Elusive words

[acapnotic]

Have you noticed that the meaning of some words just won't stay in memory, no matter how many times you look it up? One of such for me is 'despicable'. Every time I come across it, I have trouble recalling what exactly it means. Something bad, but what exactly? Just now I had to look it up again to find that out. Very annoying.

Is it because 'spic' interferes with 'speak'? And still I know it's not 'speak' and so I get confused? God only knows.

[tourist]

Yeah, for me it's second-guessing .
Highly counterintuitive in both senses.

[acapnotic]

Indeed. I fail to find the logic behind either of them. But it must have stemmed from the proverbial three guesses you are given to try to answer some question. Apparently the second guess is special for some unknown-to-me reason.

[FPlay]

I cannot memorise the meaning of usher in. Have to look it up in a dictionary every time.

[acapnotic]

Which clearly shows how individual this phenomenon is. 'Usher' is привратник or something like that, so the meaning of the verb is clear to me from the noun. Somehow I had no trouble memorizing 'usher', even though the word itself tells me no more than does 'despicable'. Even less, because I know that 'de-' means something negative. If it were 'despectable', then I think I'd have no problem. Respect vs. despect. Clear as day!

After the above came to mind, I suspected ('spect' again) that it was indeed 'despectable' before the bloody Englishmen crippled it to fit their abominable pronunciation habits.

But no (where is Yety when you need him?), it turns out that both 'despise' and 'despicable' derive from the Latin 'despicere', which means look down on/at smb/sth.

So it's probably 'respectable' that is a Frankenstein made up by the bloody Englishmen. Shouldn't it be 'respicable'? I think we should call them out on that and maybe even impose some sanctions.

[Dragon27]

Well, both despicable and respect ultimately come from the same (or related from PIE) latin roots which have something to do with looking.

[gavenkoa]

Have you noticed that the meaning of some words just won't stay in memory, no matter how many times you look it up?

deplore (осуждать/сожалеть) / denounce (обвинять/доносить).

They come from VOA word list which I learned synthetically / without context. I can't associate meaning with them, having two main meanings looks opposite to each other ))

Another: beget, Poverty begets crimes. It also has been learned artificially, without context from VOA ((

Some rare fruits / vegetables: asparagus, artichoke, brussels sprout, celery etc. I haven't seen some of those IRL. It is hard to make sense of them.

[Zlatko_Berrin]

I had difficulties with such words as 'maintain' and 'reveal'. I had always looked them up before I managed to memorize them by their translation and as parts of the collocations, e. g. 'reveal your potential' and 'maintain standards'.

[tourist]

gavenkoa,

word list which I learned synthetically / without context.

geez, what a waste of time..

[FPlay]

acapnotic, maybe you should try this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTGyOJH8MhU
just need to remember that in real life one, who is despicable, is not so funny at all.

[acapnotic]

denounce (обвинять/доносить)

The difference, I think, is whether you do it publicly or privately. Доносить всем vs. доносить полиции.

I had difficulties with such words as 'maintain'

There is also the difference between it and 'sustain', which is not always easy to figure out.

acapnotic, maybe you should try this

Thanks, it's funny. But I think this thread has already solved the problem — it's now very unlikely that I will ever forget what 'despicable' means. :)

[Dragon27]

But I think this thread has already solved the problem — it's now very unlikely that I will ever forget what 'despicable' means. :)

So that was the whole purpose of you creating this thread and drawing people into discussing it - just to remember this one particular pesky word?

[Mary May]

So that was the whole purpose...

Well, all many of us have a few such "elusive" words hard to remember, for no obvious reason, and posting them here can help.
I, personally, have lots of them... though can't give a single example - they've all eluded me at once )

[Opt]

Have you noticed that the meaning of some words just won't stay in memory, no matter how many times you look it up? One of such for me is 'despicable'. Every time I come across it, I have trouble recalling what exactly it means. Something bad, but what exactly? Just now I had to look it up again to find that out. Very annoying.

Is it because 'spic' interferes with 'speak'? And still I know it's not 'speak' and so I get confused? God only knows.

Выстраивайте ассоциации. Слова начинающиеся на de часто носят отрицательный оттенок. Если speak говорить, то despeak вполне можно воспринимать за обзывать.

[acapnotic]

So that was the whole purpose of you creating this thread and drawing people into discussing it - just to remember this one particular pesky word?

No, that was the secret one (even subconscious, it seems) but not the only. I was curious to know how widely spread the problem is and what kind of words can behave like this.

Выстраивайте ассоциации.

A bit too sophisticated for simple-minded me. I always prefer straightforward approaches. Look it up. If it doesn't work, look it up again. Repeat until it works or the word stops appearing. :)

[Mary May]

...how widely spread the problem is ...

I think it really is.

[Zlatko_Berrin]

There

If I'm not wrong, 'sustain' is related rather to development or growth of something.
As I'm studying finance, I'm familiar with the concept of sustainable development, so the word 'sustain' is easy for me to learn)

[acapnotic]

I think it really is.

Then there must be a theory explaining it. There must be a reason why some words stay 'dumb' for so long, while others start to speak to you from the first or second encounter.

[Mary May]

It's so personal. Just look at #17.

[Opt]

I always prefer straightforward approaches.

Не вижу никаких проблем для употребления подобного подхода. Ассоциации всегда лучше работают, чем " а что тут думать -трясти надо"

[acapnotic]

so the word 'sustain' is easy for me to learn)

You are lucky. I remember reading a thread where native speakers tried to explain the difference. When I finished reading it, I was almost as confused as before I started. :)

[Mary May]

Opt, sorry to remind you (or, maybe, draw your attention to the fact?) that this is the only one of the 30+ other boards, which is English-only - that's the rule, isn't it?
Why not give it a try?

[Zlatko_Berrin]

I was almost as confused as before I started.

Yeah, the same happens to me sometimes)

[Opt]

that this is the only one of 30+ other boards, which is English-only - that's the rule, isn't it?

Sorry, I did not know about this rule.

[Juliemiracle]

acapnotic,
mine is definitely 'unfathomable'. I remember the phrase 'the unfathomable look in sb's eyes', but what kind of look was it?.. oh, well...
As for despicable, I associate it with despise = so unpleasant you sort of despise it + the above-mentioned cartoon :)