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Aug 17, 2022
This week’s theme
Words that aren’t what they appear to be

This week’s words
plutography
miniate
irredentist
recurse
decalcomania

irredentist
La Tache Noire (The Black Spot), 1887
French students being taught about the province of Alsace-Lorraine, lost to Germany in 1871, depicted as a black spot on the map.
Art: Albert Bettannier

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A.Word.A.Day
with Anu Garg

irredentist

PRONUNCIATION:
(ir-i-DEN-tist)

MEANING:
noun: One advocating the restoration of territory that earlier belonged to one’s country.

ETYMOLOGY:
During the late 1800s and early 1900s in Italy, an irredentist was someone who advocated for restoration of Italian-speaking districts in other countries to Italy. The word is from Italian irredentista, from the phrase Italia irredenta (unredeemed Italy), from Latin redimere (to redeem). Earliest documented use: 1882. See also: lebensraum.

USAGE:
“Many products ... featured a map of Greater Hungary, the larger, pre-World War I territory whose restoration is the ultimate aim of the country’s irredentists.”
Jacob Mikanowski; The Call of the Drums; Harper’s (New York); Aug 2019.

See more usage examples of irredentist in Vocabulary.com’s dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
I speak two languages, Body and English. -Mae West, actress, playwright, singer, screenwriter, and comedian (17 Aug 1893-1980)

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