Make Your Point > Archived Issues > INTERNECINE
Send Make Your Point issues straight to your inbox.
pronounce
INTERNECINE:
Several ways are acceptable.
I recommend saying "IN tur NESS een."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
You could define internecine as "mutually murderous." It traces back to the Latin necare, "to kill."
Closely related to necare is necis, meaning "violent death or murder." This necis rears its ugly head in our English word p__nic____, meaning "evil, deadly, and destructive, especially in a sneaky way." Can you recall that one?
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
We took the word "internecine" from a Latin one meaning "murderous, or destructive."
The roots inside "internecine" literally mean "(with) killing between," or "(with) killing among."
In English, it means either "full of deadly destruction between groups" or, more loosely, "full of bitter conflict or hatred between groups."
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Adjective: "their internecine conflict."
Other forms:
None are common. There's a rare noun, "internecion," meaning "mutual destruction" or simply "deep conflict."
how to use it:
This word is serious and intense.
Compared to synonyms we see every day, like "deadly" and "destructive," it's a bit more rare. So, it's perfect for calling dire attention to the deep bitterness or hatred between groups of people.
When we use this word, we almost always talk about internecine wars, warfare, battles, conflicts, fighting, strife, violence, and bloodshed.
examples:
"Above all, both camps are concerned with the injustices of inequality and with challenging the advantages of the rich and powerful. It would be a shame if this shared aim was lost in internecine squabbles."
— Mike Savage, Nature, 21 September 2016
"In an effort to attract more upscale worshipers, Vatican officials announced a number of changes for the Gospels... it shall henceforth be as easy for a rich man to enter Heaven as it is for a camel to pass through a heated three-car garage; and the episode between Christ and the moneylenders in the temple shall from now on be interpreted as an internecine argument over appropriately aggressive fundraising tactics."
— The Onion, 17 June 1998
has this page helped you understand "internecine"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "internecine" without saying "full of two-way hatred" or "full of mutual bitterness."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "(A particular story, book, show, episode, or movie) centers on the internecine strife (between or among) (certain groups of characters)."
Example 1: "Romeo and Juliet centers on the internecine strife between the Capulets and the Montagues."
Example 2: "Glee centers on the internecine strife between Sue Sylvester and, well, everybody else."
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game this month is "Polygon of Predestination!"
With a high five to TheWordFinder.com for its puzzle generator, I'm Pat-Sajacking that spin-the-wheel game from TV. Apply your alliterative acumen to solve the puzzle. The category all month long is: "Beastly Blunders and Criminal Capers."
From the previous issue:
This one first showed up in 1859, in the Times: "Italy has produced but few preachers, and those only of the Gavazzi style—mere pulpit-pounders, with the delivery of a strolling player and the action of a mountebank."
Try this one today:
Not sure yet? Need to see a bit more? Click here.
review this word:
A. HOLY.
B. HOPEFUL.
C. HARMONIOUS.
2. It's a storytelling trope: the _____ that dissolves the internecine _____.
A. prodigal son .. grudge
B. common enemy .. feud
C. wink at the camera .. fourth wall
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
You could define internecine as "mutually murderous." It traces back to the Latin necare, "to kill."
We took the word "internecine" from a Latin one meaning "murderous, or destructive."
Part of speech:
This word is serious and intense.
"Above all, both camps are concerned with the injustices of inequality and with challenging the advantages of the rich and powerful. It would be a shame if this shared aim was lost in internecine squabbles."
Explain the meaning of "internecine" without saying "full of two-way hatred" or "full of mutual bitterness."
Fill in the blanks: "(A particular story, book, show, episode, or movie) centers on the internecine strife (between or among) (certain groups of characters)."
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
|
