Literacy Matters

“You cannot open a book without learning something.” ― Confucius

WORD OF THE WEEK

WEEK 7: COMPASSION

DEFINITION: a strong feeling of sympathy and sadness for the suffering or bad luck of others and a wish to help them:

IN A SENTENCE: As welcome as his compassion was, it only served to increase her tears.

We teach children to be cooperative and show compassion towards other people.

ORIGIN: The Latin root for the word compassion is pati, which means to suffer, and the prefix, com, means with. Compassion, originating from compati, literally means to suffer with.

Scientists have started to map the biological basis of compassion, suggesting its deep evolutionary purpose. This research has shown that when we feel compassion, our heart rate slows down, we secrete the “bonding hormone” oxytocin, and regions of the brain linked to empathy, caregiving, and feelings of pleasure light up, which often results in our wanting to approach and care for other people.

WEEK 8: COLLABORATE

DEFINITION: To collaborate means 'to work with another person or group in order to achieve or do something'. …

IN A SENTENCE: If we collaborate we will finish our chores quicker.

The musicians are planning to collaborate with the possibility of forming a band.

ORIGIN: It ultimately derives from the Latin verb collabōrāre. The prefix col- is a variant of com-, meaning “together.” At the heart of the word is labor, meaning “work.”