Know Your English (Jan 2002)-22

Know your English

What is the word for a child who is born after his father's death?

I don't know of any specific word that would refer to such a child. Generally we talk about a child being born posthumously. The word "posthumous" means something that happens after an individual's death. The "o" in the first syllable is like the "o" in "pot", "hot", and "cot" and the "h" is like the "y" in "yes", "yet", and "yeast". The following "u" can be pronounced either like the "u" in "put", "pull", and "full", or like the "a" in "China". The final "ous" sounds like the "ous" in "famous", "dangerous", and "generous". The main stress is on the first syllable. This is just one of the ways of pronouncing the word. Here are a few examples on how to use the word.

*The soldier was awarded the medal posthumously.

*Nandita wanted her memoirs to be published posthumously.

*The famous actor's son was born posthumously.

Source:

The Hindu daily, Tuesday, Jan 29, 2002

0 comments:

Crop Circles

Crop circles, patterns created in fields by the unexplained flattening of crops, have garnered worldwide attention since they began appearing in the English countryside in the late 1970s. Since then, roughly 12,000 crop circles have been found worldwide. Though many incidents have been exposed as hoaxes, both meteorological phenomena and UFOs have been cited as possible sources of the mysterious patterns. How did the men who perpetrated some of the original crop circle hoaxes create the designs? More... Discuss

Article of the Day provided by The Free Dictionary

This Day in History

The Virginia Tech Massacre (2007)

The Virginia Tech massacre was the deadliest peacetime shooting episode in US history by a single gunman. Seung-Hui Cho, the perpetrator, had a long history of mental illness when he enrolled at Virginia Tech University and was, in 2005, declared mentally ill by a Virginia court and ordered to seek treatment. Sixteen months later, Cho, in two separate attacks hours apart, shot and killed 32 people at the university and then himself. What did he do in the time between the two shooting sprees? More... Discuss

This Day in History provided by The Free Dictionary

Today's Birthday

Mercier "Merce" Philip Cunningham (1919)

Cunningham was an American modern dancer and choreographer. He studied with Martha Graham, presented his first work in 1942, and formed his own company in 1953. His innovative dances were set to the music of avant-garde composers, including his longtime partner, John Cage. He was known for collaborating with contemporary artists, including Andy Warhol and Jasper Johns, who created sets and costumes for him. In 2003, his Split Sides featured music by what two experimental rock bands? More... Discuss

Today's Birthday provided by The Free Dictionary

In the News

In the News provided by The Free Dictionary

Quote of the Day

A rich man is an honest man—no thanks to him; for he would be a double knave to cheat mankind when he had no need of it.
Daniel Defoe
(1660-1731) Discuss

Quote of the Day provided by The Free Library

Spelling Bee

Spelling Bee provided by The Free Dictionary

Match Up

Match Up provided by The Free Dictionary

Play ethnic discuss
Definition:	(adjective) Denoting or deriving from or distinctive of the ways of living built up by a group of people.
Synonyms:	cultural
Usage:	In my family, holidays are celebrated with lavish meals featuring ethnic foods that remind us of our ancestors' Eastern European roots.

English For All

Ads 468x60px

Pages