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Raising Literacy Part 14:
SpeakEasy Word List
(Experimental)

by Bill Lauritzen

All subjects except math

(number of syllables in parenthesis)
Last revision June 25, 1999.
Subject words
Fancy Tongue: Common Tongue:
astronomy (4) = star-science (2)
geology (4) = earth-science (2)
psychology (4) = mind-science (2)
philosophy (4) = truth-science (2)
biology (4) = life-science (2)
agriculture (4) = farm-science (2)
physics (2) --
geometry (4) = earth-measure (2)
ergonomics (4) = work-science
philology = word-science

English

alphabet = letters
literacy = word-knowledge
vowel --
consonant = k-sound or guk
spell = letter-order
spelling letter-ordering

synonym = mean-same
homonym = sound-same
antonym = mean-fight

Fancy: A synonym for big is large. An antonym is little.
Common: A mean-same for big is large. A mean-fight is little.

oral = mouth
orally = by mouth

capital letter = big letter
capitalization = big-lettering
punctuation = marking
question mark = ask mark
exclamation mark = wow mark
comma = pause mark
period = end mark
colon next mark

intonation = tone-of-voice
pronounce = say
pronunciation = saying
phoneme = sound, like “th” or “k”
prefix = before (n.)
suffix = after (n.)


dialect = language-shift
grammar = language-shape
syntax = sentence-shape

noun = thing-name
verb = action-name
syllable = word-part
tense = word-time
verb tense = action-name word-time
conjunction = joiner [and, but, etc.]
coordinating conjunction = match-joiner [and, but, etc.]
subordinating conjunction = less-joiner [although, if, after]
correlative conjunction double-joiner [either...or...]

Fancy: When the class did the work orally, the teacher found that many students had poor pronunciation. Their written work showed bad spelling and grammar. For example, they didn’t use the proper tense for some of the verbs. However, their capitalization was good and so was their use of periods and question marks.
Common: When the class did the work by mouth, the teacher found that many students had poor saying. Their written work showed bad letter-ordering and language-shape. For example, they didn’t use the proper word-time for some of the action-names. However, their big-lettering was good and so was their use of end-marks and ask-marks.

Literature:
biography (4) = life-story (3)
autobiography (6) = self-life-story (4)
climax (2) = high-point (2)
denouement (3) = clarification (5)
protagonist (4) = hero or heroine (2)
antagonist (4) = villain (2)

preface (2) = first-words (2)
character --
dialogue (3) = talk or lines (1)
epilogue (3) = end-talk (2)
prologue (2) = first-talk (2)
monologue (3) = one-talk (2)

exposition = explain-words
diction = word-choice
epic = big-poem
pentameter = 5-feet
hexameter = 6-feet
fiction --
non-fiction = faction

tragedy = sad-end
comedy = happy-end
trilogy = 3-book


Science

Chemistry:
hydrogen = 1
helium = 2
lithium = 3
carbon = 6
oxygen = 8
etc. etc.

ion = + or -
electrolyte (4) = electro-duct
non-electrolyte = non-electro-duct
acid = electron-taker
base = electron-giver
oxidation = oxi-merging or 8-merging
reduction = hydro-merging or 1-merging
equilibrium = balance
catalyst = speed-changer


Biology:
respiratory system = breathing system
reproductive system = baby-making system
circulatory system = blood system
nervous system --
excretory system = waste-out system
skeletal system = bone system
vertebrates = backbones
invertebrates = no-backbones

Physics:
force (1) = push-or-pull (1) or (3)
mass (1) = stuff (1)
velocity (4) = speed (1)
accelerate (4) = speed-change (2)
acceleration (5) = speed-change-rate (3)
Fancy: The force equals the mass times the acceleration of the mass.
Common: The push-or-pull matches the stuff times the speed-change-rate of the stuff.

Fancy: gravitational force: the force between two masses is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the masses.
Common: gravitational pull: the pull between two stuffs is backward zoomable to the second power of the distance between the stuffs.

gravitational force = gravitational pull
frequency = how-often
radiation (4) = spreading-out (3)
radiate = spread-out
nuclear fission = nuclear splitting
nuclear fusion = nuclear merging

vaporization = gasation
evaporate = gasate
condensation = liquification
solid to liquid = melt
liquid to solid = solidification


Geology:
viscosity = thickness


History

democracy = people-rule
dictatorship = person-rule
monarchy = king-rule
theocracy = priest-rule

irrigation = bring-water

Philosophy
metaphysical = beyond-physical
aesthetics = beauty