The Suffix -ic: The Suffix -ic, Part 1

Ethics is the study of moral philosophy, of the nature of good and evil. If you say that someone has "a good work ethic," then you're saying that diligence and responsibility are part of their nature.

Lyrics are the words to a song, but that definition comes from lyric poetry, in which the poets express their own feelings. In ancient Greece, poets would often accompany themselves on a lyre, a small harp, which is the root of the word.

In ancient Greece, rhetoric referred to public speaking. Today, rhetoric is language intended to persuade people, often for political reasons. A rhetorical question is one asked for effect, since the answer is obvious.

Fanatic is the root of fan, as in "they are huge Celtics fans." It is derived from the Latin fanum meaning "temple or shrine" in connection with describing a religiously zealous or enthusiastic worshipper.

Literally "off-center," eccentric is the opposite of concentric in Greek. Eccentric can describe the orbit of a planet that's elliptical rather than circular, or the behavior of an odd person.

An epic poem tells the story of one or more heroes, and does so in a continuous, linear fashion. Today, it's used to describe anything that's impressive or heroic in its scope.

Kyon is ancient Greek for "dog," because that was a common insult directed at followers of the cynic philosophy, which advocated renouncing worldly possessions and living simply. Today a cynic is someone who tends to expect the worst from other people.

Heretic originally meant "able to choose" in Greek, and the word was applied to people who disagreed with church teachings or followed a different belief system.