Relax, Refresh your English knowledge 51
251. What is the difference between ‘annex’ and ‘annexe’?
In British English, the first is a verb and the second, a noun. There are several pairs like this in English: envelope (noun) and envelop (verb) is one such pair. Some people pronounce the ‘a’ in ‘annex’ like the ‘a’ in ‘china’, and the following ‘nex’ like the word ‘necks’. In this case, the word is pronounced ‘a-NEX’ with the stress on the second syllable. As a noun, the ‘a’ is pronounced like the ‘a’ in ‘ant’ and ‘apple’: the word is pronounced ‘A-nex’ with the stress on the first syllable. Americans, however, don’t maintain this distinction in spelling. Both words are usually spelt ‘annex’. An extension or an addition to the main building is called an ‘annexe’. A section that is added to an existing document can also be called an ‘annexe’. When you ‘annex’ someone’s property, you take it away from him by force – usually without his permission. During times of war, this is what countries do. *My friend tells me that during World War II Germany annexed a part of Czechoslovakia.
252. How is the word ‘burgeon’ pronounced
The ‘ur’ sounds like the ‘ur’ in ‘fur’, ‘purr’, and ‘curd’. The ‘g’ is like the ‘j’ in ‘jam’, ‘juice’, and ‘jump’, and the final ‘eo’ is like the ‘a’ in ‘china’. The word is pronounced ‘BER-jen’ with the stress on the first syllable. When ‘burgeon’ is used in relation to plants, it means ‘to put out leaves; sprout’. In everyday context, the word can be used to mean ‘to grow or flourish’. *After winning the first set, the champion’s confidence began to burgeon.
253. What is the meaning of the expression ‘the end justifies the means’?
There are times when in order to achieve something, we have to do certain things that are not necessarily good. For example, builders cut down trees and destroy beautiful rock formations in order to construct their buildings. Some would say that in this case, the end justifies the means. That is, any method that we adopt is okay as long as the intent is good. It doesn’t really matter if we resort to any wrong doing in order to achieve our aim. If it means chopping down 200 trees in order to build this shopping complex, it doesn’t matter. In my opinion, the end justifies the means.
254. Is it okay to say ‘I met her yesterday night’?
No, it isn’t. English allows you to say ‘yesterday morning’, ‘yesterday afternoon’, and ‘yesterday evening’, but not ‘yesterday night’. When it comes to ‘night’, it is always ‘last night’. Why? Well, some scholars argue that we cannot say ‘yesterday night’ because ‘the night is also part of today’! Education Plus
255. What does ‘reckon’ mean?
First, let’s deal with the pronunciation. ‘Reck’ rhymes with ‘peck’, ‘deck’, and ‘check’, and the ‘o’ is like the ‘a’ in ‘china’. The stress is on the first syllable. In informal contexts, the word can be used to mean ‘think or believe’. *My friend reckons that we will have a surprise test tomorrow. The word can also be used to mean ‘to consider’. For example, “Ashok is reckoned to be one of the best teachers in the university.” The word has other meanings as well. We’ll deal with them later. ******
A collection from the Open Page Supplement of The Hindu Newspaper
Courtesy: Sri Upendra, the writer of the above
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