Classics Class Quiz

You’re listening to A Way with Words. I’m Martha Barnette.

And I’m Grant Barrett, and we’re joined by our quiz guide, John Chaneski.

Hi, guys. Hi, Grant. Hi, Martha.

Hello, John.

You were explaining off the air the concept of igri. What is that?

Igri is a word I coined. The quickest way to define it is the opposite of schadenfreude. When you see something happening to someone, something bad happening to someone, it’s so bad that it makes you wither inside. You embarrass yourself watching someone else be embarrassed. You empathize with them and with their negative feelings.

Yeah, and you almost feel it yourself.

I talk about a lot of television as an igre comedy. For instance, Curb Your Enthusiasm, when you see Larry David do something that, oh my gosh, you would never do.

Yeah, you’re always hiding your eyes behind your hands.

Exactly.

Yeah, that’s igre.

I like that.

Lots of things inspire igre. I used to call that Freud and Shada, but I like igre.

That’s good.

Very nice.

That’s good.

Don’t take my thunder.

I agree.

Well, I have a little puzzle for you guys. I hope you enjoy it. You’re both language experts, so I hear. So you know a heck of a lot about word origins. That’s great because I’m going to grill you about the origins of several words.

Oh.

None of them are igri, by the way, since now I know you know the origin of igri. We’ll do it like this. I’ll describe to you a word with a Latin or Greek root. For example, this word is formed from a prefix meaning to and the Latin word for tongue. You can take a guess.

Two is in T-W-O.

T-W-O, right.

Oh, yeah. I was thinking adlingual, but that didn’t make any sense.

Bilingual.

Bilingual is correct, yes. I’ll give you a little more information if you need it, including the definition of the word, but there’s the basis of it right there.

Okay.

Let’s see how well you do. Here’s the first. The roots of this word are a Latin prefix meaning out and the Latin word for burden. For burden, B-U-R-D-E-N.

That’s correct.

Out.

So.

Wow.

X.

Yeah.

All right. The French word maybe is really the Latin, fardo, but what’s the Latin word for burden, Martha?

I’m thinking tumor, but maybe that’s the Greek word.

No.

No.

What am I thinking? The prefix is X, and the word for burden is similar to the, well, similar to exactly the same as an English word. It’s onus.

Exonerate.

Exonerate is correct.

There we go. Take the burden off of someone. To clear from accusation or blame.

Very good. This word is formed from a prefix meaning with or together, and the Latin word for run, R-U-N.

So it would be concur.

Concur, exactly correct. Like current and curriculum, running.

Concurrent.

Course.

I would have taken that, sure. This word is formed from a Greek prefix meaning with or together, and the Greek word for name.

I know what it is.

Go for it, Martha.

Synonym.

Synonym is very nice. Soon is the Greek. May I just say how much fun it is to be playing a game about Greek and Latin roots on the radio?

I was hoping you’d like it, yes.

Oh, my gosh. This is all stacked in your favor, Martha. I’m feeling like I’m barely keeping up here.

I know. I dreamed about this in college. This is very exciting.

This is what you dreamed about in college.

That’s okay.

She was lonely.

I’d have to pinch myself if I died and gone to heaven.

She was late night in the commons by herself.

That’s true.

Right. The prefix is sin, and the word for a name is onima, as in eponym or any other words like that.

Right. Like symposium. Yeah.

Right.

Yep.

The roots of this word are a Latin prefix for from or away, and the Latin word for way, W-A-Y.

Well, the Latin for way is wea, V-I-A.

That’s white.

What?

That’s white.

White.

Okay. And is the prefix D-E?

D-E is right.

So deviate.

Deviate is good.

I’ll take it. There’s another one that I’m thinking of that means not straightforward or cunning.

Devilish.

No, that’s not right.

Close.

Was it deviant?

Martha said deviant there in the background.

Deviant.

No, it’s too close.

Well, it’s close. I don’t know.

It’s devious.

Of course.

Devious.

It’s not devious. There’s another word. This is a devious quiz, you know.

Thank you.

It’s a lot harder going from English into the…

Yeah.

I think one of you, I’m not just going to say who one of you was asking for something a little tougher last time around. So I’m not going to say who.

Moving on. This word is formed from a Latin prefix meaning black and a Latin word meaning I. Believe it or not.

Oh, oh, are you…

It’s not atrocious.

Yes, it is atrocious.

Wow.

Wow, very nice. Explain that one to me.

Well, the prefix is atr, A-T-R, and the word for I is oq, O-C, or ox from oculus.

Oh, there we go. And it means, of course, extremely wicked, brutal, or cruel, atrocious.

That was great.

Right.

Nice work, Martha.

Black countenance.

Yes, start going.

Good.

Thank you. The roots of this word are a Latin prefix meaning away, a Latin word meaning hand, and a Latin word meaning to take.

Say it all again, please.

Okay, it’s all Latin. Away, hand, and to take.

So am I thinking Abe Lincoln here?

Oh, yes, you are.

Okay. Let’s give Grant a chance to…

All right.

The extra clue of Abe Lincoln.

Yeah, because that doesn’t help at all.

Emancipation.

Emancipation or emancipation.

Very good.

All right.

Terrific.

That was my classics class.

That was fantastic.

That was great. I want to send a shout out to my high school Latin teacher.

So there’s the quiz, guys. John, that was fantastic.

That was fantastic.

I got to tell you, that was truly a stumper.

Oh, I’m glad.

You heard my silence, right?

I didn’t bark once.

I did hear the silence.

That was great.

That was great.

I felt a little igre here and there.

Excellent.

I aim to inspire igre in everyone.

And I often succeed.

Well, thanks again, John.

Thank you, guys.

See you later.

All right.

Bye-bye.

Well, if you have a question about wordplay, language, grammar, slang, regional dialects, ancient roots, give us a call. The number is 1-877-929-9673. That’s 1-877-WAYWORD. Or send an email to words@waywordradio.org.