This week’s theme
Coined words

This week’s words
misogynoir
outgrabe
intertextuality
genteelism
googolplex

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A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(jen-TEE-liz-uhm)

MEANING:

noun: The substitution of a word that is believed to be more polite or refined. For example, washroom for lavatory.

ETYMOLOGY:

Coined by the lexicographer H.W. Fowler (1858-1933). From genteel, from French gentil (noble), from gens (clan). Earliest documented use: 1926.

NOTES:

The words we use for bathrooms have evolved over time, reflecting a desire for more genteel expressions, but the origins of most of them have something to do with washing.
washroom: from Old English wascan (to wash)
lavatory: from Latin lavare (to wash)
latrine: from Latin lavare (to wash)
toilet: from French toilette (small cloth)
restroom: from Old English restan (to rest)
bathroom: from Old English baeth (to bath)
loo: origin unknown. Various unsubstantiated theories include Waterloo, French l’eau (water) and lieu (place).

USAGE:

“Sir, please honor us by partaking of our offering... or would you rather bathe and wash (a genteelism that includes evacuating the bowels) first?”
Udai Rathor; Kojia -- The Ugly One; Strategic Book Publishing; 2012.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: