A.Word.A.Day Archives
from https://wordsmith.org/awad
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Date: Mon Aug 1 00:01:22 EDT 2005
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--gadarene
X-Bonus: It is as easy to dream a book as it is hard to write one. -Honore de Balzac, novelist (1799-1850)
gadarene (GAD-uh-reen) adjective
Headlong; rash.
[After the town of Gadara in a biblical story where two demon-possessed
men ask Jesus to send them into a herd of swine. They dash into the
herd and all the animals rush violently over a cliff.]
"Research from Greenwich Associates has identified a Gadarene rush
by Japanese financial institutions into hedge funds."
John Plender; Punting, Not Hedging; Financial Times (London, UK);
Sep 27, 2004.
In the 1920s, while barring the teaching of foreign languages, Texas
governor Miriam "Ma" Ferguson picked up a Bible and famously declared,
"If English was good enough for Jesus Christ, it's good enough for Texas."
The governor could be excused for not knowing that what she held in her
hand was a translation, but not for mixing state and religion. But here
we'll focus on the former.
If anything, she unknowingly presented an argument for better teaching of
history and geography. There was no language called English at the time of
Jesus, nor was the Bible written in English. The books making up the text
of the Bible were written in various languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek).
So much for mandating monolingualism!
The text of the Bible encompasses a variety of genres: prose and poetry,
letters and songs, acrostics and puns, prophecy and beyond. The Bible is
also a rich source of metaphors many of which have become part of the
language. This week we've picked five such biblical allusions.
-Anu Garg
(garg AT wordsmith.org)
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Date: Tue Aug 2 00:01:13 EDT 2005
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--potter's field
X-Bonus: Who has not for the sake of his reputation sacrificed himself? -Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, philosopher (1844-1900)
potter's field (POT-uhrs feeld) noun
A burial place for poor or unidentified people.
[The term derives from the name of the area where Judas was buried
after he hanged himself. The land was bought with pieces of silver
he had received for betraying Jesus.]
"The potter's fields are full. There are so many dead that there is
nowhere left to put them [people who died crossing the desert from
Mexico into the US]."
Luis Alberto Urrea; America's Bounty For Mexico; The Arizona Republic
(Phoenix); Jun 12, 2005.
This week's theme: Biblical allusions.
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Date: Wed Aug 3 00:01:10 EDT 2005
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--crown of thorns
X-Bonus: You have just dined, and however scrupulously the slaughterhouse is concealed in the graceful distance of miles, there is complicity. -Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer and philosopher (1803-1882)
crown of thorns (kroun ov thornz) noun
1. An onerous burden or an affliction that causes intense suffering.
2. A thorny bush (Euphorbia milii) native to Madagascar, grown as a
houseplant. (picture: http://blankees.com/house/plants/crown.htm )
3. A starfish (Acanthaster planci) found in the Pacific that feeds on
live corals. (picture: http://divegallery.com/crownofthorns.htm )
[After the biblical account of a mock crown made of thorny branches
that Roman soldiers placed on Jesus's head before his crucifixion.]
"Manipur chief minister O.I. Singh wears a crown of thorns. With
battlelines clearly drawn on several fronts, it will take a major effort
to close ranks."
Patricia Mukhim; A Recipe For Disaster?; The Telegraph (Calcutta, India);
Jul 5, 2005.
This week's theme: Biblical allusions.
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Date: Thu Aug 4 00:01:12 EDT 2005
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--widow's cruse
X-Bonus: We all travel the milky way together, trees and men... trees are travellers, in the ordinary sense. They make journeys, not very extensive ones, it is true: but our own little comes and goes are only little more than tree-wavings--many of them not so much. -John Muir, naturalist, explorer, and writer (1838-1914)
widow's cruse (WID-oz KROOZ) noun
An inexhaustible supply of something that appears meager.
[From the biblical story of the widow's jug of oil that miraculously
replenished itself to supply Elijah during a famine. A cruse is a small
earthen pot for holding liquids.]
A related biblical term is "widow's mite" indicating a small contribution
happily given by one who can hardly afford it. In the story, Jesus observes
people casting money into the treasury. While many rich gave much, a widow
contributed two mites, all she had. A mite is a coin of very small value.
The women in "widow's cruse" and "widow's mite" were two separate characters.
"It is true that the US Office of Management and Budget is predicting
budget surpluses [but] it is too early to conclude that America has
discovered the widow's cruse."
Heatstroke; The Times (London, UK); Aug 4, 1999.
This week's theme: Biblical allusions.
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Date: Fri Aug 5 00:01:27 EDT 2005
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--golden calf
X-Bonus: A conservative is one who admires radicals centuries after they're dead. -Leo Rosten, author (1908-1997)
golden calf (GOL-den KAHF) noun
Something unworthy that is excessively esteemed, especially money.
[In the biblical story Moses came down from Mount Sinai carrying the stone
tablets with the Ten Commandments only to find Israelites worshiping a calf
made of gold.]
"In an increasingly hi-tech, global market, convenience has become the
golden calf. Consumers expect year-round savings and availability."
Erin Ryan; Good News For the Little Guy; Boise Weekly (Idaho); Jun 30,
2005.
This week's theme: Biblical allusions.
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Date: Mon Aug 8 00:01:08 EDT 2005
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--prospicient
X-Bonus: The fingers of your thoughts are molding your face ceaselessly. -Charles Reznikoff, poet (1894-1976)
prospicient (pros-PISH-uhnt) adjective
Having foresight.
[From Latin prospiciens, from prospicere (to look forward), from pro-
(forward) + spicere, from specere (to look). Ultimately from Indo-European
root spek- (to observe) which is also the ancestor of such words as suspect,
spectrum, bishop (literally, overseer), espionage, despise, telescope, and
spectacles.]
"The answer is that an expectant or prospicient idea moves and guides
the ensuing action, being a part-cause of that action."
John Laird; Teleology; 1939.
After I finish reading a bedtime story to my daughter, I sometimes ask her,
"So, what do you think of the book?" More often than not, the answer is a
simple, "Good."
I tell her that the word "good" is banned. The book could be funny, boring,
interesting, scary, lovely, awful, awesome, delightful, ... or a combination
of terms. Anything but good. It's time to give the tired "good", and "bad",
a well-deserved rest.
I think the same applies for people. People are rarely just good or bad.
This week's words show five words to describe them.
-Anu Garg
(garg AT wordsmith.org)
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Date: Tue Aug 9 00:01:13 EDT 2005
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--chapfallen
X-Bonus: As I grow to understand life less and less, I learn to live it more and more. -Jules Renard, writer (1864-1910)
chapfallen or chopfallen (CHAP-faw-luhn, chop-) adjective
Dejected or dispirited.
[From chap or chop (jaw) + fallen.]
"Jon Bon Jovi, the New Jersey rock 'n' roller, says he's chapfallen
and desolate over rumors that his band is about to break up."
Chris Reidy; Bon Jovi's Funk; Boston Globe; Aug 7, 1990.
This week's theme: words to describe people.
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Date: Wed Aug 10 00:01:45 EDT 2005
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--recusant
X-Bonus: We must not be frightened nor cajoled into accepting evil as deliverance from evil. We must go on struggling to be human, though monsters of abstractions police and threaten us. -Robert Hayden, poet and educator (1913-1980)
recusant (REK-yu-zant, ri-KYOO-) adjective
Refusing to submit to authority; dissenting.
noun
1. One who refuses to obey authority.
2. One of the Roman Catholics during 16th and 18th century who refused
to attend services of the Church of England and were punished for it.
[From Latin recusant-, stem of recusans, present participle of recusare
(to recuse or object).]
"The 'recusant Republican senators' who defied their party and 'tipped
the balance in favor of Johnson' won praise from Rehnquist for putting
principle above politics."
Gaylord Shaw; Portrait of a Trial, Newsday (New York); Jan 5, 1999.
This week's theme: words to describe people.
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Date: Thu Aug 11 00:01:21 EDT 2005
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--insouciant
X-Bonus: Most institutions demand unqualified faith; but the institution of science makes skepticism a virtue. -Robert King Merton, sociologist (1910-2003)
insouciant (in-SOO-see-uhnt) adjective
Happily unconcerned; carefree; nonchalant.
[From French insouciant, from in- (not) + souciant, present participle
of soucier (to care), from Vulgar Latin sollicitare (to vex), from Latin
sollicitus (anxious), from sollus (entire) + citus, past participle of
ciere (to move).]
"[John] Brisker also voiced a strong loyalty to Seattle, the likes of
which are rare among many of today's pro athletes who are insouciant
about where they play."
Robert L. Jamieson Jr.; Former Sonic Forever Shrouded in Mystery;
Seattle Post-Intelligencer; Jul 2, 2004.
This week's theme: words to describe people.
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Date: Fri Aug 12 00:01:09 EDT 2005
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--inveterate
X-Bonus: The first man to see an illusion by which men have flourished for centuries surely stands in a lonely place. -Gary Zukav, author (1942- )
inveterate (in-VET-ehr-it) adjective
Firmly established; habitual.
[From Middle English, from Latin inveteratus, past participle of inveterare
(to grow old), in-, + vetus, stem of veter- (old). Ultimately from
Indo-European root wet- (year) that is also the source of such words as
veteran, veal (in the sense of yearling), and veterinary (relating to the
beasts of burden, perhaps alluding to old cattle).]
"Men met each other with erected look,
The steps were higher that they took;
Friends to congratulate their friends made haste,
And long inveterate foes saluted as they pass'd."
John Dryden; Threnodia Augustalis; 1685.
This week's theme: words to describe people.
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Date: Mon Aug 15 00:01:11 EDT 2005
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--invious
X-Bonus: Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life. -Immanuel Kant, philosopher (1724-1804)
invious (IN-vi-uhs) adjective
Pathless; untrodden; inaccessible.
[From Latin invius, from in- (not) + via (road).]
"If nothing can oppugn love
And virtue invious ways can prove,
What may he not confide to do
That brings both love and virtue too?"
Samuel Butler; Hudibras; 1662.
Even though it can be caught by any run-of-the-mill spell-checker,
"definately" is one of the most common misspellings around. Google shows
millions of citations for it. It appears even in edited writing: in books
and in newspaper and magazine articles.
If this trend continues, some day this spelling will tiptoe its way into
dictionaries as "miniscule" did. The original word was "minuscule", from
Latin minus (less). English language speakers erroneously believed the word
came from the prefix mini- and began spelling it as miniscule. As this newer
spelling grew in usage, it found a place in the dictionaries, first tagged
as erroneous, and later simply as a variant spelling. The rising popularity
of "definately" appears to be inspired by the sound rather than the meaning.
Purists might agonize over the "decay" of the English language, but the best
way to handle language change is this: be conservative in what you send and
generous in what you accept. In other words, be punctilious in your own
grammar and spelling, but overlook others' solecisms.
In this week's AWAD, we feature five words that might trip us in another way.
These are words that appear as misspellings even though they are genuine
dictionary words.
-Anu Garg
(garg AT wordsmith.org)
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Date: Tue Aug 16 00:01:09 EDT 2005
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--physis
X-Bonus: Humanity also needs dreamers, for whom the disinterested development of an enterprise is so captivating that it becomes impossible for them to devote their care to their own material profit. Without doubt, these dreamers do not deserve wealth, because they do not desire it. Even so, a well-organized society should assure to such workers the efficient means of accomplishing their task, in a life freed from material care and freely consecrated to research. -Marie Curie, scientist, Nobel laureate (1867-1934)
physis (FY-sis) noun
1. Nature personified; nature as a source of growth or change.
2. Something that grows, changes, or becomes.
[From Greek physis (origin).]
"The current strike force of Masawi and Zenzo Moyo who depend most on
physis and stamina rather than skill is yet to be tested on the
international arena."
Zim's Golf Sensation Surges Towards PGA; Zimbabwe Independent (Harare);
Dec 24, 1999
This week's theme: words that appear to be misspellings.
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Date: Wed Aug 17 00:01:11 EDT 2005
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--apposite
X-Bonus: There is a road from the eye to the heart that does not go through the intellect. -G.K. Chesterton, essayist and novelist (1874-1936)
apposite (AP-uh-zit, uh-POZ-it) adjective
Highly appropriate; relevant; apt.
[From Latin appositus, past participle of apponere (to put near), from
ponere (to put). Ultimately from Indo-European root apo- (off or away)
that is also the source of after, off, awkward, post, and puny.]
"It is apposite to address the matter of tuition fees at this stage."
Higher Education Funding Report; The Malta Independent; Nov 14, 2004.
This week's theme: words that appear to be misspellings.
ONLINE CHAT: This Saturday, discuss evolution of language with Guy Deutscher,
author of The Unfolding of Language: An Evolutionary Tour of Mankind's
Greatest Invention. Aug 20, 2005, 11 AM Pacific [GMT -7] at:
https://wordsmith.org/chat
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Date: Thu Aug 18 00:01:18 EDT 2005
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--secund
X-Bonus: To love truth for truth's sake is the principal part of human perfection in this world, and the seed-plot of all other virtues. -John Locke, philosopher (1632-1704)
secund (SEE-kuhnd, SEK-uhnd) adjective
Arranged on (or turned towards) only one side of an axis.
[From Latin secundus (following), from sequi (to follow).]
Example:
Wild Foxglove http://community.webshots.com/photo/157858031/157873795mrYqPn
"The flowers are arranged in a very loose spiral or are sometimes secund."
James Alexander Fowler; Wild Orchids Of South Carolina; University of
South Carolina Press; 2005.
This week's theme: words that appear to be misspellings.
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Date: Fri Aug 19 00:01:12 EDT 2005
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--renumerate
X-Bonus: There is a loftier ambition than merely to stand high in the world. It is to stoop down and lift mankind a little higher. -Henry van Dyke, poet (1852-1933)
renumerate (re-NOO-muh-rayt) verb tr.
To recount.
[From Latin renumerare (to count over) from re- + numerare (to count),
ultimately from Indo-European root nem- (to assign or take) that's also
the source for words such as number, numb, astronomy, and nemesis.]
"We can renumerate a number of things which are still strong with
Central Government," Mr. Brown said.
Mayor Brown Wants Restructuring Delayed; The Daily Gleaner (Kingston,
Jamaica) Sep 10, 1986.
This week's theme: words that appear to be misspellings.
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Date: Mon Aug 22 00:01:15 EDT 2005
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--propitious
X-Bonus: You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions. -Naguib Mahfouz, writer (1911- )
propitious (pruh-PISH-uhs) adjective
1. Presenting favorable conditions.
2. Favorably inclined; kindly.
[From Middle English propicius, from Latin propitius, ultimately from
Indo-European root pet- (to rush, fly). Other words from this root are
feather, pin, impetus, and pinnacle.]
"[Foreign] aid had a propitious effect on growth in poorer developing
countries in the 1960s and on middle-income countries in the 1970s."
Girish P Pant; Aid and Growth; Kathmandu Post (Nepal); Jul 15, 2005.
A.Word.A.Day subscribers read this newsletter for many different
reasons. For some, it's the joy of learning fascinating stories of
the origins of words or their etymologies. For others, it's discovering
unusual words, whether it's their meanings or sounds or spelling.
Many, especially students, read it to grow their vocabulary for one
of the many standardized tests or for personal enrichment. Those
readers sometimes write back to say, "OK, so this word petrichor
(see https://wordsmith.org/words/petrichor.html ) is interesting, but
I'd like to see words that I can use more often in my daily life."
Each word featured in AWAD includes examples taken from newspapers,
magazines, and books to illustrate it and to show that it has been
used in the real world.
Still, we take their point. This week we present words you might
encounter in your next test.
-Anu Garg
(garg AT wordsmith.org)
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Date: Tue Aug 23 00:01:17 EDT 2005
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--legerity
X-Bonus: It's good to have money and the things that money can buy, but it's good, too, to check up once in a while and make sure that you haven't lost the things that money can't buy. -George H. Lorimer, editor (1868-1937)
legerity (luh-JER-i-tee) noun
Nimbleness; agility.
[From French l�g�ret�, from l�ger (light), from Vulgar Latin leviarius,
from Latin levis (light).]
"I began to follow at the same rate, but immediately slackened speed for
fear that Watts-Dunton behind us might be embittered at sight of so much
youth and legerity."
Henry Maximilian Beerbohm; No. 2 The Pines; 1914.
This week's theme: miscellaneous words.
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Date: Wed Aug 24 00:01:11 EDT 2005
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--malversation
X-Bonus: The less justified a man is in claiming excellence for his own self, the more ready he is to claim all excellence for his nation, his religion, his race or his holy cause. A man is likely to mind his own business when it is worth minding. When it is not, he takes his mind off his own meaningless affairs by minding other people's business. -Eric Hoffer, philosopher and author (1902-1983)
malversation (mal-vuhr-SAY-shuhn) noun
Corrupt behavior in public office.
[From Middle French malversation, from malverser (to embezzle), from Latin
maleversari (to behave badly), from male (ill) + versari (to behave), from
vertere (to turn). Ultimately from Indo-European root wer- (to turn or bend)
that is also the source of words such as wring, weird, writhe, worth, revert,
and universe.]
"[Ramon Magsaysay] called for inquiries into the alleged malversation
of the Motor Vehicles Users Charge and the reported overpricing of the
project."
Rome C. Jorge; Senator Proposes Reforms; The Manila Times (Philippines);
Jul 22, 2005.
This week's theme: miscellaneous words.
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Date: Thu Aug 25 00:01:11 EDT 2005
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--axiomatic
X-Bonus: Life cannot be classified in terms of a simple neurological ladder, with human beings at the top; it is more accurate to talk of different forms of intelligence, each with its strengths and weaknesses. This point was well demonstrated in the minutes before last December's tsunami, when tourists grabbed their digital cameras and ran after the ebbing surf, and all the 'dumb' animals made for the hills. -B.R. Myers, author (1963- )
axiomatic (ak-see-uh-MAT-ik) adjective
1. Indisputably true; self-evident.
2. Aphoristic.
[From Greek axiomatikos, from axioma (honorable). Ultimately from
Indo-European root ag- (to drive, draw) that's also the fount of such
words as act, agent, agitate, litigate, synagogue, and ambassador.]
"There is nothing in economic theory that sustains this view in an
unqualified manner. Yet, this view is commonly regarded as axiomatic."
Pulin B Nayak; Yes, it Breaches the CMP; Financial Express (New Delhi,
India); Jul 18, 2005.
This week's theme: miscellaneous words.
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Date: Fri Aug 26 00:01:11 EDT 2005
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--sodality
X-Bonus: The most important discoveries will provide answers to questions that we do not yet know how to ask and will concern objects we have not yet imagined. -John N. Bahcall, astrophysicist (1935-2005)
sodality (so-DAL-i-tee) noun
1. A fellowship or association.
2. In the Roman Catholic Church, a lay society for devotional or
charitable purposes.
[From Latin sodalitas (fellowship), from sodalis (companion).]
"She wrote her last name in black marker on the bottom of the Tupperware
she used to bring food to anyone in her building or sodality or family."
Maureen Dowd; A Woman Who Found a Way to Write; The New York Times;
Jul 24, 2005.
This week's theme: miscellaneous words.
The Magic of Laughter:
Next month, discuss the magic of laughter in an online chat with Dr. Madan
Kataria, the founder of laughter yoga movement. Date, time, other details at:
https://wordsmith.org/chat
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Date: Mon Aug 29 00:01:12 EDT 2005
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--rhinorrhea
X-Bonus: We are all sculptors and painters, and our material is our own flesh and bones. -Henry David Thoreau, naturalist and author (1817-1862)
rhinorrhea (ry-nuh-REE-uh) noun
A runny nose.
[From Neo-Latin, from Greek rhino- (nose), -rrhea (flow).]
Another word with the same prefix: rhinoceros.
Another word with the same suffix: logorrhea (excessive flow of words:
talkativeness).
So what happens when you combine these two words?
You redefine rhinorrhea: a rhinoceros who talks too much.
"Once the volunteers began sniffling, they rated the severity of their
symptoms of sneezing, rhinorrhea, stuffy noses, sore throat, cough,
headache, fatigue and chills."
A.J. Hostetler; Study: Herb (echinacea) Can't Curb Cold; Richmond
Times-Dispatch (Virginia); Aug 4, 2005.
Prevention is better than cure, the saying goes. But sometimes no amount of
prevention helps, and we are forced to visit those trained in the healing
arts. Like any profession, the world of medicine has its own jargon. If you
have come down with a bad case of medical jargonitis, help is near. Here is
our prescription: take the five words in this week's dose and email us next
week.
-Anu Garg
garg AT wordsmith.org
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Date: Tue Aug 30 00:01:11 EDT 2005
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--alexiteric
X-Bonus: It is error only, and not truth, that shrinks from inquiry. -Thomas Paine, philosopher and writer (1737-1809)
alexiteric (uh-LEK-si-TER-ik) adjective
Counteracting the effects of poison; warding off contagion.
noun
An antidote against poison; preventive against contagion.
[From Medieval Latin alexiterium (remedy), from Greek alexein (to ward off).]
"[Frantz Fanon] goes on to describe, '...poisons for which there is no
known alexiteric.'"
David Macey; Frantz Fanon: A Biography; Picador; 2001.
This week's theme: words related to medicine.
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Date: Wed Aug 31 00:01:11 EDT 2005
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--atretic
X-Bonus: People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them. -Dave Barry, author and columnist (1947- )
atretic (uh-TRET-ik) adjective
Of or relating to an abnormal closure or congenital absence of
a bodily opening.
[From Neo-Latin, from Greek a- (not) + tresis (perforation).]
"'Is that aorta atretic?' Geoff asked."
Michael Ruhlman; Walk on Water: Inside an Elite Pediatric Surgical Unit;
Viking Books; 2003.
This week's theme: words related to medicine.