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Lecture 23

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n this lecture, we’ll explore words associated with courage and cowardice.
The word courage itself is derived from the Latin root commonly spelled
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great courage. Richard I of England was known as Richard the Lionheart or
Richard Coeur de Lion, coeur being the French word derived from the Latin
cor. We’ll begin the lecture with some powerful words for different kinds
of courage, including false courage, cheeky courage, and reckless courage.
We’ll then move onto some cowardly words to use when we’re not feeling
quite so brave.

Intrepid (adjective)

Resolutely fearless, dauntless.

Fortitude (noun)

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temptation courageously.

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Frederick Douglass. After escaping slavery, he became one of

the great leaders in the abolitionist movement, a social reformer,

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words in this lecture: intrepid and fortitude.

ż Douglass was known for his brilliant oratory and trenchant

antislavery writing, including his autobiography, Narrative of

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feat of learning to read and write by himself, at a time when it

was against the law to teach slaves to read. Having learned to

read a few short words from his mistress when he was 12 years

old, Douglass recognized the power of the written word to free