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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread squalid #114905 11/02/2003 2:04 PM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 wwh Carpal Tunnel wwh Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 "Following close at his heels, came Mr. Job Trotter, in the catalogue of whose vices, want of faith and attachment to his companion could at all events find no place. He was still ragged and squalid, but his face was not quite so hollow as on his first meeting with Mr. Pickwick, a few days before. As he took off his hat to our benevolent old friend, he murmured some broken expressions of gratitude, and muttered something about having been saved from starving. squalid SYLLABICATION: squal·id PRONUNCIATION: skwld ADJECTIVE: 1. Dirty and wretched, as from poverty or lack of care. See synonyms at dirty. 2. Morally repulsive; sordid: “the squalid atmosphere of intrigue, betrayal, and counterbetrayal” (W. Bruce Lincoln). ETYMOLOGY: Latin squlidus, from squlre, to be filthy, from squlus, filthy. OTHER FORMS: squalid·ly —ADVERB squalid·ness, squa·lidi·ty (skw-ld-t) —NOUN My question is, why is Latin name of the small shark, the dogfish, "Squalus acanthus"? Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Re: squalid #114906 11/03/2003 6:56 AM Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 3,065 Jakarta Bingley Carpal Tunnel Bingley Carpal Tunnel Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 3,065 Jakarta According to Lewis and Short, there are two Latin words squalus, one with a long a and the other with a short a. The long a'd squalus is related to squalidus = squalid. The short a'd squalus is the name of some sort of seafish (dunno if it's the dogfish or not). Bingley Bingley Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary Forum Statistics Forums16 Topics13,916 Posts230,371 Members9,209 Most Online7,006 Mar 7th, 2026 Newest Members Peripatetic Toad, JerryC, blvd, Tony Hood, Wood Delivery 9,209 Registered Users Top Posters(30 Days) wofahulicodoc 33 A C Bowden 14 Top Posters wwh 13,858 Faldage 13,803 Jackie 11,613 wofahulicodoc 11,200 tsuwm 10,542 LukeJavan8 9,974 Buffalo Shrdlu 7,210 AnnaStrophic 6,511 Wordwind 6,296 of troy 5,400

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