Baker Vocab #3 Flashcards
morpheme
We are talking about elemental (=basic) meaning units here, as in: chairwoman has (2) morphemes in it, “chair” and “woman”. Consider the morphemes in the word keyhole, blacksmith, or carport. We are also talking about meaning units like this: baked has both bake + -ed. The -ed carries a meaning: past action.
ad hoc
created or done for a particular purpose as necessary.
sine qua non
an essential condition; a thing that is absolutely necessary.
obfuscate
render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible.
castigate
reprimand (someone) severely.
boilerplate
Standardized text or language that can be reused with little or no modification
allude, allusion
To refer to something indirect; an indirect reference to a person event or literary work.
conceit
An elaborate or extended metaphor; a central theme or idea that shapes the work
reification, reify
The process of treating an abstract concept as if it were a concrete thing.
elucidate
To make something clear; to explain.
canon
A collection or list of works considered authoritative ro essential; conforming to accepted standards
de facto
In fact, or in practice, but not officially established or recognized.
highbrow, lowbrow
Highbrow refers to intellectual or cultured taste; lowbrow refers to more mainstream or less sophisticated tastes.
trepidation
A feeling of fear or anxiety about something that may happen.
internalize
To incorporate attitudes, values, or beliefs into one’s own mental framework.
