usage:

• Art criticism is often subjective, as it depends on personal feelings and tastes rather than objective facts.
• The spy used clever subterfuge to sneak past the guards without being noticed. (Subterfuge is a trick or device used to evade something).

🧠Memory Trick:

• In his subjective opinion, the only way to sublimate his anger was to suborn a witness and use subterfuge to win the case.

Coming from VERITAS, the Latin word for "truth," this group of words is all about truth, affirming facts, and the appearance of being real.

Key Words

📝Example Usage:

• The animated film was praised for its incredible verisimilitude; the characters and settings looked almost real.
• I can aver with confidence that the information in this report is accurate.

🧠Memory Trick:

• I must aver that the verity of the novel is confirmed by its impressive verisimilitude.