VCR Lesson 1
Jake Benoit
FILL IN THE BLANK WITH THE MOST APPROPRIATE WORD FROM LESSON 1
According to the police, the two groups recently fought a(n) _________ battle that left both groups with many wounded.
ANSWER
Internecine (adjective)
- destructive to both sides in a conflict.
- of or relating to conflict within a group or organization.
ITS ROOTS
Internecinus(L) - "Fought to the death"
necare(L) - "To kill"
Also contains the Latin prefix "Inter-" (usually means "between" or "mutual")
SYNONYMS
The first definition:
- Destructive
- Deadly
The second definition:
- Internal
ANTONYMS
The first definition:
- Bloodless
- Peaceful
The second definition:
- External
- Foreign
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Internecine actually meant "deadly" when it appeared in English in 1663, but when Samuel Johnson defined it in 1755, he was misled by the prefix "inter-" and defined the word as "the endeavor of mutual destruction." As time went on, more dictionaries were published that adopted his meaning ultimately changing its meaning forever.
CHOOSE THE LETTER OF THE SENTENCE IN WHICH THE WORD "INTERNECINE" IS USED INCORRECTLY.
A. The Internecine arguments between roommates often leads to uncomfortable dinner conversations or plain silence between the two parties.
B. The battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War proved Internecine for both the North and the South.
C. James began struggling with an internecine feeling of guilt after he let the elevator close before the old lady could get on.
D. Internecine disputes between the U.S. and Canada caused both to loose annual tourism income.