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#76724 07/22/02 03:51 PM
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N in Spanish, has sometimes a mark over it, thus- ñ. This mark is called a tilde, and alters the sense and
pronunciation of a word. Thus, “pena” means punishment, but “peña,” a rock.


#76725 07/22/02 03:56 PM
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N added to Greek words ending in a short vowel to lengthen it “by position,” and “1” added to French
words beginning with a vowel, when they follow a word ending with a vowel (as si l'on for si on), is
called N or L “ephelcystic” (tagged-on); Greek, epi helko.

"ephelcystic" seems a word that might be fun to find a use for. Any volunteers?


#76726 07/22/02 03:59 PM
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nth or nth plus One, in University slang, means to the utmost degree. Thus, Cut to the nth means wholly
unnoticed by a friend. The expression is taken from the index of a mathematical formula, where n stands
for any number, and n + 1, one more than any number.



#76727 07/22/02 04:02 PM
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Nabob' (generally called Nabob). Corruption of the Hindu word nawab, the plural of naib. An
administrator of a province and commander of the Indian army under the Mogul Empire. These men
acquired great wealth and lived in Eastern splendour, so that they gave rise to the phrase, “Rich as the
nawâb,” corrupted into “Rich as a nabob. ” In England we apply the phrase to a merchant who has
attained great wealth in the Indies, and has returned to live in his native country.



#76728 07/22/02 04:07 PM
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Nag A horse. This is an example of n of the article joined to the following noun, as in the word newt = an
ewt. (Danish and Norwegian, og; Anglo-Saxon, eoh or eh; Latin, eq[uus]; Dutch, negge.) Taylor (1630)
has naggon, as-

“Wert thou George with thy naggon,
That foughtest with the draggon.”

Shakespeare's naunt and nuncle are mine-aunt and mine-uncle.

I wondered where "nuncle" came from


#76729 07/22/02 04:14 PM
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Naga Serpents; the king of them is Sesha, the sacred serpent of Vishnu. (Hindu mythology.)

In Kipling's story about Riki-tiki-tavi the mongoose kills a cobra named "Nag".

And "Naja" is species name for cobra. (not sure "species" is right word)


#76730 07/22/02 04:18 PM
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Naiads Nymphs of lakes, fountains, rivers, and streams. Related to "natare" = to swim



#76731 07/22/02 04:21 PM
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O nuncle, court holy-water in a dry house is better than this rain-water out o’ door. Good nuncle, in; ask thy daughters’ blessing. Here’s a night pities neither wise men nor fools. [/Lear]


And ephelcystically, interesting word that, Bill – "ephelcystic" had me reading it as eff-el-SIS-tic, but I guess from the Latin etymology it’s probably more like ep-hel-KISS-tik. Can you confirm?

I like the sound of this word to describe a social hanger-on, too ~ just a shame no auditor would likely understand!



#76732 07/22/02 04:28 PM
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Name Fairies are extremely averse to having their names known, indeed there seems to be a strange
identity between personality and name. Thus we are forbidden to take God's “name in vain,” and when
Jacob wrestled with the angel, he was anxious to know his opponent's name. (Compare the Greek onoma
and the Latin anima.)

It seems to be instinctual to be concerned that letting somebody know you name gives them some
power over you. Witness how few people use their name here in AWADtalk. Bill (see how brave I am)


#76733 07/22/02 04:39 PM
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Napiers Bones A method invented by Baron Napier, of Merchiston, for shortening the labour of
trignometrical calculations. Certain figures are arranged on little slips of paper or ivory, and simply by
shifting these slips the result required is obtained. They are called bones because the baron used bone or
ivory rods instead of cardboard.

If I remember correctly, Napier was one of the first people to use logarithms to simplify
multiplication. His "bones" were precursor of slide rule, which few AWADtalk participants
ever used. What a blessing electronic calculators are.


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