Why Spanish Words From Greek Often Break the Gender Rule

Why Spanish Words From Greek Often Break the Gender Rule Greek words abound  in Spanish  - but with a twist. Most if not all Spanish words that end in -ma and come from Greek are masculine  even though the last letter is a. Why Greek Words Often Break the Gender Rule There are dozens of such words. Among the ones youre likely to recognize even if you know little Spanish are problema (problem), tema (theme or subject), teorema (theorem), trauma (trauma), and poema (poem). A few other Greek-derived nouns with other endings also break the rule, including  planeta (planet). So the question often comes up: Why are these words from Greek ending in -a masculine? According to the popular language website Del Castellano, it has to do with the way the words entered the language. In Greek these words were all neuter gender, and they remained neuter as they became part of Latin. But as Latin morphed into Spanish, the masculine and neuter genders merged in a way that formerly neuter nouns became masculine. (The neuter gender still exists in Spanish for some specialized situations, but it isnt used for the names of things.) Something similar happened with the Greek words that evolved into those Spanish words ending in -ta that refer to roles of people, such as dentista (dentist) and atleta (athlete). Those words were masculine in Greek and then Latin. As Spanish evolved, the default form of those words continued to be masculine - but they alternatively could become feminine when referring to women. Many words for occupations fit this category. Unfortunately, theres no foolproof way to know which Spanish words ending in -ma come from Greek, although nearly all of them have English cognates, and many have them are connected with science or academic matters. Among the -ma words that dont come from Greek is và ­ctima (victim), which is feminine even referring to a male. Và ­ctima comes from Latin and thus follows the regular pattern. Sample Sentences Here are sentences showing some of the masculine -a words in use. The words may have meanings other than those in the translations: Pocas flores tienen un aroma tan poderoso como la gardenia. (Few flowers have a scent as strong as does the gardenia.) El carisma es una especie de magnetismo que inspira confianza y adoracià ³n. (Charisma is a type of attraction that inspires confidence and adoration.) El clima de Colombia es muy variado. (The climate of Colombia is quite varied.) El coma es un estado de inconsciencia prolongadoc caracterizada por una pà ©rdida de funciones importantes de la vida. (A coma is a state of prolonged unconsciousness characterized by a loss of important life functions.  Note that coma when it means comma is feminine.) El astrà ³nomo britnico Edmund Halley fue el primero en calcular la à ³rbita de un cometa. (The British astronomer Edmund Halley was the first to calculate the orbit of a comet. Note that the feminine cometa is the word for a kite.) El cromosoma humano 14 ha sido completamente secuenciado. (Human chromosome 14 has been completely sequenced.) El diafragma es una parte del objetivo que limita el rayo de luz que penetra en la cmara. (The diaphragm is a part of the lens that limits the light beam entering the camera.) Un diagrama de Venn usa cà ­rculos. (A Venn diagram uses circles.) Los dilemas morales son una preocupacià ³n desde la antigà ¼edad. (Moral dilemmas have been a concern since antiquity.)  ¿Crees que eres inteligente? Aquà ­ encontrars algunos muy difà ­ciles enigmas. (Do you think youre intelligent? Here you will find some very difficult puzzles.) Aunque es muy raro, los fantasmas pueden ser visibles durante el dà ­a. (Although its quite rare, ghosts can be visible during the day.) No todos los idiomas espaà ±oles son latinos. (Not all the languages of Spain are from Latin.) Esta organizacià ³n es como un sistema cerrado. (This organization is like a closed system.) El tema seleccionado del estudio debe ser un problema prioritario de nuestra sociedad. (The subject selected for the study should be a critical problem in our society.) El teorema de Pitgoras est relacionado con la geometrà ­a y la trigonometrà ­a. (The Pythagorean theorem is related to geometry and trigonometry.) â€Å" ¿Cul es tu programa favorito de la televisià ³n? (What is your favorite television program?) Enviar un telegrama de hasta 40 palabras cuesta en Argentina unos 300 pesos. (Sending a telegram of up to 40 words costs about 300 pesos in Argentina.) Una extraccià ³n de sangre puede provocar trauma sicolà ³gico. (A blood drawing can cause psychological trauma.)

7 Tips for Writing a Poor Recommendation Letter

7 Tips for Writing a Poor Recommendation Letter You already know that writing a letter of recommendation is challenging. Weve talked about how to make it easier, specifically, what to ask of students, how to get started, and the characteristics of a good letter. A bad or poor letter of recommendation 1. Is neutral. Glowing letters of recommendation are the norm. A neutral letter is the kiss of death to a students application. If you cant write glowingly positive letter, dont agree to write on a students behalf because your letter will hurt more than help. 2. Has errors, such as typos and grammar mistakes. Errors suggest carelessness. How good a student is this if youre not willing to run his or her letter through a spell-check? 3. Discusses weaknesses without discussing strengths. If a student has an important weakness, you ca mention it, but remember to discuss many many strengths to balance it out. 4. Provides no examples or data to support statements. Why should the reader believe that a student is meticulous, for example, if you havent given an example to explain how? 5. Shows that the letter writer has little experience and contact with the student. Dont write letters for students you dont know. They will not be helpful letters. 6. Is not based on relevant academic or applied experiences. A letter for a student that you have had no academic or supervisor experience with will not help his or her application. Dont write for students who are friends or family members. 7. Is late. Sometimes incomplete applications are tossed after the deadline. Even the most fantastic letter will be of no help then.

Seattle public library Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Seattle public library - Essay Example In addition to the cafe, the building has a floor of information desks where mixing takes place commonly referred to as the mixing chamber. The plan of the floor is simple. When a visitor is outside the building, he or she can see the bevelled metal-and-glass concealment of the library. It gives a better view of the building as it spirals up. A laminated sheet available at the information desk guides a visitor without the use of a tour-guide. Innovation in technology Rem Koolhas, the designer and architecture behind the Magnificent Seattle Library. Koolhas has adequate experience besides being a former resident of Seattle. He was at the core of policy debate in designing the budiling. Such issues affect major parts of the world experiencing fiscal, globalization, and demographic challenges. Koolhas identified imitation and innovation as well as other strategies in pursuing the development of the library. Innovation is one of the primary objectives of architects and in most cases, it guarantees development in design. In doing this, the architect differentiates technology innovation that entails influences in the entire industry from process or design innovation, which covers modification of the process of construction. Koolhas classifies innovations into two differentiating them based on those from the laboratory and those on the market that enhance innovation. The management of the company also comprehends the other aspe ct of innovation that differentiates incremental innovation from path-breaking innovative mechanisms guided by the magnitude of originality besides the capacity to attain innovation standards. Simply, the architect refers to this as the distinction between discontinuous and continuous innovation processes. The Library has several service priorities guiding delivery of services. Youth and early learning tops the list of service priorities.The staffs and management at The Seattle Public Library offer support to early learning in addition to

Supply and Demand in the steel industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Supply and Demand in the steel industry - Essay Example Demand and supply in a specific industry is perhaps one of the most debated and fundamental concepts in economics. In order for a market economy to function, it is critically important that producers should supply those goods and services that consumers want and are affordable to pay for them. In economic concepts, the term demand represents the willingness and ability of buyers to buy different quantities of a product or service, at different prices during a specific period of time (Arnold, 54). According to the basic theory of economics, people buy more quantities of a product or service at lower prices than at higher prices. The price and demand relation is well debated in the theories of economics. When price of a commodity decreases, it is assumed that consumers will buy more quantities of that product or service, and thus its demand increases. The term supply refers to the willingness and ability of producers to produce and sell different quantities of a goods or service at different prices for a specific period of time (Arnold, 66). According to economic theory of law of supply, the quantity supplied of a goods or service increases when its price increases. From the explanations given above, it is clear that demand and price is indirectly related whereas price and supply are directly related. There are many determinants of quantity supplied, but out of all the determinants, price plays pivotal role. The underlying assumption is that when the price of steel becomes high, selling steel become profitable and the quantity supplied, therefore, will be high. When it comes to the market, the interaction between supply and demand results one of the followings; excess supply, excess demand and equilibrium price or equilibrium quantity. Excess supply or ‘surplus’ is the conduction at which quantity supplied is greater than quantity demanded in the market. This excess supply occurs only when the price is above the equilibrium price.

Innovation and New Product Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Innovation and New Product Development - Essay Example New Product Development is defined as; 'the processes involved in getting a new product or service to market. The traditional product development cycle, the stage-gate model, embraces the conception, generation, analysis, development, testing, marketing, and commercialization of new products or services.'[5] New product development and innovation are an integral part of many companies. This is because the reason the existence of a company is to satisfy the needs of the consumer. As long as unfulfilled needs exist in the market; the company must strive to satisfy those needs by the introduction of new products and services. This area of a company has recently acquired much limelight and attention. This is because of two reasons. Firstly, due to technological changes, products are fast becoming obsolete and new products are required to be developed in order to take their place. Secondly; it has become easy for companies to replicate a new product offering. This is how me too products have increased in the market. The only protection from this is continual innovation and a commitment to change. There are three distinct categories of new products. The first category includes products that are truly innovative and hence unique; such as the computer, telephone and the zipper. The second category includes replacements that are significantly different from existing products and services in form, benefits and features. Notable examples include digital camera and contact lenses. Lastly, the third category comprises imitative products which are new to a particular company but not new to the market. In certain cases a company may just want to offer a 'me too' product to the consumer.[14] A new product strategy identifies the role a product is intended to play in satisfying company and marketing goals. For example; a product may be launched to protect market share, to create a new category or attain a specific return on investment. It may also be launched to maintain the company's reputation for innovation or social responsibility. This is what the strategy was for General Motors when it launched the EV1 electric vehicle. ' Although the EV1 may have helped General Motors rebut criticism about not being environmentally sensitive, it failed with respect to achieving sufficient sales'[15] In general there are six stages of the product development process. The first stage consists of generating new product ideas. Therefore organizations must encourage creativity and breakthrough thinking in their employees. These ideas can be generated through a number of different ways. These include long-range studies; whereby information on market trends and the use of the Delphi technique is used to discover new ideas. Another source of innovative ideas is the customer. Therefore many innovations come from listening to the customer about their unfulfilled needs or refinement in existing products that they would like to see. Brainstorming, gap analysis and dissecting competitive products are other sources of new ideas [2]. Certain new developments for product innovation have resulted in specific tools to generate new product ideas. These include. Examples are of Attribute Listing, Morphological Analysis and Matrix Analysis. They entail first examining all the attributes of an exist ing product.  

See word Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

See word - Essay Example Because Oprah attached her name to that project and was a highly visible face for it, some people may link the abuse to Oprah and subsequently to Harpo as a company. While the scandal passed without much damage to Oprah and her brand, it shows what could happen if a company is more famous for its powerful leader than its brand image. 2. How might Winfrey go about ensuring that Harpo survives after her departure or in the event of a loss of faith on the part of the public? Is it possible to have a true leadership succession plan in these circumstances? Winfrey can help to ensure the future success of Harpo by making both short-term and long-term plans as to the future direction of the company. This can include the issue of leadership. Potential leaders should be identified and receive training to be able to enhance their skills. Ideally, these future leaders can receive some smaller tasks to get used to how the organization functions, and over time they can be given more responsibility. At the same time, Winfrey should be decreasing her role in the organization slowly so that she can guide the future leaders before she leaves the company. If Winfrey leaves the succession plan too long, then she may be forced to leave suddenly, which would require someone else to step up to the plate. That person would likely be overwhelmed at first and the company would suffer as a result. It is possible to have a true leadership succession plan, and it is wise for powerful leaders to create one. Harpo needs to include Winfrey in this process so t hat she can impart her wisdom and knowledge to the next leader, whoever that may be. In terms of influencing the employees around her, Oprah needs to be careful not to dismiss the concerns of others. Just because she holds most of the power within the company, it does not mean that she should not be receptive to new ideas. Employees may be in awe of Oprah due to her accomplishments and

The third generation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The third generation - Essay Example 3G wireless technology is the new version and is the junction of different 2G wireless telecommunications systems into a sole uniform global system which includes up gradation of terrestrial and satellite components in its functioning.3G or the third-generation wireless was used to refer to this age developments in personal & business wireless technology, particularly the mobile communications. 3G or The Third Generation ushers in many benefits with its mobility, broad bandwidth and high speed communication (upwards of 2Mbps).Network operators & telecommunications service providers are busy in implementing this global third generation (3G) wireless standards in order to fulfill the demand of the customers of that mobile company.3G wireless technology represents a shift from voice-centric services to multimedia-oriented like video, voice, data, fax services.Figure shows an integrated design of a 3G cellular and wireless LAN system (Chuah & Zhang). In a wireless network system, we gene rally have a mobile terminal communicating with a base station in a radio access portion. The radio interface usually terminates within the base station in a wireless LAN system and usually terminates in radio network controller in a cellular system. In CDMA/WCDMA technology, the radio network controller combines the radio frames to facilitate the path diversity from different base station to the users. The circuit and packet data from the radio network controller will be segregated and routed to different portions of the core network. Later voices data are transferred to a mobile switching center and as other data get transferred via specialized routers it support the mobility of accessing the internet. The Different Types/Standard of 3G: The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is in charge for standardizing 3G. After trying to establish a single 3G standard, ITU at last permitted a family of five 3G standards, which are part of the 3G structure namely IMT-2000: Three standards based on CDMA, namely CDMA2000, WCDMA, and TDSCDMA. Two standards based on based on TDMA, namely, FDMA/TDMA and TDMA-SC (EDGE). The CDMA standards are the most important 3G standards. 1. WCDMA - Wideband Code Division Multiple Access: It is a technology for wideband digital radio communications of Internet, multimedia, video and other capacity-demanding applications. WCDMA is approved as a standard by the ITU under the name IMT-2000 direct spread. It converts the data into a narrowband digital radio signal first, and then it assigned a marker (spreading code) to distinguish it from the signal of other users. WCDMA uses variable rate techniques in digital processing and it can achieve multi-rate transmissions. 2. CDMA 2000 - Code Division Multiple Access 2000: CDMA was launched in 1995 commercially and it very quickly became one of the world's fastest-growing wireless technologies. While later in 1999, CDMA was selected as a standard for new "third-generation" (3G)