Root: Â ANIM
Meaning: spirit, life, soul, mind
Words:
- inanimate (adj) (in- = not): not or without life
One of my sons has this fun habit of suddenly falling on the floor in an inanimate position, in attempt to get me to freak out. The thing is, I know he’s a frequent prankster, and he’s done it many times, so in theory, I should remain calm. But the fact is he’s an exceptionally good actor. Really. So I try to ignore it for a while in an attempt not to encourage him, but eventually, I can’t help going over and poking him, just to be sure. This, of course, encourages him further.
- magnanimous (adj) (magn- = great, large): great-spirited, a generous spirit
“The colossal prick even managed to sound magnanimous.†Name the movie!! In a magnanimous gesture one Valentine’s Day weekend, I made several bags with small gifts inside each one for LCB to find throughout the weekend. The final bag held a copy of the movie the above line is taken from.
- equanimity (n) (equ = equal or fair): “even†minded, a calm spirit
In the hour before school each morning, equanimity is extraordinarily rare for me. Usually, it’s more like equanimity minus the equ, which ends up being more like animated. In other words, it’s a tad lively around my homestead most mornings. And that’s looking at it with very rosy glasses.
Magnanimous is a highly underutilized word. What a valiant Valentine’s gesture on your part. Being that I’ve barely seen any movies since becoming a parent 11 years ago, I’m afraid that I have no idea which movie you are referring to above. 😉
I absolutely feel more intelligent when I use the word “magnanimous” in conversation. It just sounds cool, too. And let me guess. Since having kids, when you do watch movies, you are typically half-awake anyway. Here’s a clue: Morgan Freeman.