Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 45 of 109 1 2 43 44 45 46 47 108 109
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,909
Likes: 2
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,909
Likes: 2
MYTHOMOLE - The "abominable snowman-like" mole in my back
yard. Must be a gopher. His tracks are virtual mounds of epic
proportions, now frozen and I trip over them.


----please, draw me a sheep----
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,365
Likes: 1
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,365
Likes: 1

LIBERTINE

PRONUNCIATION: (LIB-uhr-teen)

MEANING:
noun: A person who is morally unrestrained.
adjective: Unrestrained by conventions or morality.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin libertinus (freedman), from liber (free). Ultimately from the Indo-European root leudh- (to mount up or grow), which also gave us liberty, livery, and deliver. Earliest documented use: 1384.


__________________________________

GLIBERTINE - a smooth-talking Don Juan

LIBORTINE - playing fast and loose with currency transactions

LABORTINE - the ultimate status of a pregnant adolescent (compare ABORTINE, a formerly-pregnant adolescent)


Joined: May 2010
Posts: 963
old hand
Offline
old hand
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 963
LIMBERTINE – A person who is morally unrestrained in any position.

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,365
Likes: 1
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,365
Likes: 1

HOMUNCULUS

PRONUNCIATION: (huh-MUHNG-kyuh-luhs, HO-)

MEANING: noun:
1. A diminutive human being.
2. A fully formed, miniature human being that was earlier believed to be present in a sperm or an egg.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin homunculus (little man), diminutive of ho-mo* (man). Ultimately from the Indo-European root dhghem- (earth), which also gave us allochthonous, autochthonous, chameleonic, chthonic, disinter, and inhume. Earliest documented use: 1656.
_____________________________

ROMUNCULUS - a tiny model of an Italian city on the Tiber river, small enough to build in a day

_____________________________


And as an aside - does anyone else find it strange that in Latin, to go from "-US" to "-I" is to change from singular to plural, but in English "US" to "I" changes plural to singular?

Joined: May 2010
Posts: 963
old hand
Offline
old hand
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 963
HEMUNCULUS - A miniskirt.

HUMUNCULUS - Vastly, immensely small

Quote:
does anyone else find it strange that in Latin, to go from "-US" to "-I" is to change from singular to plural, but in English "US" to "I" changes plural to singular?


Now I do!

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,365
Likes: 1
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,365
Likes: 1

Maybe we should invoke the mathematical-logic concept that "-" means "not". Then we can say that -I means "not I", and -US means "not US", and we've changed singular to plural and vice versa...so the equivalency to Latin is restored.

Or something. wink

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,365
Likes: 1
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,365
Likes: 1

VACUOUS

PRONUNCIATION: (VAK-yoo-uhs)

MEANING: adjective: Lacking ideas or intelligence.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin vacuus (empty). Earliest documented use: 1651.
_________________________________

VACUONS - subatomic particles with no charge, no spin, no mass, no velocity, no momentum, and taking up no space whatsoever

EVACUOUS - cathartic



Joined: May 2010
Posts: 963
old hand
Offline
old hand
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 963
VAPUOUS – Full of the effluent of e-cigarettes.

I've tipped my hat to Isaac on many occasions.

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,365
Likes: 1
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,365
Likes: 1

SCURVY

PRONUNCIATION: (SKUHR-vee)

MEANING:
adjective: Mean or contemptible.
noun: A disease caused by vitamin C deficiency, characterized by swollen and bleeding gums, bleeding under the skin, and weakness.

ETYMOLOGY: From Old English scurf, probably from Old Norse. Ultimately from the Indo-European root sker- (cut), which also gave us decorticate, excoriate, hardscrabble, incarnadine, scrobiculate, and caruncle. Earliest documented use: 1529.
________________________________

SCURLY - sounding like a bagpipes

SMURVY - like an ever-so-cute blue dwarv

SCURVEY - winding (see also SWURVY)

Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,909
Likes: 2
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,909
Likes: 2
STURVY - -following one of the recipes which require you
to stir the concoction every couple of minutes or even 'constantly'.


----please, draw me a sheep----
Page 45 of 109 1 2 43 44 45 46 47 108 109

Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,910
Posts229,093
Members9,175
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members
Standy, Teytonon, jgronk71, gronk1964, MiscPractice
9,175 Registered Users
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 175 guests, and 3 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
tsuwm 10,542
wofahulicodoc 10,365
LukeJavan8 9,909
AnnaStrophic 6,511
Wordwind 6,296
of troy 5,400
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 1994-2023 Wordsmith

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5