Question

1. as you read the lines below, use your knowledge of latin and greek roots to determine the meaning of any unfamiliar words.

ador’d for ever be the god unseen,
which round the sun revolves this vast machine,
though to his eye its mass a point appears:
ador’d the god that whirls surrounding spheres,
which first ordain’d that mighty sol should reign
the peerless monarch of th’ ethereal train:

based on your understanding of its meaning, select the root of the word ethereal.

greek aither, \upper air\

old english æther, \one or the other\

-ial, \of or related to\

latin dies, \day\

Explanation:

To determine the root of "ethereal", we analyze the options:

• "Greek aither, 'upper air'": "Ethereal" relates to the upper, celestial realm (like the "ether" or upper air). The word "ethereal" comes from the Greek "aither" (meaning upper air/ether), as it describes something heavenly or related to the upper atmosphere.
• "Old English æther, 'one or the other'": The meaning of "ethereal" (heavenly, delicate) doesn't align with "one or the other".
• "-ial, 'of or related to'": This is a suffix, not the root of "ethereal" (the root is the base part before the suffix).
• "Latin dies, 'day'": "Day" has no relation to the meaning of "ethereal" (heavenly, airy).

So the correct root is the Greek "aither, 'upper air'".

Answer:

A. Greek aither, "upper air"