| Word of the Day | ||
| These words are not necessarily the words you need to know to score well on the SAT. Some of these words did not come into English directly from Latin or Greek, but instead came into English via a Romance language. I am not providing complete etymologies, but rather, the Latin or Greek words that are at the base of these English words. By knowing these connections you may be able to apply these Latin or Greek roots to other words to gain insight into the underlying meaning of new words. Some words are linked to related articles. | ||
Enthusiasm - great excitement. From the Greek 'enthousiasmos' - 'en' (in or within) and 'theo' (god). Enthousiasmos meant possession by a god. Compare with ecstacy (rapture or trance) which comes from the Greek 'ekstasis' (displacement): prefix 'ek-' means out or outside and 'stasis' means standing. The Greek gods, especially Apollo and Dionysus, could create the states of enthusiasm and ecstacy in mortals. See Dionysus - God of Ecstacy.
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