A.Word.A.Day Archives
from https://wordsmith.org/awad
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Date: Mon Apr 2 00:21:05 EDT 2012
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--alley-oop
X-Bonus: Although men flatter themselves with their great actions, they are not so often the result of a great design as of chance. -Francois, duc de La Rochefoucauld, moralist (1613-1680)
French puisn� becomes puny when it crosses the water to land in the
English-speaking world. Petit turns petty. That's how words naturalize.
They adapt to their new surroundings.
They lose their accent marks. They shed their silent letters. They drop
markers of their previous lives when they enter the land of Anglophonia.
Of course, there are two sides to each coin. If you were to ask the French,
they'd claim these are French words that have been corrupted in English.
For this week's A.Word.A.Day we've selected five words that are completely
anglicized. They come with no nasal sounds, no lip-rounding, no berets.
alley-oop (al-ee-OOP)
interjection: Used as an exhortation or to signal the start of an activity.
For example, when coordinating efforts to lift something heavy.
noun: A basketball move in which a player throws the ball to a teammate
near the basket who leaps to catch it in mid-air and then puts it
in the basket before returning to the floor.
[Phonetic respelling of French allez-hop or allez-oop, cry of a circus
performer about to leap. From French allez, imperative of aller (to go)
+ hop/oop (an expressive word). Earliest documented use: 1923.]
NOTES: If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is perhaps worth a million.
See these superb alley-oops in action http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKTOKXouGTQ
"You couldn't haul bodies without a partner and you needed to be able
to talk, even if it was only to say alley-oop."
Cory Doctorow; Overclocked; Thunder's Mouth Press; 2007.
"Jawanza Poland soared to the basket and flushed home an alley oop."
Pete Thamel, et al; Bearcats Knock Off Florida State; The New York Times;
Mar 19, 2012.
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Date: Tue Apr 3 00:01:05 EDT 2012
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--kickshaw
X-Bonus: We should be slower to think that the man at his worst is the real man, and certain that the better we are ourselves the less likely is he to be at his worst in our company. Every time he talks away his own character before us he is signifying contempt for ours. -James M. Barrie, novelist, short-story writer, and playwright (1860-1937)
This week's theme: French words that are now anglicized
kickshaw (KIK-shaw) noun
1. A fancy dish; delicacy.
2. A trinket.
[From phonetic respelling of French quelque chose (something) as kickshaws
which was treated as a plural and turned into the singular kickshaw.
Earliest documented use: 1598.]
"I assume it's a gloriously handsome affair ... slices of homemade seed
cake and other toothsome kickshaws."
Jonathan Glancey; Mrs Beckett; Building Design (UK); Oct 24, 2008.
"A more sophisticated eye might cringe at the odd little kickshaws
displayed about the room, but I appreciated the whimsy."
Amanda Stevens; The Prophet; Harlequin; 2012.
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Date: Wed Apr 4 00:01:06 EDT 2012
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--toot sweet
X-Bonus: Ambition is like hunger; it obeys no law but its appetite. -Josh Billings, columnist and humorist (1818-1885)
This week's theme: French words that are now anglicized
toot sweet (toot sweet) adverb
Quickly; immediately.
[Phonetic respelling of French tout de suite (at once, straight away).
Earliest documented use: 1917.]
"Martinson called the cops and told them to get a patrol car to her house
toot sweet."
Philip Elmer-DeWitt; 10 Juicy Details From the iPhone Affidavit; Fortune
(New York); May 15, 2010.
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Date: Thu Apr 5 00:01:04 EDT 2012
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--parry
X-Bonus: Walking is also an ambulation of mind. -Gretel Ehrlich, novelist, poet, and essayist (b. 1946)
This week's theme: French words that are now anglicized
parry (PAR-ee)
verb tr.: To ward off or evade.
noun: A defensive movement or an evasive answer.
[From French parez (ward off), imperative of parer (to ward off),
from Latin parare (to set or prepare). Earliest documented use: 1655.]
"In the way Ryan Gosling parried questions with polite, self-deprecating
charm, you could still see the Canadian in him."
Brian Johnson; Red Hot Ryan; Maclean's (Toronto, Canada); Sep 19, 2011.
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Date: Fri Apr 6 00:01:05 EDT 2012
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--mayday
X-Bonus: Those who cannot forgive others break the bridge over which they themselves must pass. -Confucius, philosopher and teacher (c. 551-478 BCE)
This week's theme: French words that are now anglicized
Mayday or mayday (MAY-day) noun
A distress signal; a call for help.
[Mayday is an international radio distress signal used by ships and aircraft
to call for help. It's a phonetic respelling of French m'aider, from venez
m'aider (come and help me), from venir (to come) + me (me) + aider (to help).
Earliest documented use: 1927.]
"Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter flew to the aid of a yachtsman who made
a mayday call this morning off the coast of Raglan."
Abby Gillies; Rescue Services Kept Busy; The New Zealand Herald (Auckland);
Mar 3, 2012.
"Rooms [at Hotel Bel-Air are] so high-tech I felt like a 747 pilot. Helpful
techies arrived promptly no matter how often I radioed Mayday."
Mr. Incognito Goes To Tinseltown; Cond� Nast's Traveler (New York); Feb 2012.
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Date: Mon Apr 9 00:01:04 EDT 2012
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--doldrums
X-Bonus: Dreams have only one owner at a time. That's why dreamers are lonely. -Erma Bombeck, author (1927-1996)
This week marks 100 years of the sinking of the Titanic, a ship believed to
be virtually unsinkable. Named after the family of giants in Greek
mythology, the ship has attained a mythological status of its own.
The disaster has also cemented many idioms in the language. "To rearrange
chairs on the deck (of the Titanic)" is to engage in a futile or entirely
pointless activity.
Another such idiom is "And the band played on." Although the selfless members
of the band continued playing music to soothe and distract panicked passengers
on the sinking ship, the term is now derogatory and implies putting one's head
in the sand in the face of an approaching disaster.
This week we'll look at five words with nautical origins.
doldrums (DOHL-druhmz) noun
1. A state or period of stagnation or slump.
2. A region of the ocean near the equator marked by calms and light
variable winds.
[In the olden days when a sail-powered vessel hit a calm region of the
ocean, it could be stuck there for days. Sailors called that area the
doldrums. The word is from Old English dol (dull, stupid), the ending
influenced by the word tantrum. Earliest documented use: 1811.
Also see horse latitudes https://wordsmith.org/words/horse_latitudes.html .]
The doldrums aka Intertropical Convergence Zone:
https://wordsmith.org/words/images/doldrums_large.png
Illustration: Mats Halldin
"While the US stock market roared ahead, Europe was left in the doldrums."
Ole Hansen; Commodities Update; Oman Daily Observer; Apr 4, 2012.
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Date: Tue Apr 10 00:01:05 EDT 2012
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--scupper
X-Bonus: Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you. -William Arthur Ward, college administrator, writer (1921-1994)
This week's theme: Words of nautical origins
scupper (SKUP-uhr)
noun: An opening for draining water, as on the side of a ship.
[From Old French escopir (to spit). Earliest documented use: 1485.]
verb tr.: 1. To prevent from succeeding.
2. To overwhelm, disable, or destroy.
[Perhaps from the noun form of the word. Earliest documented use: 1885.]
"Three possible misfortunes could scupper recovery."
Inside the Miracle; The Economist (London, UK); Mar 13, 2010.
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Date: Wed Apr 11 00:01:05 EDT 2012
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--scuttlebutt
X-Bonus: If words are to enter men's minds and bear fruit, they must be the right words shaped cunningly to pass men's defenses and explode silently and effectually within their minds. -J.B. Phillips, writer and clergyman (1906-1982)
This week's theme: Words of nautical origins
scuttlebutt (SKUT-l-but) noun
1. Rumor, gossip.
2. A drinking fountain or a cask of drinking water on a ship.
[From scuttle (a small opening in the deck or hull of a ship) + butt (cask).
Also see furphy https://wordsmith.org/words/furphy.html . Earliest documented
use: 1801.]
NOTES: The word arose from the sailors' habit of gathering around the
scuttlebutt on a ship's deck. Things haven't changed much with time.
Now we have watercooler gossip in modern offices.
A scuttlebutt on the USS Constitution: https://wordsmith.org/words/images/scuttlebutt_large.jpg
Photo: Jessi Hagood http://jessihagoodphotography.com/
"Here's a roundup of iPad 3 rumors, with a little context as to whether
you should believe the scuttlebutt or not."
Matthew Shaer; iPad 3 Rumors; The Christian Science Monitor (Boston);
Dec 14, 2011.
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Date: Thu Apr 12 00:01:05 EDT 2012
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--bonanza
X-Bonus: Everyone, in some small sacred sanctuary of the self, is nuts. -Leo Rosten, author (1908-1997)
This week's theme: Words of nautical origins
bonanza (buh-NAN-zah, boh-) noun
1. A source of sudden wealth or profits.
2. A very large amount.
3. A rich mine or pocket of ore.
[From Spanish bonanza (calm sea, hence good luck or prosperity),
from Latin bonus (good). Earliest documented use: 1844.]
"Belfast residents hope the Titanic exhibition will spur a tourism bonanza."
Mark Phillips; Belfast Hopes Titanic Proves Big Tourist Draw; CBS News
(New York); Mar 31, 2012.
"We feel we have a major discovery here, with bonanza-type grades of
silver, and even the gold values are very high as well."
Ted Niles; Sienna Finds High Silver and Gold Grades; Financial Post
(Canada); Mar 28, 2012.
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Date: Fri Apr 13 00:01:05 EDT 2012
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--groundswell
X-Bonus: It is better to prevent crimes than to punish them. -Cesare Beccaria, philosopher and politician (1738-1794)
This week's theme: Words of nautical origins
groundswell (GROUND-swell) noun
1. A surge of opinion or feeling about someone or something.
2. A broad deep swell of the ocean, caused by a distant storm or
an earthquake.
[Groundswell was the term sailors used for a swelling of the ocean. Why ground?
Originally, ground referred to the bottom of anything, especially an ocean.
Earliest documented use: 1817.]
"A nationwide general strike fuelled by a groundswell of anger brought parts
of Spain to a halt yesterday."
General Strike; The New Zealand Herald (Auckland); Mar 31, 2012.
"Waves along the coasts may get as high as 23 feet this weekend due to two
significant groundswells."
High Surf Expected This Weekend; Los Angeles Times; Mar 29, 2012.
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Date: Mon Apr 16 00:01:05 EDT 2012
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--paragon
X-Bonus: The most erroneous stories are those we think we know best -- and therefore never scrutinize or question. -Stephen Jay Gould, paleontologist, biologist, author (1941-2002)
There's a well-known (and possibly made-up) newspaper headline:
Teacher Strikes Idle Kids
What's going on here? Is it a case of teachers hitting indolent students or
of teachers asking for better wages? It's an instance of the malleability
of the language that some words can act like one of those flip animations:
what you see depends on what angle you see it from. In the above headline
words take either of two roles (strike: noun/verb, idle: verb/adjective).
Here are a couple of other examples:
Reagan Wins on Budget, But More Lies Ahead
British Left Waffles on Falkland Islands
Newspaper editors often have to come up with succinct headlines at short
notice. You can't fault them for having a little fun on the job. This
week is your chance to play being a newspaper editor. All the words to be
featured in A.Word.A.Day this week have meanings in more than one part of
speech.
Can you make a newspaper headline using one or more words from this week?
Mail them to (words at wordsmith.org). For more inspiration, see crash blossoms
http://www.crashblossoms.com/
paragon (PAR-uh-gohn)
noun: 1. A model of excellence or perfection.
2. A match or an equal.
3. A perfect diamond weighing 100 carats or more.
4. A very large round pearl.
5. A type size of 20 points.
verb tr.: To compare, parallel, rival, or surpass.
[From Middle French paragone/peragone (perfect diamond), from Old Italian
paragone (touchstone), from Greek parakonan (to sharpen), from akone
(whetstone), from akme (point). Ultimately from the Indo-European root ak-
(sharp), which is also the source of acrid, vinegar, acid, acute, edge,
hammer, heaven, eager, oxygen, and mediocre. Earliest documented use: 1548.]
"Mom, a paragon of manners, stresses the importance of offering sincere
gratitude before asking for more."
Don't Be Fooled; Chicago Tribune; Mar 24, 2010.
"The Cavaliere ... paragoned her in his song to all the pagan goddesses
of antiquity."
Edith Wharton; Crucial Instances; 1901.
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Date: Tue Apr 17 00:01:04 EDT 2012
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--countenance
X-Bonus: In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. -Albert Schweitzer, philosopher, physician, musician, Nobel laureate (1875-1965)
This week's theme: Words that have meanings in multiple parts of speech
countenance (KOUN-tuh-nans)
verb tr.: To tolerate or support.
noun: 1. Appearance, especially the facial expression.
2. The face.
3. Composure.
4. Approval or support.
[From Old French contenance (bearing), from Latin continere (to contain),
from con- (with) + tenere (to hold). Ultimately from the Indo-European
root ten- (to stretch), which also gave us tense, tenet, tendon, tent,
tenor, tender, pretend, extend, tenure, tetanus, hypotenuse,
tenable https://wordsmith.org/words/tenable.html ,
pertinacious https://wordsmith.org/words/pertinacious.html , and
detente https://wordsmith.org/words/detente.html . Earliest documented use:
around 1290.]
"President Barack Obama said on Tuesday the United States 'will not
countenance' Iran developing a nuclear weapon."
Obama Seeks to Calm 'Drumbeat of War' Over Iran; The Buenos Aires Herald
(Argentina); Mar 6, 2012.
"Thomas has long possessed a fierce countenance known to intimidate."
Matt Calkins; NBA Veteran Journeyman Kurt Thomas; Columbian (Vancouver,
Washington); Dec 13, 2011.
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Date: Wed Apr 18 00:01:07 EDT 2012
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--gloze
X-Bonus: What is the purpose of the giant sequoia tree? The purpose of the giant sequoia tree is to provide shade for the tiny titmouse. -Edward Abbey, naturalist and author (1927-1989)
This week's theme: Words that have meanings in multiple parts of speech
gloze (glohz)
verb tr.: To minimize or to explain away.
verb intr.: 1. To use flattery.
2. To make an explanation.
3. To shine brightly.
noun: 1. A comment.
2. Flattery.
3. A pretense.
[From Old French gloser (to explain), from Latin glossa (explanation of
a difficult word), from Greek glossa (word needing explanation, language).
Ultimately from the Indo-European root ghel- (to shine), which is also the
source of words such as yellow, gold, glimmer, glimpse, glass, arsenic,
melancholy, and cholera. Earliest documented use: around 1290.]
"When Anthony Blunt was exposed 20 years ago, there were some who tried to
gloze his conduct."
Geoffrey Wheatcroft; Her Russia Right or Wrong; The Spectator (London, UK);
Sep 18, 1999.
"From the pyramid's apex 42.3 billion candlepower's worth of white light
shines, glozes, fulgurates, burns."
Josh Axelrad; Repeat Until Rich: A Professional Card Counter's Chronicle
of the of the Blackjack Wars; Penguin; 2010.
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Date: Thu Apr 19 00:01:05 EDT 2012
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--tarry
X-Bonus: To have great poets, there must be great audiences. -Walt Whitman, poet (1819-1892)
This week's theme: Words that have meanings in multiple parts of speech
tarry (TAIR-ee)
verb intr.: To delay, stay, or wait.
verb tr.: To wait for.
noun: A short stay; a sojourn.
[From Middle English tarien/taryen (to delay). Earliest documented use: 1451.]
tarry (TAHR-ee)
adjective: Of, like, or smeared with tar.
[From tar, from Old English teru. Earliest documented use: 1552.]
"Although they've been criticized for tarrying, county officials say work
is progressing."
Amy Schatz; Hospital Talks Continue; St. Petersburg Times (Florida);
Apr 3, 1998.
"The story of Jesus's three-day-long tarry with the elders of the temple
becomes, in Ms. Rice's hands, a fever dream."
Benjamin Lytal; The Gospel According to the Goth; The Sun (New York);
Oct 31, 2005.
"Otters are mainly detected by their characteristic spraints*, which have
a tarry smell."
Michael McCarthy; The Incredible Journey of an Intrepid Otter;
The Independent (London, UK); Nov 21, 2008.
* otter dung
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Date: Fri Apr 20 00:01:05 EDT 2012
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--bluff
X-Bonus: The world, we are told, was made especially for man -- a presumption not supported by all the facts... Why should man value himself as more than a small part of the one great unit of creation? -John Muir, naturalist and explorer (1838-1914)
This week's theme: Words that have meanings in multiple parts of speech
bluff (bluhf)
verb tr., intr.: To mislead or deceive, especially by a false display of confidence.
noun: An instance of bluffing; also one who bluffs.
[From Dutch bluffen (to brag). Earliest documented use: 1674.]
adjective: Good-naturedly direct in speech or manner.
noun: 1. A broad, steep cliff or promontory.
2. A grove or clump of trees.
[From obsolete Dutch blaf (flat), or Middle Low German blaff (broad, smooth).
Earliest documented use: 1666.]
"Answer with authority and they'll believe the bluff. How many of us love
that advertisement where the dad tells the kid that the Great Wall of
China was built to keep the rabbits out?"
Karen Hardy; Parents Must Teach, Too; The Canberra Times (Australia);
Mar 10, 2012
"Kip Hawley, the man who runs the TSA, is a bluff, amiable fellow who is
capable of making a TSA joke. 'Do you want three ounces of water?' he
asked me."
Jeffrey Goldberg; The Things He Carried; Atlantic (New York); Nov 2008.
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/11/the-things-he-carried/7057/?single_page=true
"Record snowfall of more than 16 feet on the bluff has chased moose to the
lower elevations."
Naomi Klouda; Moose Don't Mix With Dogs, People; Homer Tribune (Alaska);
Mar 28, 2012.
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Date: Mon Apr 23 00:01:04 EDT 2012
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--foible
X-Bonus: Moral certainty is always a sign of cultural inferiority. The more uncivilized the man, the surer he is that he knows precisely what is right and what is wrong. All human progress, even in morals, has been the work of men who have doubted the current moral values, not of men who have whooped them up and tried to enforce them. The truly civilized man is always skeptical and tolerant, in this field as in all others. His culture is based on "I am not too sure." -H.L. Mencken, writer, editor, and critic (1880-1956)
At one time learning how to wield a sword was an essential part of a
classical education for a man. Thankfully we have come a long way from
those days when every problem had to be solved by picking up a weapon.
Yet, traces of that time are still with us in the form of words about fencing
(from the same root as defense), and swords that we use without realizing
their origins.
Enjoy this week's words about swords, but remember even words can have sharp
edges, even words can hurt. It doesn't take much to turn words into a sword.
Use them with caution, and use them only for good.
foible (FOI-buhl) noun
1. A minor weakness or an idiosyncrasy in someone's character.
2. The weaker, upper part of a sword blade.
[From obsolete French foible (feeble), from Latin flere (to weep). Earliest
documented use: before 1648.]
"Despite all our faults and foibles, human beings are apparently pretty
good at sharing and cooperating."
Faye Flam; Humans Are More Cooperative Than Chimps; The Philadelphia
Inquirer; Mar 2, 2012.
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Date: Tue Apr 24 00:01:08 EDT 2012
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--forte
X-Bonus: I value my garden more for being full of blackbirds than of cherries, and very frankly give them fruit for their songs. -Joseph Addison, essayist and poet (1672-1719)
This week's theme: Words from fencing
forte (fort, FOHR-tay)
noun: 1. A strong point: something in which a person excels.
2. The stronger, lower part of a sword blade.
[From French forte (strong), from Latin fortis (strong). Earliest documented
use: before 1648. Also see foible https://wordsmith.org/words/foible.html .]
forte (FOHR-tay)
Used in music direction:
adjective: Loud.
adverb: In a forceful manner.
[From Italian forte (strong, loud), from Latin fortis (strong). Also see
sforzando https://wordsmith.org/words/sforzando.html . Earliest documented
use: 1724.]
NOTES: The noun sense of the word was originally pronounced as a single
syllable (fort), as in French, however the two-syllable pronunciation
(FOHR-tay) has mostly supplanted it. The word is in that limbo state
where no matter how you pronounce it, someone may fault you for it -- so
now you are armed with an explanation!
"Peter Mandelson made blunders in the very dark arts that were supposed to
be his forte."
European Redemption; The Economist (London, UK); Oct 11, 2008.
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Date: Wed Apr 25 00:01:05 EDT 2012
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--elan
X-Bonus: A morning-glory at my window satisfies me more than the metaphysics of books. -Walt Whitman, poet (1819-1892)
This week's theme: Words from fencing
elan (ay-LAHN*) noun
*this syllable is nasal in French
A combination of energy, enthusiasm, and style.
[From French �lan (enthusiasm), from �lancer (to dart), from lancer
(to throw), from Latin lancea (lance). Earliest documented use: 1880.]
"'Margaret Whitlam was seldom afraid to speak her mind and she spoke
it with elan and wit,' John Robertson said."
Labor Party Forever Indebted to Margaret Whitlam; AAP (Australia);
Mar 17, 2012.
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Date: Thu Apr 26 00:01:05 EDT 2012
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--riposte
X-Bonus: Only mediocrity can be trusted to be always at its best. Genius must always have lapses proportionate to its triumphs. -Max Beerbohm, essayist, parodist, and caricaturist (1872-1956)
This week's theme: Words from fencing
riposte or ripost (ri-POST)
noun: 1. A quick, clever reply.
2. In fencing, a quick return thrust.
verb tr.: To make a quick, clever reply.
verb intr.: In fencing, to make a quick return thrust.
[From obsolete French risposte (response), from Italian risposta (response),
from Latin respondere (to respond), from re- (back) + spondere (to pledge).
Ultimately from the Indo-European root spend- (to make an offering or
perform a rite), which is also the source of sponsor, spouse, espouse,
and respond. Earliest documented use: 1707.]
"Asked about the situation, Rodriguez delivered a particularly pointed
riposte that embodied his mature response to the entire situation."
Sam Borden; Kansas State Sets Up Melting Pot; The New York Times;
Mar 16, 2012.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/17/sports/ncaabasketball/ncaa-tournament-kansas-states-angel-rodriguez-dismisses-racial-taunts.html
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Date: Fri Apr 27 00:01:06 EDT 2012
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--touch�
X-Bonus: Art is the elimination of the unnecessary. -Pablo Picasso, painter and sculptor (1881-1973)
This week's theme: Words from fencing
touch� (too-SHAY) interjection
1. Used as an acknowledgment of a valid or clever point made by another.
2. In fencing, an acknowledgment of a hit by an opponent.
[From French touch� (touched), past participle of toucher (to touch),
from Latin toccare (to touch). Earliest documented use: 1904.]
"A New Jersey teacher wrote: 'I am tired of people who have never taught
a roomful of 34 high school students telling me I am doing it wrong.'
Touch�."
Thomas Massaro; Beyond Doubt; America (New York); Feb 13, 2012.
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Date: Mon Apr 30 00:01:05 EDT 2012
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--mentor
X-Bonus: Society is like a lawn, where every roughness is smoothed, every bramble eradicated, and where the eye is delighted by the smiling verdure of a velvet surface; he, however, who would study nature in its wildness and variety, must plunge into the forest, must explore the glen, must stem the torrent, and dare the precipice. -Washington Irving, writer (1783-1859)
Actors act, curators curate, and orators orate. But doctors don't doct*,
victors don't vict, and pastors don't past. Such is the English language.
And we certainly don't want ancestors to ancest, traitors to trait, or
gators to gate.
This week A.Word.A.Day will feature five people, real and fictional, whose
names may appear to be derived from a verb form, but aren't. Mentors, for
example, don't ment, though that doesn't prevent people from forming nouns
such as 'mentee' and verbs like 'to mentor'.
This week's words are eponyms, a word derived from someone's name.
* Doctors don't doct, but a doctor was a teacher in the past,
from Latin docere (to teach), which also gave us docent and document
(literally, a piece of instruction).
mentor (MEN-tohr, -tuhr)
noun: A wise and trusted adviser or teacher.
verb tr., intr.: To serve as an adviser or teacher.
[After Mentor, the name of young Telemachus's adviser in Homer's Odyssey.
Earliest documented use: 1750.]
Telemachus and Mentor: https://wordsmith.org/words/images/mentor_large.jpg
Art: Pablo E. Fabisch, 1699
"Just as mentors come in different shapes and sizes, they fill different
roles. Ms. Brooks said the common denominator is that they are good and
active listeners willing to offer constructive, but blunt, criticism and,
at the same time, share stories about their own failures."
Mark Evans; Age No Barrier; Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Mar 30, 2012.