A.Word.A.Day Archives from https://wordsmith.org/awad -------- Date: Mon Mar 3 00:29:10 EST 2003 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--elliptical X-Bonus: Sometimes even to live is an act of courage. -Lucius Annaeus Seneca, writer and philosopher (BCE 3-65 CE) elliptical (i-LIP-ti-kuhl) adjective (also elliptic) 1. Pertaining to or having the shape of an ellipse. 2. Marked by ellipsis (omitting words). 3. Characterized by extreme economy of expression in speech or writing; cryptic or ambiguous. [From Greek elleiptikos (defective), from elleipsis (to come short), from leipein (to leave). The word eclipse has the same root.] "What did he and the truck earn in a typical year? A good year? His responses were strictly elliptical." John Mcphee; A Fleet of One; The New Yorker; Feb 17, 2003. "He (Warren Beatty) has written a somewhat elliptical piece for the New York Times condemning the grip of big money on American politics, and has another piece coming out in the Los Angeles Times." Warren Beatty's Profession; Economist (London, UK); Sep 4, 1999. Why in the world would three seemingly unrelated phenomena -- a plane curve, a punctuation mark, and a writing style -- be represented by a single word? A glance at the etymology and everything falls in place. The common thread here is `shortfall': whether an ellipse, a shape that falls short of being a circle; a sentence that is short of a few words; or terse writing. Let's peruse a few more words about words that also apply to math (US) or maths (elsewhere). -------- Date: Tue Mar 4 00:14:07 EST 2003 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--hyperbolic X-Bonus: Who is content with nothing possesses all things. -Nicolas Boileau-Despreaux, poet (1636-1711) hyperbolic (hy-puhr-BOL-ik) adjective 1. Of or pertaining to hyperbole; exaggerating. 2. Of or pertaining to hyperbola. [From Greek hyperbole (excess), from hyperballein (to exceed), from hyper- + ballein (to throw).] When you employ hyperbole in your discourse, you are doing what a devil does (to throw), etymologically speaking. The word devil ultimately comes from Greek diaballein (to throw across, slander). Some other words that share the same root are ballistic, emblem, embolism, metabolism, parable, problem, parabola, and symbol. -Anu "A short while back, Italy's leading newspaper, Corriere della Sera, ran a cartoon that imagined Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's continuing evolution. In the first panel, he was chief of state. In a later panel, he was king. Finally, years hence, he morphed in to a new-era Napoleon. Within the hyperbolic context of satire, it was a fairly apt commentary on Mr. Berlusconi's outsize ambitions." Frank Bruni; Italy's Leader Balances Ambitions and Trials; The New York Times; Feb 16, 2003. "One of the ironies to emerge from the midair disintegration of the Columbia on 1 February is that CNN's breaking news of the tragedy was, for many people, their first clue that a shuttle mission was under way. ... This everyday neglect is worth remarking on, not least because, set against its backdrop, the flood of hyperbolic tributes that followed Columbia's loss strikes an odd chord." Marina Benjamin; The End of the Space Age; New Statesman (London, UK); Feb 10, 2003. This week's theme: words from mathematics that have other meanings as well. -------- Date: Wed Mar 5 00:01:06 EST 2003 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--tangential X-Bonus: Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard / Are sweeter. -John Keats, poet (1795-1821) tangential (tan-JEN-shuhl) adjective 1. Only slightly relevant to the matter in hand; digressive; divergent. 2. Merely touching. 3. Mathematics: Of or pertaining to the nature of a tangent. [From Latin tangent-, tangens, present participle of tangere (to touch).] The word tangential has numerous cousins, words derived from the same root: tax, contact, attain, intact, tact, taste, tangible, tactile. What an unlikely bunch of words to come out of the same parent! What's common in all is the idea of touching (or not, as in case of "intact"). -Anu "Matsch refused to give into delaying tactics, tangential arguments or TV cameras - all of which played large roles in the Simpson case." Dignity Back in Court; Chicago Sun-Times; Jun 2, 1997. "Lucidly and economically written, the book gives us just enough explanatory background, just enough history, just enough atmosphere so that we have some sense of context yet never feel that (Hilary) Spurling is rambling or becoming mired in the tangential." Francine Prose; The Colors of His Imagination; The Washington Post; Oct 25, 1998. This week's theme: words from mathematics that have other meanings as well. -------- Date: Thu Mar 6 00:01:12 EST 2003 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--circular X-Bonus: Laughter is a form of internal jogging. -Norman Cousins, editor and author (1915-1990) circular (SUHR-kyuh-luhr) adjective 1. In the shape of or related to a circle. 2. Roundabout, indirect. 3. Involving fallacious reasoning that tries to prove something previously assumed true. noun A widely distributed letter, notice, advertisement, etc. [From Middle English circuler, from Middle French, from Latin circularis, from circulus (small circle), diminutive of circus (circle or ring), from Greek kirkos (circle).] So the term "three-ring circus" has, in fact, four "rings" in it, etymologically speaking. Other words derived from the same source are circuit, circulate, and search (in the sense of "to go around").] -Anu "In writing or logic classes many of us learned -- and put aside - that `to beg the question' is a logical fallacy that refers to circular reasoning. It is an argument that assumes as a truth the point the speaker is arguing for. To borrow an example ... `This painting is trash because it is obviously worthless.'" Dan Hortsch; Turn of a Phrase is Bereft of Praise in Its Final Phase; The Oregonian (Portland); Oct 6, 2002. "He claimed clarification was received in a circular signed by the Permanent Secretary S.A. Suleiman ..." Winniefred Bassey; For Luth Workers, It's Battle Royale; This Day (Lagos, Nigeria), Aug 30, 2002. This week's theme: words from mathematics that have other meanings as well. -------- Date: Fri Mar 7 00:01:07 EST 2003 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--parabolic X-Bonus: Self-esteem is the reputation we acquire with ourselves. -Nathaniel Branden, psychotherapist (1930- ) parabolic (par-uh-BOL-ik) adjective 1. Of or relating to a parable. 2. Having the form of a parabola. [Ultimately from Greek parabole, from para- (beside) + bole (throwing), from ballein (to throw).] "The parabolic form tampers with proper novelistic delicacy, with the sense that genuine surprise might confront and contradict our expectations." James Wood; The Cost of Clarity; The New Republic (Washington, DC); Apr 17/Apr 24, 2000. "Struggling to find a sense of home, Noel is haunted by disappointments, the ghost of his Vietnam MIA father, and the spirit of Ross. If this novel is something of a parable, then it is darkly parabolic from its first page on." Robert Gingher; Riding the Dragon; The World & I (Washington, DC); Jul 2001. This week's theme: words from mathematics that have other meanings as well. -------- Date: Mon Mar 10 02:10:08 EST 2003 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--scripophily X-Bonus: A scholar knows no boredom. -Jean Paul Richter, writer (1763-1825) scripophily (skri-POF-uh-lee) noun The hobby of collecting historic stock and bond certificates. Also, such a collection. [From scrip, short for subscription + Greek -phily (love).] "A sought-after category right now is Confederate bonds, many of which were sold in Britain. Keith Hollender, a London-based scripophily specialist with Herzog Hollender Phillips & Co., said British clothing makers purchased them because they needed the American South's cotton." Judith Rehak; Collectors Seek Out Old ­ and Scandalous ­ Paper; International Herald Tribune (France), Jul 8, 2000. "Check the library for reference books on collecting stocks and bonds, a hobby known as scripophily, or get an appraisal from antiques dealers." Sheryl Harris; Checking for Any Value in Old Stock Certificate; The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio; Jan 2, 2002. We all have collected stamps or something else as children. There are collectors for almost everything under the sun as a quick peek at eBay would show. And there are words for these hobbies of collecting and studying things: coins (numismatics), autographs (philography), matchbox covers (phillumeny), you name it. This week we'll collect some of the words to describe these pursuits. Do you have a hobby of collecting something unusual? -Anu (garg AT wordsmith.org) -------- Date: Tue Mar 11 00:01:07 EST 2003 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--deltiology X-Bonus: Any fine morning, a power saw can fell a tree that took a thousand years to grow. -Edwin Way Teale, naturalist and author (1899-1980) deltiology (del-tee-OL-uh-jee) noun The study or collecting of postcards. [From Greek deltion, diminutive of deltos (writing tablet) + -logy.] "Floyd Jerdon is one of those people who would never confuse deltiology with scrutinizing college Greek week or studying deposits at the mouth of a river." Barbara Dempsey; Postcards Send Him Back to Another Time; South Bend Tribune (Indiana); Feb 2, 2003. "(David) Brown, founder of the Institute of Deltiology, 300 W. Main Ave., has one of the largest postcard collections in North America." Collector to Exhibit Postcards on Nov. 12; The Patriot-News (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania); Oct 31, 2002. This week's theme: words about collecting and study of things. -------- Date: Wed Mar 12 00:01:13 EST 2003 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--exonumia X-Bonus: The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference, and undernourishment. -Robert Maynard Hutchins, educator (1899-1977) exonumia (ek-suh-NOO-mee-uh, -NYOO-) noun Objects that resemble money but do not circulate as coin or paper money. For example, tokens, coupons, medals, etc. [From Greek exo- (outside) + num (as in numismatic: related to currency).] "Objects such as savings bonds, gas-ration coupons and meat- and butter-ration coupons are indeed collectible. ... I have seen coin dealers, primarily at shows, handle exonumia on these and other subjects." Don Alpert; Bond's Value Higher With Dec. 7 Stamp; The Los Angeles Times; Aug 11, 1988. "While Canada and other countries have occasionally struck wooden currency, wooden money is `considered distinctly an American contribution to exonumia' -- objects that resemble money but are not for circulation as money." Theresa Humphrey; They Take Wooden Nickels; The Sun (Baltimore, Maryland); Jan 27, 1993. This week's theme: words about collecting and study of things. -------- Date: Thu Mar 13 00:01:07 EST 2003 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--notaphily X-Bonus: Courtship to marriage, as a very witty prologue to a very dull play. -William Congreve, dramatist (1670-1729) notaphily (noh-TAF-uh-lee) noun The collecting of paper currency as a hobby. [From Latin nota (note) + Greek -phily (love).] "A sister branch of numismatics is notaphily viz. the collection and study of paper currency." S. Suresh; Heritage in Coins; The Hindu (Chennai, India); Aug 15, 2002. This week's theme: words about collecting and study of things. -------- Date: Fri Mar 14 00:01:07 EST 2003 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--vexillology X-Bonus: The love of learning, the sequestered nooks, / And all the sweet serenity of books. -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, poet (1807-1882) vexillology (vek-si-LOL-uh-jee) noun The study of flags. [From Latin vexillum (flag), diminutive of velum (covering) + -logy.] Can you identify three words that are related to today's word in the following sentence? "The bride removed the voile veil to reveal her lovely face." The words are voile, veil, and reveal, all of which are descendants of Latin velum and involve the idea of covering (or uncovering in case of "reveal"). -Anu PS: To look at the flags of more than 200 countries and territories where AWAD subscribers live, and other stats, see: https://wordsmith.org/awad/stats.html "He (Whitney Smith) met his second wife in 1975 when he went to Suriname to see its new flag hoisted for the first time. When he began dating his third, and current, wife, he told her he was married to vexillology." Irene Sege; Banner Days: This Foremost Expert on Flags Has a Singular View of the World; Boston Globe; Nov 21, 2001. "Until we can get past threats of boycott, unforgetting bumper stickers and back-room deals, why not an interim state flag that isn't the ugliest in 50 states and Canada, one that looks good and meets the vexillology test of meaningful symbols? A green dollar bill on a field of white." Jim Minter; Epitome of Ugliness: Let New Georgia Flag Wave Goodbye; The Atlanta Journal-Constitution; Jul 3, 2001. This week's theme: words about collecting and study of things. -------- Date: Mon Mar 17 00:01:07 EST 2003 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--instauration X-Bonus: Poetry is to prose as dancing is to walking. -John Barrington Wain, writer (1925-1994) instauration (in-sto-RAY-shuhn) noun 1. Renewal; renovation; restoration. 2. An act of founding or establishing something. [From Latin instauration-, from instauratio, from instaurare (to renew). Other words derived from the same root are: store, restore, and stow.] "Universities are, since their instauration in Bologna, Salerno, or medieval Paris, fragile, although tenacious, beasts." George Steiner; An Academic Comes of Age in 'The Sleepless City'; The Chronicle of Higher Education (Washington); Feb 6, 1998. "He (Francis Bacon) did not, as it happened, have much success persuading either of his two royal patrons, Elizabeth I or James I, to invest public funds in the `Great Instauration' of knowledge he envisioned." Roger Kimball; Knowing It All; Wall Street Journal (New York); Jul 23, 1998. It's that time of the year again, the time when we feature odds-and-ends. One-of-a-kind words. Words that are unusual, picturesque, whimsical, esoteric, or intriguing. And like all the creatures in this world, these words serve a purpose (as shown by the accompanying citations). They make our verbal universe richer and more diverse. So here they are. We've coaxed them out of the dictionary -- it's not often that one finds them in the open -- and we hope you'll welcome them in your diction. -Anu (garg AT wordsmith.org) -------- Date: Tue Mar 18 00:31:06 EST 2003 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--douceur X-Bonus: He alone may chastise who loves. -Rabindranath Tagore, poet, philosopher, author, songwriter, painter, educator, composer, Nobel laureate (1861-1941) douceur (doo-SUHR) noun A tip or bribe. [From French douceur (sweetness), from Late Latin dulcor (sweetness), from Latin dulcis (sweet).] What does dulcimer (a musical instrument), billet-doux (love letter), dolce (music direction) have in common with today's word? All derive from the same Latin root and involve the idea of sweetness. "But even the most jaundiced observers have been astonished by the discovery of a slush fund of some pounds 40 million from which the douceur to (Charles) Haughey was ladled." Kevin Myers, Ireland's Shame: The Prime Minister and the Tycoon, The Sunday Telegraph (London), Jul 13, 1997. "It became impossible for civilized people, particularly if they were Jewish, to participate in political culture. Instead, they interested themselves in the marvelously available circumstances of douceur: making money, performing or sponsoring art, and - like the Herzls or the Wittgensteins - encouraging their children to become geniuses." Nicholas Fraser, Deja vu, Harper's Magazine (New York), Dec 1995. This week's theme: miscellaneous words. -------- Date: Wed Mar 19 00:01:06 EST 2003 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--quietus X-Bonus: Never bear more than one trouble at a time. Some people bear three kinds - all they have had, all they have now, and all they expect to have. -Edward Everett Hale, clergyman and author (1822-1909) quietus (kwy-EE-tuhs) noun 1. A final stroke that settles something. 2. Discharge from life; death. 3. A release from a duty or debt. [Short for Middle English quietus est (he is quit), a formula of discharge from a debt or other obligation, from Medieval Latin quietus est, from Latin, quietus, past participle of quiescere (to rest), from quies (rest, quiet).] The words acquit, quiet, quiescent, acquiesce, are some of the cousins of today's word, all descendants of the same common root. "It is not so much that writing provided an escape from the perils of the Revolution, but rather that the Revolution afforded a distraction from his inward soul-wrestling and austere studies and perpetual susceptibility to the lure of an easeful quietus." Andy Martin, Napoleon on Happiness, Raritan (New Brunswick, New Jersey), Spring 2000. "The irony is, of course, that the Curse will provide its own quietus and lead me to the peace I have so desperately sought." Michael Bywater, Not With a Whimper But With a Bang, Independent on Sunday (London, UK), May 19, 1996. This week's theme: miscellaneous words. -------- Date: Thu Mar 20 00:01:27 EST 2003 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--emprise X-Bonus: It's splendid to be a great writer, to put men into the frying pan of your imagination and make them pop like chestnuts. -Gustave Flaubert, novelist (1821-1880) emprise (em-PRYZ) noun 1. A chivalrous or adventurous enterprise. 2. Chivalrous daring or skill. [From Middle English, from Middle French, from Old French, from emprendre (to undertake), from Vulgar Latin imprendere, from Latin in- + prendere (to seize).] The following seemingly unrelated words all derived the same Latin root and involve the idea of seizing: prehensile, prison, prize, pry, apprehend, comprehend, comprise, enterprise, pregnable, and surprise. "He looked, and saw wide territory spread Before him - towns, and rural works between, Cities of men with lofty gates and towers, Concourse in arms, fierce faces threatening war, Giants of mighty bone and bold emprise. John Milton, Paradise Lost: Eleventh Book, 1667. "Thus did the politic chief touch all the secret springs of devotion, honour, and ambition in the bosoms of his martial audience, waking the mettle of the most sluggish before leading him on the perilous emprise." William H. Prescott, History Of The Conquest Of Mexico, 1843. This week's theme: miscellaneous words. -------- Date: Fri Mar 21 00:14:10 EST 2003 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--dudgeon X-Bonus: Love is like an hourglass, with the heart filling up as the brain empties. -Jules Renard, writer (1864-1910) dudgeon (DUHJ-uhn) noun A feeling of anger, resentment, indignation, etc. [Of unknown origin.] "Germany's trade unions are in a state of considerable dudgeon about plans to cut state spending and squeeze the welfare state. The dudgeon will grow if more deficit-cutting consigns more of their members to the ranks of the unemployed." Brian Beedham, Why Kohl Should Accept Postponement of Monetary Union, The International Herald Tribune (France), Apr 8, 1997. "And in the Labyrinth Theater Company's beautifully cast production, which has been brazenly directed in the spirit of high dudgeon by Philip Seymour Hoffman, they are often hilarious as well." Bruce Weber, Throwing a Hissy Fit to Ease the Pain, The New York Times, Oct 3, 2002. This week's theme: miscellaneous words. -------- Date: Mon Mar 24 00:38:06 EST 2003 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--voir dire X-Bonus: Nature teaches more than she preaches. There are no sermons in stones. It is easier to get a spark out of a stone than a moral. -John Burroughs, naturalist and writer (1837-1921) voir dire (vwar-DEER) noun The preliminary examination of prospective witnesses or jurors to determine their competence. Also, the oath administered for this purpose. [From Anglo-French, from Old French voir (true) + dire (to speak).] "After hearing the testimony during a voir dire, Justice Monique Metivier allowed it to become part of the evidence." Lisa Lisle; Court OKs Cops' Testimony; The Ottawa Sun (Canada); Dec 6, 2001. "Even jury duty in Los Angeles is glamorous. During jury selection at the shoplifting trial of actress Winona Ryder, at least half a dozen people connected to the film industry went through voir dire. At the end of the process, Peter Guber, former chairman of Sony Pictures, ended up being impaneled. Guber revealed that while he was head of the studio, his company made a film with Ryder, but after promising he could be objective, he was selected to serve." Michele Orecklin; A Jury of Her Peers; Time (New York); Nov 4, 2002. My grandfather was a lawyer. When he and my grandmother had a little tiff, I remember, she would sometimes say, "Go tell your lies in the court." They would soon make up, but a statement like that is perhaps an occupational hazard to any married lawyer. But lawyers' reputation for fine analysis of words is well-deserved. Outcome of a case often depends on the precise meaning of a single word. No wonder lawyers are deeply interested in words. Almost all the staff members of some law offices are AWAD subscribers. Many lawyers are well-known novelists and authors of books on language usage. When we think of lawyers, dense legalese comes to mind but they are not without humor. Here is one: http://ppbfh.com This week we look at terms from the world of law. -Anu (garg AT wordsmith.org) -------- Date: Tue Mar 25 01:38:05 EST 2003 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--en banc X-Bonus: Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art. -Eleanor Roosevelt, diplomat and writer (1884-1962) en banc (ahn-BAHNK) adjective, adverb Having all the judges of a court present in a hearing. [From French, literally, in the bench.] "She (Lisa Ocheltree) petitioned the full court to reconsider the panel's 2-to-1 decision, and the judges agreed to take her case en banc, which they hardly ever do." Deborah Sontag; The Power of the Fourth; The New York Times; Mar 9, 2003. "The Seattle School District plans to ask the court for an en banc rehearing of the case by 11 appellate judges." Keith Ervin; Ballard Principal Quits, Warns of Resegregation; The Seattle Times; Apr 26, 2002. This week's theme: words from the world of law. NOTE: Nearly 200 of you wrote about the etymology of yesterday's term "voir dire". It's true that in Modern French the word voir means "to see" but in Old French it did mean "true". For example, Guillaume's 14th century work "Le Livre dou Voir Dit" (The Book of the True Poem). -Anu (garg AT wordsmith.org) -------- Date: Wed Mar 26 00:38:06 EST 2003 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--parol X-Bonus: Nature uses as little as possible of anything. -Johannes Kepler, astronomer (1571-1630) parol (puh-ROL) noun A spoken statement. adjective Expressed orally. [From Middle English parole, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin paraula, from paravola, from Latin parabola, from Greek parabole, from para- (beside) + bole (throwing), from ballein (to throw).] Today's word "parol" is often mistakenly used in the sense of "parole". Both are legal terms. The former is derived from the latter, but "parole" has a more specific meaning. When a prisoner is released on parole, he is literally being let go on his word of honor (parole d'honneur). -Anu "The Appellate Court went on to say that `Whether the mains are real or personal property is relevant since in general title to real estate cannot be transferred by parol but can only be transferred by a writing.'" Dan Kucera; Are Mains Real Property or Personal Property?; Water Engineering & Management (Des Plaines, Illinois); Aug 2000. "When a grant had been made by parol the witnesses were sought out by the sheriff and returned upon the jury." Henry Hallam; History Of Europe During The Middle Ages; 1818. This week's theme: words from the world of law. -------- Date: Thu Mar 27 01:36:07 EST 2003 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--depone X-Bonus: Honest criticism is hard to take, particularly from a relative, a friend, an acquaintance, or a stranger. -Franklin P. Jones, businessman (1887-1929) depone (di-POHN) verb tr., intr. To declare under oath. [From Medieval Latin deponere (to testify), from Latin (to put down), from de- + ponere (to put). The word depone is often used in another form (depose). But the noun form of the word is clear: deponent.] "Byamugisha dismissed Besigye's reasons proving he is AIDS-free on the basis that he has never broken down or been bed-ridden, with a reference to an affidavit deponed by Maj. Rubaramira Ruranga to the general effect that he has managed to live a normal life for 16 years." Henry Ochieng; Dr. Besigye Told to Prove AIDS Status; The Monitor (Kampala, Uganda); Apr 10, 2001. "But now one Mr. Jones comes forth and depones That fifteen years since, he had heard certain groans On his way to Stonehenge (to examine the stones Described in a work of the late Sir John Soane's)." Thomas Ingoldsby (Richard Harris Barham); The Ingoldsby Legends, 19th c. This week's theme: words from the world of law. -------- Date: Fri Mar 28 00:01:06 EST 2003 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--distrain X-Bonus: Once you have decided to keep a certain pile, it is no longer yours; for you can't spend it. -Michel De Montaigne, essayist (1533-1592) distrain (di-STRAYN) verb tr., intr. To seize the property in order to force payment for damages, debt, etc. [From Middle English distreinen, from Old French destreindre, from Latin distringere, (to draw asunder), from dis- (apart) + stringere (to draw tight). Some other words that derive from the same root are strain, strict, stringent, constrain, restrict.] "The bailiffs, who distrained the property of Most-Bank on Wednesday, violated the law, which has allowed bank managers to launch a counterattack against them." Companies and Markets; The Moscow Times (Russia); Aug 26 2000. "Bolingbroke: My father's goods are all distrain'd and sold." William Shakespeare; The Tragedy of King Richard the Second; 16th c. This week's theme: words from the world of law. -------- Date: Mon Mar 31 00:01:06 EST 2003 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--coadunate X-Bonus: Every creature is better alive than dead, men and moose and pine trees, and he who understands it aright will rather preserve its life than destroy it. -Henry David Thoreau, naturalist and author (1817-1862) coadunate (ko-AJ-uh-nit, -nayt) adjective United by growth; closely joined. [From Late Latin coadunatus, past participle of coadunare, to combine, a compound word from Latin co- (together) + ad- (toward) + unus (one).] Coadunate ultimately derives from Indo-European *oi-no, meaning one, unique. Less obvious words derived from this root include anon, atone, lonely, eleven, ounce and inch. The lowly onion may also be in this family, conceived as a unity formed of many layers. "I descend from my high home in the Financial District to plunge into the coadunate streams of pedestrians ..." Leah Garchik; Personals; San Francisco Chronicle; Jun 25, 1993. This week's Guest Wordsmith, Stewart Edelstein (sedelsteinATcohenandwolf.com) writes: Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. defined "word" as "the skin of a living thought". Languages now spoken in such far-flung places as Iceland, Afghanistan, Europe, Russia, and northern India first found expression in Indo-European, a reconstructed language dating back several thousand years (the asterisk before Indo-European root words indicates that they are reconstructed rather than recorded). As language evolved, a living thought was manifested in a cluster of related words, just as siblings and cousins share a common genetic makeup, but each has a distinct physiognomy. Etymologists refer to words based on a common root as doublets, a subject I have studied for more than ten years. I've collected hundreds of seemingly incompatible dyads with common roots, such as alcohol/artichoke, bagel/buxom, and window/nirvana. This week we look at a subset of doublets, focusing on words based on numbers, but not obviously so. (Stewart Edelstein is an attorney and the author of Dubious Doublets: A Delightful Compendium of Unlikely Word Pairs of Common Origin, from Aardvark/Porcelain to Zodiac/Whiskey: http://amazon.com/o/asin/0471227641/ws00-20/ )