29/02/2016

Abbreviations... What do these most common ones mean?

We've all seen these abbreviations before:

am, pm, etc., e.g., i.e.

but what exactly do they mean??

Yes, they are ALL Latin! Let's see if your interpretation of each is correct!!

1. am    It comes from the Latin term ante meridiem, which means before noon.
So, when you see a sign that says: 'Opens at 9 am' it means 9 o'clock in the morning.

2. pm    It comes from the Latin term post meridiem, which means after noon. (Surprise! Surprise!)
So, '9 pm' means 9 o'clock in the evening.

Now, don't confuse 12 am and 12 pm.

12 am is 0:00 midnight! Because, it's before noon!!
12 pm is 12:00 = noon!! ;) ;)

3. etc.   This is an abbreviation of the Latin phrase et cetera, which means and other similar things / and so on.

4. e.g.   This is an abbreviation of the Latin exempli gratia, which means for example / for instance.

5. i.e.    This is an abbreviation of the Latin id est, which means that is to say / in other words.


Mean what you say and say what you mean!!

Have a great day! :)





25/02/2016

Insolate vs. Insulate

Good Morning Everyone!!

Today's post isn't exactly a 'word war', but a clarification of two words that get confused by many.

So... what's the difference between 'insolate' and 'insulate'??

Insolate, comes from the Latin word insolare, which means 'to place in the sun'. Sol = Sun 
Therefore, we use 'insolate' when something or someone is exposed to the sun's rays.


Insulate, is what we do to prevent the leakage of heat by using various materials. We insulate our home and of course, when we wear heavy coats in cold weather we wear insulation!


So, Insolate to receive the heat and Insulate to prevent the heat from escaping!


Have a great (and warm) day!

:) :)


17/02/2016

Empathy vs. Sympathy

Welcome to a new feature of XAMOYELA!

It's called WORD WARS and we'll be comparing words that are often confused, in their use and/or their spelling.

The first pair is Empathy vs. Sympathy

I always stress on how much we should all value and USE dictionaries. Whether they are pocket dictionaries, learner's dictionaries, huge volumes or even digital, remember: a dictionary is our friend!! ;) ;)
One of my favorite web sites is www.dictionary.com and its blog.dictionary.com and I love reading words of the day and generally going through the various facts and slide shows presented!

Today, http://blog.dictionary.com/empathy-vs-sympathy/ will assist me in presenting the differences between these two words!

Here we go!

So, what's the difference between empathy and sympathy?
They both deal with relationships and feelings we have towards one another and towards experiences.

They both have the root word pathos which is a Greek word that means "something that happens to you", feeling, suffering...
BUT their prefixes tell a different story.

Em-pathy, comes from the Greek en-, which means in, within.
Sym-pathy, comes from the Greek syn-, which means with, together with.

SO, what exactly are their meanings?

Empathy means that you feel for the other's situation and can put yourself into their shoes and understand what they are going through, while
Sympathy means that you understand and feel compassion for the other's situation which usually includes sorrow or misfortune. This is why we send our deepest sympathy to someone when they lose a loved one.

Check out more at www.dictionary.com and I'll be back with more WORD WARS!

:) A