计算机技术学习札记

Word Power Made Easy

How to talk about personality types

The following ten words are all nouns, describing different kinds of people.

  • egoist: self-centred, even selfish and greed people.

  • egotist: boastful to the point of being obnoxious.

    Root for egoist and egotist: Latin ego, lit. 'I'.

    If someone is an egocentric or is egocentric, he considers himself the centre of the universe (ego + centric, centre); if is an egomaniac or is egomanical, he is so extreme about egoism (ego + mania, mental disease).

  • altruist: concerning oneself with the welfare of others.

    Root for altruist, altruism is Latin alter, lit. 'other'.

    Alterist actions look towards benefits of others. Alter means replace, as is known in alternative. An alternation is the act of altering. When you have altercation with someone, you have a violent disagreement with him, stronger and more formal than dispute or quarrel.

  • introvert: turns thoughts inwards, quiet and shy.

  • extrovert: turns thoughts outwards, active, lively and friendly.

  • ambivert: = introvert + extrovert, both.

    Root for these 3 words is Latin verto, lit. 'to turn'. One with thoughts inwards is introvert, while with outwards thoughts is extrovert, while in both direction is ambivert. Invert also shares the original Latin meaning.

    Prefix ambi- means 'both'. For example, ambidextrous = able to use both hands with equal skill. Dextrous means skillful. The noun dexterity is skill. Root for them is Latin dexter, lit. 'right hand'.

    On the other hand, left hand in Latin is sinister. Sinister in English = threatening, evil or dangerous.

  • misanthrope: hate people.

  • misogynist: hate woman.

  • misogamist: hate marrige.

    Root for these 3 words is Greek misein, lit. 'to hate'.

    Anthropos, mankind. Anthropology means the study of the development of human race. In philanthropist, one loves human.

    The root gyne means woman. So, gynecologist means medical specialist treats female disorders. And the root gamos, marridge. So we have monogamy, bigamy (crime) and polygamy (no NTRs!).

  • ascetic: simple and strict life.

    From Greek word asketes, lit. 'monk' or 'hermit'.