Audible books Flashcards
To learn key terms from the great courses audible books
1
Q
action tendency
A
An impulse to respond in a particular way as a result of aspecific emotion.
2
Q
cognitive appraisal theory
A
A theory that claims that each specific
emotion is elicited by a particular kind of cognitive appraisal, which is the person’s assessment of the impact of the event on his or her well-being and
personal concerns.
3
Q
comparison level for alternatives
A
The lowest level of outcome that people
think that they can get by leaving their current relationship and moving to
the best alternative situation—whether that is another partner or simply
being out of a relationship altogether.
4
Q
bipolar
A
The form of manic-depressive illness in which episodes of both
mania and depression occur, as distinct from unipolar.
5
Q
behaviorism
A
A branch of psychology that claims that all behaviors and emotional responses are the result of learning.
6
Q
culture
A
All of the socially transmitted beliefs and behavior patterns in a group or society.
7
Q
cognitive psychologist
A
A scientist who studies thinking and memory.
8
Q
consolidation theory
A
A theory of dreams that suggests that dreams are
involved in the storage of memories from the previous day.
9
Q
catastrophizing
A
A thinking process in which a person has an exaggerated view of the likelihood that something bad is going to happen or an exaggerated belief about how bad the bad thing is.
10
Q
behavioral genetics
A
The scientific field that studies both the genetic and
environmental influences on such characteristics as personality
11
Q
absolute threshold
A
The minimum amount of stimulation sufficient to
be experienced.
12
Q
apraxia
A
The inability to perform stereotypical but complex movements
such as putting on a jacket.
13
Q
catharsis
A
The act of purging one’s emotions
14
Q
AI
A
The acronym for “artificial intelligence.”
15
Q
acute stress
A
The type of stress that occurs when people experience an immediate threat to their well-being.
16
Q
chronic stress
A
The type of stress that almost always exists.
17
Q
biofeedback:
A
The technique for making available to the observer information
regarding his or her own physiological states and events; e.g., a visual display
of one’s own blood pressure or heart rate or skin resistance.
18
Q
allele
A
A different form of a gene.
19
Q
aphasia
A
Either expressive (as in Broca’s aphasia) or receptive, the inability to use language.
20
Q
companionate love
A
A strong state of affection that people feel for others
with whom their lives are deeply entwined.
21
Q
affective forecasting
A
The act of predicting how events will influence one’s
emotions in the long run.
22
Q
artificial intelligence:
A
A form of “intelligent” or problem-solving
performance achieved by a programmed computational device.
23
Q
appeasement display
A
A behavior that reduces social threats from other
members of one’s species.
24
Q
comparison level
A
The minimum value of the outcomes that people think
they deserve from a relationship.
25
activation-synthesis theory
The first modern theory of dreams that suggests
| that dreams are the brain’s efforts to make sense out of meaningless patterns of firing in the brain while sleeping.
26
anthropomorphism:
A form of explanation of non-human attributes in
terms of allegedly comparable human attributes. Thus, the formation of
ants approaching another colony is explained as an “army” ready to engage
in “war.”
27
basilar membrane
A membrane in the inner ear’s cochlear duct along the
| length of which are the auditory receptor (“hair”) cells.
28
adolescence
The period ranging from about age 12 to about age 19 that starts with the onset of puberty and ends when the person is functioning as
an adult.
29
Broca’s Aphasia
An expressive aphasia resulting from a lesion in Broca’s
| area, the third frontal convolution in the left hemisphere.
30
akratic action
The undesired behavior that people sometimes engage
in while they are telling themselves that they shouldn’t be engaging in the behavior; comes from a Greek word that means a failure of will or
self-control.
31
CAT scan
CAT is the acronym for computerized axial tomography; a radiographic technique for constructing three-dimensional anatomical
pictures.
32
cognitive maps
Tolman’s term for the apparent mental or cognitive
representation of the external world, such that the rat is able to frame
alternative courses of action to reach a desired goal
33
cones-eyes
In vision, the retinal receptor cells whose activation takes place in dim and brighter light, though not in darkness; cells that mediate the experience
of color.
34
conservation-piaget
In Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, a principle that is understood only by older children; the principle according to
which, e.g. the quantity of a thing is not changed when it is given a
different shape.
35
constancy (perceptual):
The tendency to see known objects as retaining
their known size and shape even as they are moved to more distant locations or are differently oriented; e.g., a saucer seen as round even when
presented horizontally.
36
conversion reaction
In psychoanalytic theory, the explanation of hysterical
| symptoms as the result of a conversion of psychic to physical processes.
37
depth psychology
Psychological theories based on the concept of the
unconscious, otherwise inaccessible at the superficial levels of perception
and introspection.
38
difference threshold
The minimum difference between two stimuli
| sufficient for the observer to distinguish between them.
39
duplex theory
```
The theory (fact) that vision is mediated by two functionally different types of receptors, rods and cones; the former activated at the
lowest levels of illumination but unable to mediate the experience of color; the latter activated at higher levels of light intensity and associated with the
perception of color.
```
40
ego
The “self” or “I” in psychoanalytic theory, fashioned out of the
competing forces of the instinctual and the social.
41
empiricism
That philosophical perspective according to which knowledge
is grounded in experience, and experience is the ultimate standard of all
knowledge claims. It may be contrasted with both rationalism and nativism.
42
eudaimonia
In Aristotle’s theory that form of “happiness” or
“flourishing”
that might be achieved by one whose overall form of life is rationally ordered
and virtuous.
43
expert systems
A branch of engineering that seeks to identify the attributes
of human expertise (e.g., medical diagnosis) and incorporate them into
complex computational programs.
44
extrovert
According to Carl Jung, the two dominant personality tendencies
are toward extroversion or introversion, each of these forming a “type” of
personality which, when known to the psychoanalyst, permits predictions in
a wide range of circumstances.
45
frontal lobe syndrome:
A set of cognitive defects, often involving disrupted
| perceptions of events taking place over a stretch of time.
46
functionalism
A quite general perspective on biology and psychology
according to which various processes or attributes are understood in terms
of the functions served by them. Thus, the right question to ask about, e.g.,
“consciousness,” is not what it is, but what it is for; what can be achieved by
the organism possessing it which cannot otherwise be achieved.
47
genital stage:
The final stage of psychosexual development in which sexual gratification is achieved through heterosexual intercourse.The final stage of psychosexual development in which sexual
gratification is achieved through heterosexual intercourse.
48
Glove Anesthesia
A classic form of hysterical symptom in which sensitivity
is diminished or lost over the region of the hand that would be covered by a
glove, this not being possible as a result of actual nerve damage.
49
heritability
The fraction of the total variance displayed by a characteristic that is attributable to genetic sources of variation.
50
hermeneutics
Originally reserved to the field of biblical or scriptural
interpretation, now used more generally to refer to explanation as a form
of interpretation.
51
heuristic
A device or scheme that aids in the diagnosis and solution of problems.
52
hypnosis
The means or practice by which cooperative subjects can be placed in a state of semi consciousness or unconsciousness but can still be
“reached” in such a way as to alter their perceptions and actions.
53
hysteria
Initially, an assortment of temperamental, perceptual, and behavioral abnormalities thought to be associated with childbirth and other gender-specific conditions; hence the word, which is a version of the ancient
Greek for uterus; later referring indifferently to men and women displaying such perceptual, behavioral and emotional disturbances.
54
Id
In Freud’s theory, the basic, instinctual core of drives inherited as part of the animal ancestry of the human race; tendencies toward self-gratification
and self-preservation without the regulative influences of civilization.
55
instinct
A typically complex pattern of behavior (i.e., unlike
reflexes) exhibited (nearly) universally within a species or by one gender in that species, and appearing in essentially complete form without the benefit of
practice or training
56
instrumental conditioning
The term used to designate conditioned behavior
| that is instrumental in problem-solving or in reaching a goal; as distinct from reflexes.
57
IQ
The “intelligence quotient” calculated by dividing mental age by chronological age and multiplying by 100. A 10-year old who scores at the mental level of the average 12-year old has an IQ of 120 (12/10 X 100).
58
lateralization
The tendency of certain perceptual or behavioral capacities to be localized in one but not both halves of e.g., the cerebral cortex. Thus, lesion in the left hemisphere leads to paralysis on the right side of the
body, etc.
59
law of effect
Thorndike’s law, stating that behavior is strengthened or
weakened by the effects it produces; behavior leading to a “pleasing state of affairs” thus becoming more likely; that leading to pain or punishment,
less likely.
60
limbic system
In highly integrated collection of structures below the cerebral cortex and having strong associations with basic emotional patterns of behavior such as copulation, aggression, maternal activity, etc. The structures include the amygdala, the septum, the Isle of Rile, the hippocampus and the columns of the fornix.
61
machine functionalism
A concept in contemporary philosophy of mind
that would equate intelligence or cognition not with a specific anatomy (e.g.,the brain) or type of animal (e.g., human) but with any generic device able to
perform intelligent or cognitive functions.
62
Malleus Maleficarum
“The hammer of evils” was the book in the 15th
century that informed courts on the procedures for identifying witches and the punishments to be imposed on them. Written by two Dominicans (Sprenger and Kramer) it offered a perilous mixture of science, pseudoscience, and rank superstition.
63
manic-depressive
A form of psychosis; a severe mental illness in which the
sufferer experiences delusions and is overcome by episodes of uncontrollable and even suicidal depression and/or destructive forms of mania.
64
materialism
That philosophical school or system that takes the ultimate reality to be a material reality, finally lacking in any other kind of “stuff”—notably “mental” stuff.
65
mnemonic
A technique for aiding memory
66
nativism
A psychological orientation or theory according to which certain mental or cognitive powers are innate, requiring only time for maturation
before expressing themselves in their full form.
67
Neo-Freudian
The member of a psychoanalytic school or system indebted to Freudian theory but departing from it to a greater or lesser extent.
68
noise
A technical term referring to any event or entity that interferes with the detection of a target-stimulus.
69
nomological-deductive model
Developed and defended by Carl Hempel,
a model of scientific explanation based on the proposition that an event has been explained
scientifically when it is shown to be deducible from a general law (Gk. nomos = law).
70
nonsense syllables
Used by Hermann Ebbinghaus in his pioneering studies
of associative memory processes. Typically, such syllables are formed by a consonant-vowel-consonant sequence such as MIB, TUJ, etc.
71
ontology
The branch of metaphysics addressed to questions regarding real or actual being. Whether or not there are actually existing minds or consciousness or thoughts (as distinct from matter) is an ontological
question.
72
operant
Skinner’s technical term for an observable
| musculo-skeletal movement.
73
oral stage
The first stage in Freud’s theory of psychosexual development; the stage at which sensual gratification is achieved by oral stimulation, such as sucking.
74
ossicles
The three bones of the middle ear which translate motion from the ear drum to the cochlear duct of the inner ear.
75
payoff matrix
In general, the costs and benefits of various decisions and decision-strategies; in signal detection theory, the costs assessed against either false alarms or missed targets.
76
PET scan
The acronym stands for positron emission tomography.
Radioactively tagged elements are introduced into the blood supply to the brain so that the rate of oxidation in various regions can be monitored in real time, thus providing a record of activity in specific regions.
77
phallic stage
The stage of psychosexual development when sexual
| gratification is achieved through genital self-stimulation.
78
physiognomy
The pseudo-science of Lavater, which promised to reveal basic personality and moral characteristics by the close study of facial types.
79
pitch
The auditory sensation associated with the frequency of sound.
80
pleasure principle
Freud’s term for the controlling influence that modes of
sexual gratification have on behavior; a principle grounded in the ancestral and instinctual animal pleasures and tied to survival and procreation.
81
positivism
A philosophical defense of scientific modes of inquiry as the only source of valid knowledge. The “positive” knowledge of science is contrasted with superstition, religious faith, and untestable intuition.
82
psychosexual development
Freud’s conception of the maturation of
sexuality from the nourishment-based instincts of infancy to adult procreative sexuality; a maturation in which basic instinctual inclinations are “socialized”
by the adult community.
83
rationalism
A term used somewhat imprecisely to cover various
philosophical positions and systems that may have little in common; but generally covering philosophical arguments to the effect that all valid
knowledge must be in the form of rationally intelligible and integrated ideas rather than the disjointed facts of bare experience.
84
reality principle
As used by Freud, a concept covering the socialization
| and civilizing of those impulses grounded in the Pleasure Principle.
85
receptors
Specialized cells that respond selectively to particular classes of physical or chemical stimuli. The rods and cones of the retina and the hair
cells of the inner ear are examples.
86
repression
In psychoanalytic theory, the mechanism or process by which unacceptable thoughts and desires are kept out of consciousness and are driven (repressed) into the recesses of the unconscious.
87
ROC curve
The acronym stands for receiver operating characteristics and refers to the performance of a detection system. The curve is a plot of the
rate of false alarms against the rate of “hits.”
88
rods
Receptor cells in the retina, sensitive to the lowest levels of visible illumination but not associated with the color-sensing mechanisms of the visual system.
89
schizophrenia
A form of psychosis characterized by hallucinations,
| delusions, and thought so disordered as to prevent a rational form of life.
90
span of apprehension
The maximum number of items that can be kept in
immediate memory after a brief exposure. In the absence of special “priming” techniques, this number is on the order of 7 or 8.
91
split brain
A term referring to the surgical disruption of pathways that join the two halves of the brain.
92
structuralism
In the modern history of psychology, this term was used
to describe that program of research and theory devoted to unearthing the structure of mental life; the sensations, images, feelings, and interactions
among these giving rise to mental life.
93
superego
In psychoanalytic theory, the equivalent of “conscience.”
94
teleological
An explanation of an event or thing based on the purpose or goal (Gk. = telos) achieved as a result of that event or thing. The long neck of the giraffe is teleologically explained when the attribute is connected to the nutritional requirements of the species and the altitude of needed vegetation.
95
unconscious
As distinct from non-conscious or the medical sense
of “unconscious”, the psychoanalytic concept of a dynamic realm of motives and conflicts, outside the reach of consciousness, but shaping conscious behavior.
96
unipolar
The form of manic-depressive illness in which mood swings are generally absent and the patient is either in one or the other phase of the disorder. Depression is the more common form of unipolar manicdepressive
disease.
97
Absolutist theories
theories of deviance that advocate for universal
| standards or principles of morality
98
Achieved status
statuses that depend on qualities over which the
| individual has some control.
99
Anomie
when the shared moral sense or typical norms that guide behavior are no longer appropriate or effective.
100
Ascribed status
the status conferred on a person by society or some group without the specific individual’s input, and for qualities over which the individual has little control.
101
Atavism
the recurrence in an organism of a character typical of
| ancestors more remote than the parents usually due to recombination of ancestral genes.
102
Conflict theory
a theory that focuses on the conflict and competition
| between various elements in society (emanates from the work of Karl Marx).
103
Constructionism
theory of deviance whereby the labels assigned to
| certain people or behaviors are deconstructed in order to identify power relations.
104
Control theory
a theory that suggests that criminal behavior results from a lack of internal control by the individual or appropriate and effective social control mechanisms by society
105
Demonism
an undesirable emotion, trait, or state explained by an attendant evil power or spirit.
106
Deterrence
the view that punishment will prevent future crime either by the specific criminal or by others for whom it will serve as a warning.
107
Deviance
actions that violate social norms that may or may not be part of the legal code.
108
Differential association
a theory that criminal and deviant behavior is
| learned through close and frequent association with deviant behavior patterns, norms, and values.
109
Differential reinforcement
theory suggesting that deviant behaviors are
| reinforced in a deviant or criminal subculture, while normative behaviors are punished or unrewarded.
110
Ego
in psychoanalytic theory, the part of the personality that is in contact with reality.
111
Eugenics
a science that deals with the improvement of hereditary qualities of a race or breed.
112
Functionalism
a methodological and theoretical orientation in which the consequences of a given set of empirical phenomena, rather than its causes, is the focus of attention.
113
Gemeinschaft
a social structure based on tradition, shared history, and
| shared values.
114
Gesellschaft
a social structure where there is no shared history, traditions,or values.
115
Id
the original system of the personality, the id consists of everything psychological that is inherited and that is present at birth, including the instincts.
116
Labeling theory
theory of deviance proposing that some people have
| the power to categorize certain actions as appropriate or not, thereby creating deviance.
117
Macro theory
a theory that focuses on the large-scale social units
| e.g., society
118
Micro theory
a theory that focuses on small-scale social units
| e.g., an individual
119
Midrange theory
a theory that is applicable to limited ranges of data
| e.g., a city
120
Nomos
an organizing principle of society that is infused with what a society holds as sacred
121
Normative consensus
agreed upon rules of behavior.
122
Objectivist theories
theories based on the thinking that each society
| creates a set of norms to prevent chaos, with deviance viewed as the violation of those norms.
123
Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny
the process by which individual
| development in utero mirrors the stages of species development over evolutionary history.
124
Pathology
the study of diseases and especially the bodily changes
| produced by them.
125
Racial hierarchy theory
a theory that proposes that the races are
| inherently inferior or superior to one another.
126
Reification
the process by which something abstract is converted or regarded as concrete.
127
Social contract
any agreement between independent individuals
| concerning the basic institutional arrangements that are to determine their social or political arrangements.
128
Social Darwinism
a nineteenth century theory that compared social
organizations to a living organism and where the social order is accounted as the product of natural selection of those persons best suited to existing
living conditions.
129
Stigmata
signs of atavism.
130
Subjectivist theories
theories that place more emphasis on society’s
| reaction to given behaviors than on defining the behaviors themselves.
131
Superego
in psychoanalytic theory, the part of the personality that serves as the internalized moral arbiter of conduct or conscience.
132
Supernatural
the existence of forces outside of the ordinary realm.
133
Xenophobia
fear of foreigners.
134
developmental psychology
The scientific field that studies how people
| change over the lifespan.
135
dopamine
A neurotransmitter that creates feelings of exhilaration, gives people additional energy, focuses their attention, and drives them to seek rewards.
136
dual-motive conflict
A conflict between two competing goals or motives.
137
effect size
A statistical index of the size of a particular difference between the things that are being studied.
138
explanatory gap
The giant chasm between explaining how the brain works and explaining what produces consciousness.
139
flashbulb memory
A very detailed, exceptionally vivid memory of the
| circumstances in which a person heard surprising, important, or emotionally arousing news.
140
flow experience
A psychological state that sometimes occurs when people are fully immersed in an activity.
141
focalism
The notion that when people think about how they will feel about some event in the future, they focus too much on the event itself and ignore all of the other things that will be going on that will influence their emotions.
142
grandiose narcissist
A narcissist that evaluates himself or herself positively,
| as behavior seems to indicate.
143
hedonic adaptation
The tendency for people adjust to pleasurable changes
| in their circumstances so that something that initially brings happiness and pleasure usually wears off over time.
144
ideograph
A character or symbol that represents an object or an idea.
145
immediate-return environment:
An environment in which people can
see the consequences of their behavior on an ongoing basis and receive immediate feedback regarding whether they are accomplishing essential
life tasks.
146
in-group favoritism
Rating one’s own group much more positively than
| another group.
147
interdependence theory
The relationship theory that states that each of
us has a standard, called our comparison level, for judging whether we are making enough of a profit in our relationships with other people.
148
interindividual-intergroup discontinuity effect
The notion that groups of people are less cooperative and more competitive than individuals are.
149
Machiavellianism
A personality characteristic that involves doing whatever
it takes to get other people to do what you want, including being deceptiveand dishonest and presenting images of oneself that are not accurate.
150
mere ownership effect
The notion that merely owning something makes
| people view it as better and more valuable.
151
meta-analysis:
An analysis that statistically combines the results of many studies to reach a general conclusion.
152
nightmare
A dreams that is very vivid, involves strong negative emotions such as fear or grief, and wakes a person up.
153
obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
A psychological disorder that
involves the existence of uncontrollable thoughts, feelings, and ideas (obsession) that lead people to feel driven to engage in certain behaviors (compulsion).
154
out-group homogeneity effect
The tendency for people to think that
| members of groups other than their own are more similar to each other than they really are.
155
oxytocin
A hormone that promotes a feeling of social connection and of being bonded.
156
parapsychology
The field that studies anomalous psychic experiences such as extra-sensory perception (ESP).
157
passionate love
The kind of love that is intense and exciting at first and that usually involves sexual desire.
158
personality
Consistencies in a person’s behavior across various situations and over time.
159
phenylethylamine (PEA)
A neurotransmitter that is related to amphetamines and whose effects on people’s mood and energy are similar to those of various stimulants.
160
precognition
The awareness of some future event.
161
presentiment:
The feeling of something that has not yet happened.
162
psi
Psychic phenomena.
163
public self-consciousness
A characteristic that describes the degree to
| which a person thinks about how he or she is viewed by other people.
164
rapid eye movement (REM) sleep
The stage of sleep that occurs once per
| cycle—and between four and six times per night—that is characterized by dreaming sleep.
165
realistic conflict theory
A theory that proposes that discrimination and
| conflict arise when groups are in competition for some scarce resource.
166
relational value:
The amount of value that is placed on a relationship
| between people.
167
Schadenfreude
The pleasure that people experience over the misfortunes of another person.
168
self-awareness
The human ability to think consciously about oneself.
169
self-compassion
The degree to which people treat themselves in a kind and caring way when bad things happen.
170
self-confidence
The belief that you can do certain things or bring about
| certain outcomes.
171
self-control strength
The psychological energy it takes to make people do
| what they should and not do what they shouldn’t.
172
self-serving bias
A bias that revolves around the notion that most people
| think that they are better than they actually are.
173
serotonin
A neurotransmitter that plays a part in the regulation of mood,sleep, learning, and other processes that involve the brain.
174
social anxiety
The nervousness that people feel in social situations—such as on job interviews or on dates, when meeting new people, while being at a social gathering where they don’t know anybody, or when speaking in front of groups.
175
subjective well-being
An overriding sense of contentment and pleasure; a
| sense of well-being that goes deeper than happiness.
176
subliminal stimulus
A stimulus that cannot consciously be perceived.
177
temporal discounting:
The notion that people discount outcomes that are
| further away in time.
178
trace decay theory
A theory that claims that a memory trace, which
| strengthens the connections in the brain that help to maintain a memory, is created every time a new memory is formed.
179
vulnerable narcissist
A narcissist that is fundamentally insecure about
| himself or herself
180
aetiological myths
Myths that provide an explanation (“aetiology”) for how
| something came into existence. The myth of Persephone is an aetiology for the existence of the seasons.
181
ambrosia
The food of the gods. In the Iliad, the gods anoint the dead bodies of Patroklos and Hector with ambrosia to protect them from corruption.
182
anthropomorphism
The representation of non-human entities in human
| form and with human emotions.
183
Areopagos
The “Hill of Ares” in Athens; meeting site of the Areopagos council, whose powers were restricted in 462 B.C. to hearing cases of murder, arson, and malicious wounding. In Aeschylus’s Eumenides, it is the
site of Orestes’s trial for the murder of Clytemnestra.
184
athanatoi
“Deathless ones.” A term used to refer to the gods, particularly as contrasted to mortals, or thnêtoi.
185
charter myths
Myths that provide a justifi cation for a social institution or custom. The term is Malinowski’s.
186
dactylic hexameter
The meter of epic. It is constructed of six “feet,”
each consisting of either a dactyl (one long syllable followed by two short syllables) or a spondee (two long syllables). The resulting line is flexible and
varied in Greek, though it tends to sound pedestrian in English.
187
Colchis
Town on the Black Sea where the Golden Fleece was kept. Jason sailed there in search of the Fleece, which Medea, daughter of the King of Colchis, helped him to steal.
188
Delphi
Site of Apollo’s most important oracle and the temple complex associated with it. Oracles at Delphi were spoken by the Pythia, a priestess supposedly inspired with prophetic powers by the god.
189
Eleusinian Mysteries
Religious ceremonies held at Eleusis in honor of
Demeter. The term “mysteries” means “secrets”; the ceremonies were open only to initiates, who were bound by an oath not to divulge what was done
in the rites. Our knowledge of the Eleusinian Mysteries is tantalizingly imprecise; however, it seems clear that the rites promised that initiates would have a better status in the afterlife than non-initiates. Initiation was open to males and females and to slaves as well as free people. The Mysteries fell into disuse around 400 AD.
190
Epic Cycle
A series of epics, no longer extant, which told the story of those episodes of the Trojan War not contained in the Iliad and the Odyssey
191
Euhemerism
The theory that all myths are misunderstood history; named for Euhemeros, who said that the Olympian gods had originally been great kings whose stories were exaggerated over time.
192
herm
A stylized representation of Hermes, used to guard houses and mark boundaries. Herms were pillars topped with a bearded man’s head; they were
otherwise featureless except for an erect phallus.
193
Homeric Hymns:
A collection of poems in dactylic hexameter in honor of
various gods and goddesses; they range from a very few lines to several hundred lines in length. The longest and most important ones were probably
written between 650 and 400 B.C.; the others were probably written later, though the exact dates are uncertain.
194
Indo-European
The prehistoric parent language of Greek, Latin, Sanskrit, most modern languages of Europe, and many modern languages of India. Indo-European was never written down, but scholars have made hypothetical
reconstructions of some of its words and forms by comparative study of the languages that descended from it. The people who spoke this language are
referred to as “Indo-Europeans.”
