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What is the meaning, origin and usage of word ‘Dangle’?

Meaning: The word dangle refers to hanging or swinging loosely. It is also used to indicate offering an enticing incentive to someone.

Origin: The word has been around since the 1590s. It is probably of Scandinavian origin and can be compared to Danish dangle, Swedish dangla, Norwegian dangla. The sense of "carry suspended so as to swing or sway" is from the 1610s.

After nearly 200 years in which the word was in average use, it has enjoyed more popularity in the 21st Century, leading to greater usage of the word.

Usage: The teacher dangled some offers and got the students to work harder on her subject.

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What is the meaning, origin and usage of word ‘Embellish’?

Meaning: This transitive verb refers to decorating something or beautifying an object with interesting additions.

Origin: Both embellish and the French word 'bel’(meaning beautiful) originate from the same Latin root bellus. The first known use of this word can be traced back to the 14th Century.

Usage: Grandma likes to embellish her knitting by hiding secret messages in the pattern.

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What is the meaning, origin and usage of word ‘Ersatz’?

Meaning: An adjective, ersatz means an artificial and inferior substitute or imitation.

Origin: The word has its roots in the German word ersatz meaning a substitute or replacement. Its first known use was in 1871.

Usage: No one, not even the queen could tell the difference between the priceless stones and the ersatz jewels affixed on the crown.

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What is the point of view of Black Beauty by Anna Sewell?

As her birth anniversary approaches, let us delve into the life of the remarkable. Anna Sewell, a British wordsmith whose singular publication Black Beauty is considered to be one of the foremost works in animal welfare literature. Her magnum opus, which is a leading work in children’s pony book genre, trotted onto bookshelves just five months prior to her demise in 1877 and has since been the most celebrated animal story that revolutionised the way we treat and interact with animals.

Anna Sewell was born on March 30, 1820, in Yarmouth, England. Her mother, Mary Wright Sewell, was also a writer who specialised in children’s stories while her father, Isaac Sewell, worked as a shopkeeper and bank clerk, but struggled to maintain a steady income. The family’s financial struggles cast a shadow over Anna’s childhood, which was marked by hardship and turmoil.

 Tragically, when Anna was just 14 years old, she suffered a serious injury that would have a lasting impact on her life. While walking back from school, she broke her ankle, and the injury was not properly treated, leaving her severely disabled and in poor health for the remainder of her life.

Love for horses

Being reliant on horse-drawn carriages for any excursion beyond her home, she developed an affinity for horses that eventually grew into a deep love for them. As she spent more time around these magnificent creatures, she became increasingly troubled by the widespread mistreatment and neglect they endured at the hands of their owners. Sewell spent her final years as an invalid under the constant care of her mother. Her health had deteriorated to such an extent that she was confined to her bed, with very little mobility. However, it was during this period of confinement that she resolved to write a book that would shed light on the harsh and inhumane treatment of horses that was prevalent during the 19th Century. Her only novel, Black Beauty, was finally published when she was 57 years old, in 1877.

Sadly, Anna Sewell passed away a mere five months after the publication of her book. While the cause of her death remains uncertain, it is widely believed that she succumbed to either hepatitis or phthisis. However, in the few months that she lived after the publication of Black Beauty, she was able to witness the overwhelmingly positive response to her work. Last September, Sewell’s home in Yarmouth, Norfolk, was turned into a museum open to the public.

Black Beauty

Animal tales have always captivated our imagination, with their anthropomorphic (having human characteristics) characters and magical worlds. However, it was the publication of Black Beauty in 1877 that brought about a new era of realistic animal storytelling. This novel takes us on a journey through the eyes of a horse living in 19th Century England, narrated in the first-person perspective. Despite the wide range of emotions and thoughts expressed by the horse, the story remains grounded in the animal’s true nature, which is both commendable and visionary for its time.

For centuries, horses have been an essential part of society, aiding in various sectors such as agriculture, transportation, construction, and even warfare. Although steam power reduced their workload, horses still played a significant role in English society. Black Beauty revealed the cruelty inflicted upon these animals due to the vanity of the high society and the financial hardships of the working class.

Often considered a children’s classic, this book was originally crafted to serve as an autobiography of a horse. Through this story, Sewell intended to raise awareness and promote kindness, sympathy, and humane treatment towards horses. The novel’s vivid imagery and simple, lyrical prose facilitates the same. Black Beauty not only broke new ground in animal rights storytelling but also paved the way for more tales featuring horses. However, these works may not have been narrated from the horse’s point of view.

Pony book genre

Black Beauty’s success led to the rise of the Pony book genre, which gained immense popularity in the last century. These books revolve around the lives of kids and teens who share a love for horses. Such stories are an ode to the incredible bond between humans and horses, which often inspire young readers to develop a passion for equine culture. Today, the role of horses in our lives may have reduced, but the message of Black Beauty and similar works continue to inspire us to treat all living creatures with love, kindness, and respect.

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How theatre education can help a child?

Theatre is one of the oldest forms of entertainment in the world. It had its beginnings in ancient Greece when the followers of the Greek god Dionysus started indulging in festivities to honour the god. It started off as a medium for the recollection of old myths. And over time, it has turned into a performing art that sees a lot of experimentation. Learning theatre can help a child in more ways than one. As we celebrate World Theatre Day on March 27, let us take a look at how theatre education can help a child.

It all started in the 6th Century. That was the time the Greek theatre had its genesis. Its origins can be traced to the followers of the Greek god Dionysus. The devotees or Dionysians would hold ceremonies for the god which would be filled with festivities. In these ceremonies, they would sing and dance in a choral form and narrate the stories from Greek myth. The art of theatre was just evolving.

Ancient Greek port Thespis was born in the city of Icarius. Regarded as the first actor in Greek drama, he was also the inventor of tragedy and the first to stage a tragedy at Dionysia. He gave a fresh spin to drama during a chorus when he stepped out and started reciting and performing portions of the text. Thus, he became the first actor. Now you know why actors are called thespians. It is in honour of the Greek performer Thespis. Soon a structured form of drama developed.

Performing arts

It is a widely accepted fact that kids who are involved in performing arts have an edge over others in several aspects. Be it music, dance, or acting, the performing arts not only make a child acquire enhanced cognitive, motor, and social skills but empower them to tackle most of the challenges that they may encounter later in life. It is also observed that they also achieve more academically. Getting onto that stage can help you in more ways than one. Let’s read up on how involving oneself in theatre is beneficial.

A multidimensional art

Theatre is one art that encompasses a range of art forms, such as dance, music, literature, fine arts and so on. The creative, intellectual, and emotional aspects of a child get developed when they indulge in theatre. Theatre also builds a new community for the kids. It is more like an extended community where participants get to meet people of varied perspectives as well as from diverse backgrounds. This helps them make a wide circle of friends.

Quick thinkers

If you are in a play, then you learn to think on your feet. If you were to forget your lines, then you learn to improvise on the go. Moreover, the trick is to ensure that the audience does not know what went wrong. A number of challenges could arise that may disrupt the flow of a play. So you learn to keep your calm in the face of chaos. This makes one a quick thinker and enhances problem-solving skills.

Theatre is a blend of music, dance, acting, and delivering of lines of speech or monologue. Being part of a play lets one experience all forms of art as well as become more expressive. It helps them communicate better and introduces them to a whole new Vocabulary and ways of communicating. Skills such as articulation, vocal projection, and emotional expressions improve with theatre. Thus a child learns to communicate better and in unique ways.

Exposure to history, art, culture

 Theatre offers an introduction to kids to art history, and new cultures. It gives them good exposure and helps them appreciate varied cultures and people of all kinds.

Self-esteem

Confidence is a life skill. When a child learns to articulate better on stage, face a crowd, and perform, it boosts their confidence. Theatre teaches a child to be assertive, speak up, be confident, and be comfortable in n crowd. Moreover, theatre gives instant positive feedback. When the crowd cheers you on laughs at your joke, or cries with you, it can be very rewarding.

Responsibility and teamwork

A group performance, theatre would need exceptional teamwork to succeed. The kids learn the need to work together as a team to put out a great show. They also understand personal responsibility, the need to know their lines and deliver them perfectly. They learn to be responsible not just for their own act but also for the team as they move towards a common goal.

In theatre, there is space for everyone. However different you may be from the norm or your peers, theatre accepts you for who you are You may be an eccentric or a recluse, but wherever you belong in the spectrum, you will always be accepted.

Emotional intelligence

As one grows up and strides through life, one understands that it is not just the intelligence quotient that matters, but emotional quotient too. Theatre is akin to empathy training. It helps you grow and transmute into any person you want to be when you play a character. Thus you also learn to walk in other person’s shoes and experience life from their perspective. Further, a child with a theatre background grows into a person who is more inclusive, tolerant, and empathetic

In a nutshell, theatre gives you the platform to express yourself in the most colourful of ways. Are you ready for the first act?

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What is the meaning, origin and usage of word ‘Ambit’?

Meaning: A noun, ambit means scope, extent, bounds or limits of something.

Origin: The term ambit was borrowed from Latin noun ambitus meaning "circuit, circumference", from past participle ambire meaning "to go round”, a combination of amb "around" and -ire meaning "go". Ambitus is a noun associated with circular motion. Ambit has been in use in English since the latter part of the 15th Century.

Usage: The police said that his case doesn't fall within the ambit of their jurisdiction.

A complete discussion on Chola history was outside the ambit of one class period. So the teacher said she would try to cover it in a week's time.

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What is the meaning, origin and usage of word ‘Detritus’?

Meaning: This noun refers to the waste material or rubbish, especially left after a particular event.

Origin: Now obsolete, geologically, the word referred to "process of erosion”, originating from the Latin word detritus, meaning "a wearing away" from de (“away”) + terere ("to rub, wear"). The use of the word in a figurative or transferred sense of “waste material, debris” is by 1834.

Usage: The stadium was littered with the detritus of yesterday's rock concert.

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What is the meaning, origin and usage of word ‘Hiatus’?

Meaning: In general contexts, hiatus usually refers to a period of time when something, such as an activity or program, is suspended.

Origin: While the word now most often refers to a temporary pause, hiatus originally referred to a physical opening in something such as the mouth of a cave. This word comes from the verb hiare which is Latin for to open wide.

Usage: The band has been on hiatus for three years.

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What is the meaning, origin and usage of word ‘Bamboozle’?

Meaning: The word bamboozle denotes tricking or deceiving someone, often by confusing them.

Origin: The word, which has been around since 1703, is originally a slang word of unknown origin. Some suggest that it is perhaps of Scottish origin from bombaze, bumbaze "confound, perplex”, while others believe that it might be related to French embabouiner to make a fool.”

 Following steady usage for over a hundred years, the word has become more popular and found more usage in this century.

Usage: She bamboozled the opposition batters with her turn and bounce to help her side win the cricket match.

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