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Difficulty: MediumGreek Roots

Renowned for his mastery of painting, engineering, and astronomy, Leonardo da Vinci is widely celebrated as a true polymath. What does the word polymath most nearly mean?

  1. A
    An expert specializing strictly in advanced mathematics
  2. A person of broad and varied learningAnswer
  3. C
    An instrument used for measuring geometric angles
  4. D
    An uneducated person with minimal academic training

Answer

A person of broad and varied learning
The word 'polymath' is formed from the Greek prefix 'poly-' (meaning 'many') and the Greek root 'math-' (from 'mathema', meaning 'knowledge' or 'learning'). A polymath is therefore a person who possesses extensive knowledge across many different subjects, making 'a person of broad and varied learning' the correct definition.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the prefix and root morphemes of the word 'polymath'.
Identify the Greek prefix 'poly-' meaning 'many' or 'much' and the Greek root 'math-' (from 'manthanein'/'mathema') meaning 'learning' or 'knowledge'.
Deconstructing Greek morphological roots helps deduce the foundational meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary.
2
Synthesize the morpheme definitions into a unified definition.
The combined literal meaning is 'having learned much' or 'possessing knowledge across many fields'.
Connecting root meanings provides the accurate semantic definition of the complete word.
3
Match the synthesized definition to the correct answer choice.
The option stating 'a person of broad and varied learning' matches both the morphological structure and the sentence context.
Context clues referencing painting, engineering, and astronomy confirm expertise across multiple disciplines.

Key Concept

Analyzing Greek Roots (poly- and math-)
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Greek Roots

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