Make Your Point > Archived Issues > TOTEM

Send Make Your Point issues straight to your inbox.

connect this word to others: Today we're checking out totem, a word from a Native American language. Here it is in Longfellow's "The Song of Hiawatha:"    On the grave-posts of our fathers    Are no signs, no figures painted;    Who are in those graves we know not,    Only know they are our fathers.    Of what kith they are and kindred,    From what old, ancestral Totem,    Be it Eagle, Bear, or Beaver,    They descended, this we know not,    Only know they are our fathers. As you can see from the poem, a totem can be an animal that represents a particular clan or family, but more generally it can also be any symbol: anything em____atic of a particular group. (Can you recall that word? It means "providing a clear representation.") (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "TOTEM" This word comes from Algonquian, a Native American language. A totem is a plant, animal, object, symbol, or idea that represents a close group of people (like a clan, a family, or a subculture) and seems sacred to them. In its strictest sense, a totem is a plant or animal from which the clan or family believes they descended, either biologically or spiritually. Pronunciation: TOE dum Part of speech: Noun, the countable kind: "the bear is their totem," "they added their totems to their signatures." Other forms: The plural is "totems." When you need an adjective, you can pick "totemic," pronounced "toe TEM ick," or "totemistic," pronounced "toe duh MISS tick." The adverb is "totemically." The noun for a whole system involving totems is "totemism" (TOE duh mizz um). And you're probably familiar with "totem poles:" literally, poles like these, and figuratively, systems of importance, with the most important people or things on top and the least important on the bottom. How to use it:  When the words "emblem," "symbol," "token," and "representation" don't express enough sacredness, pick "totem." Say that one thing, person, or idea is a totem of, to, or for something: "Elton John is a totem of popular music." "The Bell Jar is a totem to serious young writers everywhere." "Thanks to a memorable joke, the doughnut is now a totem for Mitch Hedberg fans." examples: "As the businesses folded over time, the [giant fiberglass statues] remained, mysterious totems to nothing."    — Robert Simonson, New York Times, 14 August 2019 "Though many in L.A. see fur as an avatar of cruelty, to others it remains a powerful totem of cultural heritage, historical continuity and Hollywood glamour."    — Staff, Los Angeles Times, 28 August 2019 has this page helped you understand "totem"? Awesome, I'm glad it helped! Thanks for letting me know! If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. study it: Explain the meaning of "totem" without saying "emblem" or "symbol." try it out: Think of some person, real or fictional, who influenced you and your whole culture or generation. Fill in the blanks: "(Someone) was a totemic figure who loomed over (my childhood, my adolescence, my adulthood, or my career)." Example 1: "Tracy Flick was this totemic figure who loomed over my adolescence with her ambition, competitive drive, perfect hair, and willingness to get up before five in the morning to chase her dreams." Example 2: "[Edvard Munch] was one of a series of totemic figures who loomed over my childhood. Even if [my father] hadn’t been Munch’s biographer, I would have grown up with the image of The Scream engraved on my brain, just like every other Scandinavian. Every six- or seven-year-old kid has to try and paint their own version of it in school."  — David Lagercrantz, The Guardian, 24 March 2019 If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.) before you review, play: Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first. Our game this month: Anagrams! Rearrange the letters in the given word to form a word we've studied before. Try to recall its meaning, too.  For example, if I give you DYED, you give me EDDY. If I give you THREAD, you give me DEARTH. And if I give you COTERIES, you give me ESOTERIC. Try this one today: REINFECT. Give yourself 5 points if you can figure out the word without clues. To reveal the clues, hover over the blue text below. Give yourself 4 points if you figure it out after peeking at the part of speech: adjective. Give yourself 3 points if you figure it out after peeking at the definition: moving in a wild, fast, crazy, uncontrolled way. Give yourself 2 points if you figure it out after peeking at the first letter: F. Give yourself 1 point if you figure it out after peeking at the first two letters: FR. And if you'd like to reveal or review the word, click here. review this word: 1. A near opposite of TOTEMIC is A. DEFORMED. B. INCOMPLETE. C. UNREPRESENTATIVE. 2. In his book Totem Salmon, Freeman House illuminates _____. A. the health benefits of consuming salmon B. the breathtaking ingenuity demonstrated by salmon  C. the profound connection between salmon and humanity 1. C 2. C 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.