Betterment bet·ter·ment/ˈbedərmənt/ Noun the act of improving something “Every life is meant to help all lives; each man should live for all men’s betterment.” – Alice Cary (1820-1871)

Motto mot·to /ˈmädō/ Noun a saying or catch phrase that expresses a belief “I cannot remember a time when the Golden Rule was not my motto and precept, the torch that guided my footsteps.” – James Cash Penney (1875 – 1971)

Multitude mul·ti·tude /ˈməltəˌto͞od/ Noun a large group of people or things “A book is a garden, an orchard, a storehouse, a party, a company by the way, a counselor, a multitude of counselors.” – Charles Baudelaire (1821 – 1867)

Etymology et·y·mol·o·gy /ˌedəˈmäləjē/ Noun the study of the origin and derivation of words “Etymology is the psychology of language, the way of penetrating the soul of words.” – Alberto Savinio (1891 – 1952)

Sagacity sa·gac·i·ty /səˈɡasədē/ Noun the quality of having good judgment and keen insight “Common sense is a phrase employed to denote that degree of intelligence, sagacity, and prudence which is common to all men.” – William Fleming (1729-1795)

Assiduous as·sid·u·ous /əˈsijəwəs/ Adjective showing persistent diligence or careful, sustained effort “Assiduous and frequent questioning is indeed the first key to wisdom, for by doubting we come to inquiry; through inquiring we perceive the truth.” Peter Abelard (1079 – 1142)

Legacy leg·a·cy /ˈleɡəsē/ Noun something passed down or left behind, especially the lasting impact of a person’s life “The things you do for yourself are gone when you are gone, but the things you do for others remain as your legacy.” N.D. Kalu (1975 – )

Augment aug·ment /ôɡˈment/ Verb to make larger, to increase, to improve “If your actions are upright and benevolent, be assured they will augment your power and happiness.” Cyrus the Great (600 BC – 530 BC)

Palimpsest pal·imp·sest /ˈpaləm(p)ˌsest/ Noun a manuscript that has been erased and written on again, with faint traces of the original writing still visible “Every act of reading is an act of forgetting: the experience of reading is a palimpsest, in which each text partially covers those that came before.” James A. Secord (1953 -)