Cata Means Down

The Greeks invented the catapult
To hurl rocks down upon their foes
The prefix 'cata-' means down in Greek
Its use in other words I'll disclose
In my song, here's how it goes

When a change goes down due to a force that it cannot resist
The thing that caused the change is called a catalyst

Cemeteries down below the ground were first built in ancient Rome
They borrowed 'cata' from the Greeks to call these places catacombs

When a person's in a stupor like he's always on the Chronic
There are some who would describe him as catatonic

Katrina was a cataclysm, a flood as violent as can be
It destroyed New Orleans, that was truly a catastrophe

The Greeks invented the catapult
To hurl rocks down upon their foes
The prefix 'cata-' means down in Greek
Its use in other words now everybody knows

by Tom Meltzer ©The Princeton Review