Lesson XII Caesar’s English XII

obsequious: cringing, submissive Adj. (ob-SEE-kee-us) Spanish: obsequioso The adjective obsequious comes from the Latin obequiosus. An obsequious person is a cringing, submissive follower, so over-willing to please that it is repulsive. Jonathan Swift wrote in Gulliver’s Travels that “zealots prove always the most obsequious and subservient to the will and passions of their master.”

ignominy: disgrace N. (IG-no-many) Spanish: ignominia The English noun ignominy (the adjective is ignominious), comes from the Latin ignominia, and refers to deep humiliation, disgrace, dishonor. In George Orwell’s Animal Farm we find that “within five minutes of their invasion they were in ignominious retreat.”

acquiescence: passive compliance N. (ah-kwee-ESS-ence) Spanish: acquiescencia To acquiesce, from the Latin acquiescere, is to comply, passively and obediently. We understand even better when we learn that acquiesce comes from the Latin quiescere, to be quiet. It is a relative of the English adjective quiescent. In Melville’s Moby Dick Ishmael says that “as all my remonstrances produced no effect on Queequeg, I was obliged to acquiesce.”

impassive: expressionless, without emotion Adj. (im-PASS-ive) Spanish: impasible To be impassive, from the Latin impassibilis, is to be expressionless and without emotion. In Bernard Malamad’s novel The Natural we read that “His rocklike frame was motionless, his face impassive, unsmiling, dark.”

impending: about to happen Adj. (im-PEN-ding) Spanish: pendiente The English adjective impending, from the Latin impendere, refers to things that are about to happen, that are hanging over us. Kenneth Grahame wrote in The Wind in the Willows that “he cried in despair, plumping down on a seat, with tears impending.”

obsequious: cringing, submissive ignominy: disgrace Caesar’s English XII obsequious: cringing, submissive ignominy: disgrace acquiescence: passive compliance impassive: expressionless, without emotion impending: about to happen

Caesar’s Classic Words Challenge From Thomas Hardy’s The Return of the Native Venn sat with lips __________ closed. acquiescently obsequiously ignominiously impassively

From Thomas Hardy’s The Return of the Native Venn sat with lips __________ closed. acquiescently obsequiously ignominiously impassively

2. From Thorton Wilder’s The Bridge of San Luis Rey It was intended as an __________ flattery to the Condesa, and was untrue. ignominious obsequious impassive impending

2. From Thorton Wilder’s The Bridge of San Luis Rey It was intended as an __________ flattery to the Condesa, and was untrue. ignominious obsequious impassive impending

3. From Joseph Conrad’s Lord Jim Andy shrugged his shoulders, and gave an ___________ whistle. acquiescent ignominious impending obsequious

3. From Joseph Conrad’s Lord Jim Andy shrugged his shoulders, and gave an ___________ whistle. acquiescent ignominious impending obsequious

The Grammar of Vocabulary: obsequious, an adjective. The obsequious toady flattered Caesar every day.