Make Your Point > Archived Issues > LONGANIMITY

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connect today's word to others: Longanimity literally means "long spirit," much like magnanimity literally means "big spirit." If you were forced to define longanimity in only one word, you would probably say "patience." And if you had to do the same for magnanimity, you'd probably say "generosity." But those definitions would ignore how specific and refined these wonderful qualities are. As we'll explore in this issue, the person with longanimity is so much more than patient in the check-out line or at the DMV. And what about the magnanimous person? How is he generous? make your point with... "LONGANIMITY" Longanimity is the ability to wait and to stay calm or strong in difficult situations that go on for a long time. Pronunciation: LONG guh NIM ih dee (or, if you prefer, "LONG guh NIM ih tee") Part of speech: Uncountable noun. (Like "milk," "rice," and "advice," uncountable nouns are words for stuff that can’t be broken into exact units. You talk about "some milk," "the rice," and "a lot of advice," but you don’t say "a milk," "three rices," or "many advices." Likewise, talk about "the longanimity," "this longanimity," "her longanimity," "such longanimity," "no longanimity," and so on, but don’t say "a longanimity," "one longanimity," or "longanimities.") Other forms: The adjective is "longanimous" ("long GAN uh muss"). How to use it: If you're like me and you find the word "forbearance" dreadfully old-fashioned, then "longanimity" is a nice, clear alternative. Talk about someone's longanimity, or the longanimity of someone: "I admire her longanimity," "the longanimity of these parents who have raised three children." Say that someone has or shows longanimity in a certain situation or under certain circumstances. You might endure or overcome something with longanimity, or say that your longanimity enables you to do something. Something (or someone!) might demand or require your longanimity, or test or challenge your longanimity. At some point, you might reach the limits or the end of your longanimity. examples: Kit's longanimity is rewarded: after a long and painful and uncertain wait, her hero swoops back in to the story to declare his love for her.  When Comcast added a hefty bogus charge to his bill, then dropped his calls and transferred him to supervisors' voice mails, it was not exactly his optimism but his longanimity that made him keep calling back. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "longanimity" means when you can explain it without saying "forbearance" or "emotional endurance." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "(A long-lasting, difficult situation) tested the limits of (someone's) longanimity." Example: "From the islands to the East Coast, those 18 hours or so in transit tested the limits of my little daughter's longanimity." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Our game this month is called Felicitous Names.  A felicitous name for a fictional character is a highly appropriate name, a name that fits that character so perfectly that you just know the writer picked it on purpose. This month, draw on your knowledge of both vocabulary and fiction to pick out the right name for the character described. Enjoy! From our previous issue: We need a felicitous last name for a crude, mean-spirited couple who bring only bitterness and heartache to their young daughter. Will they be the Cassels, the Grangers, or the Wormwoods? Why?  Answer: This wasn’t a trick: the nastiest-sounding answer was correct. Wormwood is a plant with a bitter taste, but it’s also a metaphor for things that offend the soul. In Roald Dahl’s Matilda, Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood are the title character’s unbelievably awful parents. Try this today: There's a character with a felicitous name whose life, and death, are supremely sad. Her community has placed a dollar amount (well, a peso amount) on her life: she is married off to cancel a debt. Is she Dolores Preciado, Eduviges Dyada, or Susana San Juan? Why? review today's word: 1. A close opposite of LONGANIMITY is A. ICON B. IMPETUOSITY C. INCORRIGIBILITY 2. Getting back to a healthy weight demanded her willpower as well as her longanimity. _____. A. Salads aren't cheap B. If her schedule hadn't been so flexible, she may have given up C. Working out three times in one week is easy; keeping it up for months on end is not Answers are below. a final word: Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From Liesl's 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. Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. C