G O L O M B' S G A M B I T S &trade Certain Suffixes By Solomon Golomb '51 Numerous word endings suggest root meanings derived from Latin. Two examples are words ending in -diction, which usually have something to do with speaking, and words ending in -duction, which usually have something to with leading. 1. How many -diction words can you think of in 20 minutes? (My list, with only seven words, may not be complete.) 2. How many -duction words can you think of in 20 minutes? (My list, with 11 words, may not be complete.) Hundreds of English words end in -ation and hundreds more in -ition. We get more manageable lists when we specify an additional letter. 3. How many words ending in -dation can you list in half an hour? (Unlike -diction or -duction words, there is no unifying theme.) Score 12 words as good, 15 words as excellent, and 18 or more as outstanding. 4. How many words ending in -dition can you list in half an hour? (Again, there is no unifying theme.) Score seven words as good, nine words as excellent, and 11 or more as outstanding. |
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