Where a word came from; foreign phrases in English
Grade 9 Reading Worksheet - Challenge Me
Circle the best answer.
Each spring, a senator returns to the college that shaped her, to give the commencement talk and thank the school. Ari reads a situation in a phrase-book. Which borrowed phrase, with its origin, names it?
- alma mater (Latin, “nourishing mother”)
- magna cum laude (Latin, “with great praise”)
- in loco parentis (Latin, “in the place of a parent”)
- persona non grata (Latin, “an unwelcome person”)
At a formal dinner, a guest called the host by the wrong name, and the whole table went quiet. Bo reads a situation in a phrase-book. Which borrowed phrase, with its origin, names it?
- savoir faire (French, “to know how to do”)
- pas de deux (French, “step of two”)
- faux pas (French, “false step”)
- mea culpa (Latin, “my fault”)
“How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world.” Esme reads a line written around 1600. What did “naughty” most likely mean in it?
- playfully badly behaved
- wicked or worthless
- dark and dimly lit
- silly and foolish
Read this first
Entry (written by PencilGo, after standard references)
Alcove (noun), 1600s. From French alcôve, from Spanish alcoba, from Arabic al-qubba, “the vault.” Today: a recessed space in a room.
Jun reads the entry. Which line traces the path of “alcove” from its oldest source to English?
- English → French → Spanish → Arabic
- Arabic → Spanish → French → English
- Latin → Spanish → French → English
- Arabic → French → English
After years of talks, two countries agree to keep every border and treaty exactly as it is, with no changes. Kira reads a situation in a phrase-book. Which borrowed phrase, with its origin, names it?
- avant-garde (French, “advance guard”)
- status quo (Latin, “the state in which”)
- laissez-faire (French, “let them do”)
- quid pro quo (Latin, “something for something”)
“The quality of mercy is not strain'd.” Luz reads a line written around 1600. What did “strain'd” most likely mean in it?
- filtered through a cloth
- stretched tight or tense
- weakened by overuse
- forced or compelled
Entry (written by PencilGo, after standard references)
Algebra (noun), 1500s. From Medieval Latin algebra, from Arabic al-jabr, “the reunion of broken parts,” from a ninth-century book title. Today: a branch of mathematics.
Milo reads the entry. Which line traces the path of “algebra” from its oldest source to English?
- English → Medieval Latin → Arabic
- Greek → Medieval Latin → English
- Arabic → Medieval Latin → English
- Arabic → English
Old text (Declaration of Independence, 1776)
“a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.”
Pia reads a line written in 1776. What did “decent” most likely mean in it?
- modest in dress and manner
- fairly good, but not excellent
- fitting or proper
- polite to those in power
“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation.” Tala reads a line written in 1863. What does “score” mean in it?
- the points earned in a game
- a written line of music
- a group of twenty
- a debt that is still owed
Tomato (noun), 1600s. From Spanish tomate, from Nahuatl tomatl. Today: a red or yellow fruit eaten as a vegetable. Zee reads the entry. Which line traces the path of “tomato” from its oldest source to English?
- Nahuatl → English
- English → Spanish → Nahuatl
- Nahuatl → Spanish → English
- Portuguese → Spanish → English