Latin Roots #8

Roots and Derivatives

1.     flu(x), fluct (flow, flowing)

2.     fort, fore (strong)

3.     frater(n), fratr (brother)

4.     fus, fund, found (pour, melt)

Word List

1.     Affluent- flowing with wealth and riches: prosperous; a flowing stream, as a tributary;

It was obvious that the girl came from an affluent family as she lived in a mansion and she drove a brand new BMW.

2.     Confluence- a coming or flowing together, as of rivers or ideas; a place of joining;

The meeting was planned to create a confluence of the best and brightest students to come up with the solution.

3.     Confound- to perplex, confuse, amaze, or bewilder;

A successful magician is able to confound his audience and leave them wondering how he did his tricks.

4.     Effusive- pouring forth in an emotional way; unrestrained or overly demonstrative

My sister’s effusive apology came off as insincere as it was overly dramatic with her constant crying.

5.     Forte- one’s special area of accomplishment or performance; one’s strong point;

My cousin’s forte in academics is definitely math as he always has the highest grade in class and it is not difficult for him.

6.     Fortify- to make stronger; to strengthen; to establish defenses;

Every army tries to fortify their soldiers to guarantee success in battle.

7.     Fortitude- strength of character; patient courage;

I have always admired my dad’s fortitude as he never gives up and always tries his best.

8.     Fraternize- to associate with or socialize in a brotherly fashion; to be friendly with;

My parents don’t want me to fraternize with my cousins because our families are constantly feuding.

9.     Fratricide- the killing of one’s own brother, someone who commits such an act;

He was found guilty of fratricide even though he denied that he had killed his own brother.

10.  Mellifluous- as if flowing honey or sweetness; like the tones of a honeyed voice;

The mellifluous music was so soothing and pleasant that it put me in a good mood.

11.  Profusion- a pouring forth, as of great numbers; plentifulness; an abundance;

The profusion of people coming out of the stadium reminded me of ants coming out of an anthill.

12.  Superfluous- (flowing) beyond what is needed; in excess of a sufficiency;

His superfluous speech made everyone lose interest and become bored with what he was saying. 

Knowledge

Knowledge is something we acquire from the time we are born. As toddlers we gain knowledge from what we are allowed or not allowed to do from our parents. Once we enter school, we gain knowledge from our teachers and through education. But knowledge is not just something we learn from books or as teens from the internet or social media. It is all around us and in everything we do and every conversation we have with our peers and the people around us. Whether it is learning a new sport or facing pressure from friends we are gaining knowledge about ourselves and our lives. If we didn’t continue to acquire knowledge as we go about our daily lives, we wouldn’t really be living.

Opinion Article

Happiness Doesn't Have a Price             

            Almost everyone aspires to become rich in their lifetime because they believe money equates to happiness. People believe that with money you can attain a perfect life and no worries in the world. However, I believe that acquiring money doesn’t guarantee you happiness. Money can’t buy you real love, your health or cure mental illness. True happiness does not have a price tag.

            Money can definitely relieve the stress of working and finding a way to pay your bills, but it also brings on new stresses and less joy. Have you ever noticed that many wealthy individuals have issues? A multitude of celebrities have alcohol and drug addictions because they’re unhappy. Lindsay Lohan and Amanda Bynes are both unstable, former actresses. They went off the deep end in the middle of their supposedly perfect lives. They have more money than they need but still rely on drugs to supply their happiness and relieve them of any stress rather than finding happiness elsewhere.

            Some people who have lost all hope of finding happiness commit suicide even though they may be wealthy. Robin Williams, for example, was found dead in his house after hanging himself. Williams was battling depression, anxiety and the early stages of Parkinson’s disease. He and others who committed suicide must have believed there was no possible light in the dark tunnel they thought was their life. Money couldn’t help them there.

            Although wealth may bring joy here and there, in the end it’s just you. Happiness stems out of friends, family, and good memories. Money can buy materialistic things which can be fun for a while but serve as short-term happiness. The things you can’t buy, friendship, health, and love are priceless for a reason. Everyone can have a fair chance at finding happiness despite how much money they have. Happiness is something you must attain on your own without money because money will never be able to buy you authentic happiness.