Learning Evolution of Technical English

科普傳播

Laser weapons protect aircraft from surface- and air-launched threats. (Video Credit: Lockheed Martin)

Quiz (F16 with laser weapons)

Words in the episode. Select one word in each item.

1. Unprecedented, unparalleled, unequaled 

2. Infrared, ultraviolet, visible 

3. Shipborne, airborne, carrier 

4. Hospitable, hostile, friendly 

5. Acquisition, relinquishing, abandoning 

Word anatomy:

Infra: infrared, infrastructure

Infrared: infra + red, below (La.) + red (Proto Indo-European)

 

Ultra: ultralight, ultraviolet

ultraviolet: ultra + violet, beyond + violet (from flower), La. + La.

Shipborne: Ship + borne (from bear)

Airborne: air + borne

Proceed: Pro (forward) + ceed (from La. cedere)

Precedent: Pre (before) + cedent (From La. cedere)

Prehistoric: pre + historic

President: pre + sident ( from La. sedere, sit) 

Algorithm: al-Khwarizmi

viper, La.

serpent, La, - Gr. (creep, from herpein)

snake, old Eng. - Proto Germanic

Herpetology, Herpet + ology, Gr.

Reptile, La.  

龜殼花

protect, pro+tect, forward+ cover(shield), Latin

detect: de +tect, off/away, cover, La.

defeat: de + feat, away + make, undo, unmake,  La.

Fact, something done, deed, La. 

Factor

Factory

科技英文的演進

• Timeline of English Language History (interactive version)  ( video )
• Latin Influence on the Development of English (interactive version)
• Greek Influence on the English Language
• The Influence of Christianity on the English Language
• French Influence on the English Language (word pair games)
• The Evolution of Scientific Vocabulary in English (interactive version)
• The Impact of British Colonialism on English Language Development
• The Evolution of Engineering Vocabulary in English

Domino

AD, Anno Domini

What's your name?