If you’re a student of anthropology, you’ve probably read about the status that educated people have enjoyed throughout history, whether it’s the oral historians of earlier civilizations or the skilled authors and researchers of our modern technological societies. While it’s true that artists have also been held in high esteem, a person’s ability to read, write, and communicate has played a large role in determining their level of sophistication and how they’re regarded by others. Someone with a large vocabulary and the ability to use words in a specific and effective way will generally attain a higher level of power, whether that’s personal power or political influence. These days, politicians routinely employ speechwriters to create the compelling phrases that get voters’ attention, and millions of dollars are spent on advertisements that select words as carefully as images. The written works left behind by scientists and philosophers continue to add to the accumulated store of knowledge we’ve achieved over the centuries,

The word anthropology comes from the Greek root words for “mankind” and “the study of” – it’s the study of humanity, in other words. The suffix -ology should be familiar to you from all of the other fields people devote themselves to, such as biology, archaeology, oncology, and so on. Many people pick one of these fields and focus on it, learning the vocabulary specific to that field. The particular words used in a certain area of study are often completely incomprehensible to those outside the field, but many words are useful no matter what your area of interest is.

One good way to learn powerful and useful vocabulary words is to look at the terminology (sometimes called “jargon”) used in one particular field. This is especially important if you’re trying to change careers or learn a new subject at school; your understanding of the basic vocabulary used by your instructors, texts, or co-workers is essential for your rapid advancement. College texts are good places to learn not only vocabulary but facts about any topic, and a used-book store near a university is an excellent resource for your own study. If you’re in a professional field, be sure to subscribe to the related trade journals and topical magazines, and you’ll be able to keep up on new advances as well as the new words used to describe them.

With your ability to use advanced terminology effectively, you’ll quickly move up to the highest levels of society.