"U"seful "V"ocabulary Trivia Quiz

Answer: bear and fox

"Ursus" means bear in Latin; it is also the name of the genus to which most bear species belong. The adjective ursine can be used in a literal sense - i.e., relating to a bear or the bear family as a whole - or in a figurative one, as for example in describing the appearance of a large (and possibly rather hirsute) person. Interestingly, the word arctic (which is also etymologically related to "ursus") comes from "arktos", the Greek word for bear. The first known use of ursine in English dates from 1550.

Vulpine comes from the Latin "vulpes", meaning fox; the scientific name of the most common species of this canine mammal is Vulpes vulpes. Besides its literal use in the sense of "pertaining to a fox or the fox family", this adjective is often used as a synonym of crafty - a characteristic traditionally associated with foxes. The word was first attested in English in the 15th century.

There are similar adjectives of Latin origin for most of the animals listed as wrong answers: leonine (lion), lupine (wolf), simian (monkey), sciurine (squirrel), strigine (owl), and vulturine (vulture).

Answer: courteous and refined

Urbane means polished or well-mannered; the adjective that means relating to a city or town is urban. These two words have the same origin - their root being the Latin word "urbs" (city). As in Roman times city life was deemed superior to rural life, the Latin adjective "urbanus" also had the implied meaning of refined or cultivated. In English, "urbanus" developed into two separate words - one with a literal meaning (as in urban life or urban area", the other more figurative (as in urbane host or urbane conversation). Urban and urbane were first attested in English in the 1630s.

Romance languages such as Italian and French have a single word that can be used in either meaning. In modern English, especially in the US, urban can also have a derogatory sense (as in the phrase "urban blight"), so that the meanings of two words derived from "urbanus" diverge even more sharply.

Answer: an overbearing woman

Not the most politically correct of terms, virago is a word that can still be encountered in various contexts. The word, however, originally described a woman of heroic stature and courage, and only in later times did it acquire a negative connotation, synonymous with termagant or shrew. Virago comes from the Latin "vir" (man), thus implying a woman with characteristics traditionally seen as masculine, such as a domineering personality. The Merriam-Webster dictionary suggests a few historical and fictional characters as examples of viragos: Kate from William Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew", and Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen of both France and England. The word was first attested in the 14th century, during the Middle English period.

A ladies' man might be described as virile, and an innocent child (especially if female) as virginal. On the other hand, while a rabid dog suffers from a viral disease, this word is not related to the Latin word for man, but to the one for poison.

Answer: having hooves

Ungulates are large, generally herbivorous, mammals that have hooves. Some, like horses, are odd-toed, while others, like cows, pigs, and deer, are even-toed. The word ungulate comes from Late Latin "ungulatus" (hoofed), in turn derived from "unguis" (nail or hoof). It was first recorded in English in 1839.

Unguis is used in a medical context to denote a fingernail or toenail - as in the phrase "unguis incarnatus" (ingrown nail). Other related English words are ungual and ungular (pertaining to a nail, claw, or hoof). Though similar in spelling, unguent is not related to any of these words, as it comes from "unguere" (to anoint).

Answer: nomadic

Frequently used in a disparaging sense, vagrant and vagabond both come from Latin "vagari", meaning to wander. Vagrant developed from Anglo-French "waucrant" (though Middle English "vaugrant"), while vagabond"\ is derived from Late Latin "vagabundus" through Old French "vagabond". Both words were first used in English in the 15th century. Both vagrant and vagabond can be used as nouns or adjectives; they both denote a person without fixed abode, and often without means of sustaining themselves. Vagrant, however, has a slightly more derogatory connotation, and is more likely to be used when reporting about crime or urban blight.

Nomadic (the adjective from the noun nomad), while similar in meaning, is more neutral, and may refer to the traditional lifestyle of some ethnic groups - or to the much-touted modern phenomenon of digital nomadism. It is a word of Greek origin, derived from "nomós" (pasture).

Answer: nettle

Many U and V words seem to pertain to the world of nature, and urticate is no exception. It comes from "urtica", the Latin word for nettle (also the plant's scientific name), through the verb "urticare" (to sting). Anyone who has had a brush with some nettle leaves will attest to the accuracy of this word's meaning! First used in English in 1843, urticate is most often used in its adjectival form urticating, which describes the unpleasant effect of the contact between skin and organisms such as nettles, jellyfish, or some caterpillars. Though rarely used outside a medical context, the noun urticaria is a synonym of hives - adopted for the resemblance of this allergic skin disorder with the rash caused by nettles.

The ultimate root of all these irritating words is the Latin verb "urere" (to burn) - which, according to various reliable sources, is related to ember, and possibly also to urn.

Answer: twenty

The adjective vigesimal comes from the Latin "vigesimus", which is the ordinal form of "viginti" (twenty), and thus means twentieth. First attested in English in the mid-17th century, this word is nowadays mainly used to refer to a base-20 numeral system, which was used by the Maya and Aztec civilizations. The numerals in many of the world's languages are also based on the vigesimal system: a notable example of this are the numbers 70-99 in standard French, which use 20 as a base number rather than 10 (as Spanish, Portuguese and Italian instead do). For instance, 80 is "quatre-vingts", which means four times twenty. In English, the "four score and seven" mentioned in the famous Gettysburg Address is also an example of use of the vigesimal system.

The adjective for base-40 is quadragesimal; sexagesimal refers to base-60, and octagesimal to base-80.

Answer: wife

Another somewhat politically incorrect word, uxorious comes from Latin "uxor" (wife); it was first attested in English in the 1560s. The Latin adjective "uxorius" initially meant pertaining to a wife, but later acquired the connotation of being devoted to one's wife, or also ruled by one's wife. As you can easily imagine, this is a word almost exclusively found in a literary context or in quality journalism - as illustrated by the examples quoted on the Merriam-Webster website.

There are a few more words derived from "uxor" in English. While uxorial is similar in meaning to uxorious, uxoricide is a legal term (probably borrowed from French) that refers either to the murder of one's wife, or to the person who commits such a crime.

Answer: worm

First attested in English in the 1730s, vermiform means shaped like a worm - from Latin noun "vermis" (worm) and the adjectival suffix "-formis" (shaped like or resembling). Other high-register words related to worms are vermicular and vermiculate, which can be used as synonyms of vermiform. Most adjectives ending in "-form" mainly appear in a scientific or technical context rather than everyday speech.

Much more frequent in use is vermicelli ("little worms" in Italian), denoting a type of pasta similar to spaghetti, or the very thin noodles made of rice or bean flour commonly eaten in many parts of Asia. Interestingly, while in English-speaking countries vermicelli are usually thinner than spaghetti, in Italy they are thicker. Vermin (first used in the Middle English period) is also derived from Latin "vermis", followed by the suffix "-inus" (pertaining to). The word originally referred to creepy-crawlies in general, not just worms, and later acquired the current meaning of noxious animals.

Answer: Shylock

Usually called a loan shark in colloquial English, a usurer is somebody who lends money at a high interest rate. Shylock, the Jewish moneylender who acts as the main antagonist in Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice", certainly fits the bill. Macbeth, on the other hand, could be defined by using a very similar (and related) word - usurper.

First used in English in the 14th century, usurer is derived from usury, a term denoting the practice of lending money at extortionate rates that is often employed in a legal context. Both words (as well as the adjective usurious) come from Latin "usura", which is related to the verb "uti" (to use) through its past participle "usus". Usurper comes from "usus" + "rapere" (to seize), meaning "to seize (something) for one's own use" - in the case of Macbeth, the throne of Scotland.