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June 8, 2008

Solecism  (noun)

Pronunciation: ['so-lê-si-zêm]

Definition: A grammatical error hence a social transgression and, finally, an error or impropriety of any kind.

Usage: A person who makes errors when speaking is a solecist ['so-lê-sist] and his or her speech is solecistic [so-lê-'sis-tik].

Suggested Usage: First, let us look at the basic meaning: "'The book is comprised of 20 chapters' exemplifies a solecism so common it is now widely accepted by English-speakers." Creative applications are limited only by our imagination: "Pardoning Mark Rich was a political solecism that kept President Clinton in the news long after his term of office had expired."

Etymology: From Greek soloikismos, the noun of soloikizein "to speak incorrectly, in broken Greek." The verb is based, in turn, on the noun soloikos "Soloian" referring to the corruption of the Attic language among the Athenian colonists in Soloi, Cilicia.

June 9, 2008

Exegesis  (noun)

Pronunciation: [ek-sê-'jê-sis]

Definition: A critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially the scriptures of The Bible.

Usage: This word is a member of a substantial family: the adjective is "exegetic" or "exegetical," which makes the adverb "exegetically." Someone skilled in exegesis is an exegete ['ek-sê-jeet]. Like all English nouns ending on –is, the plural of this noun is "exegeses" (just like "basis" and "bases," "crisis" and "crises").

Suggested Usage: Perhaps the most common source of exegeses is the pulpit, where learned interpretations of scriptural texts are offered every holy day. However, an exegesis is an informed interpretation (not just an opinion) of any text: "The day after every directive from the president, his assistant tours the offices with his exegesis of it." The text really doesn't have to be sacred, either: "I can now use my new software program after my 12-year-old grandson's exegesis of the user manual."

Etymology: Today's word comes to us from Greek exegesis "interpretation," the noun from exegeisthai "to interpret." "Exegeisthai," in turn, is composed of ex "out (of)' + hegeisthai "to lead," so a good exegesis should lead us usefully out of something—the dark? The Greek root heg- comes from Proto-Indo-European *sag- "seek," the origin of the English word "seek." The Old Norse version, saka "search for," found its way into "ransack," with an older word rann "house." It also turns up in Latin sagax "perceptive," the root of the English words "sage" and "sagacious."

June 10, 2008

Prelapsarian  (adjective)

Pronunciation: [pree-læp-'ser-ee-ên]

Definition: Characteristic of or belonging to the time or state before the fall of mankind.

Usage: Today's word takes us back to the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve lived in their primeval state. Its only use is adjectival, and it usually evokes images of unspoiled, unpolluted innocence: "Virginia had the vim and vitality of a prelapsarian country girl, unspoiled by city life."

Suggested Usage: "Prelapsarian" is a word that refers just as readily to conditions of the environment as it does to qualities of people. One might say, "A five minute walk brought Pricilla to a prelapsarian spot so pristine and undisturbed it struck her that Adam and Eve might have just abandoned it." But it does apply readily to people: "Glenda Jackson's evocation of poet Stevie Smith suggests a woman of prelapsarian innocence" (Daily Telegraph, March 24, 2001).

Etymology: The invention of this word is relatively recent. Its first attested use was in 1879. Its etymology is transparent since its parts come from words and affixes that are familiar to everyone. Pre- "before" + lapse (from Latin lapsare "to slip, stumble, fall" + -arian, based on the suffixes -ary + -an, also found in "humanitarian," "necessitarian," "utilitarian," etc. If Noah lived before the flood, we say that he was "antediluvian" so, if Adam and Eve lived before the fall, we can as easily say they were "prelapsarian."

June 11, 2008

Chiasmus  (noun)

Pronunciation: [kI-'æz-mês]

Definition: A two-part rhetorical structure with a clever inversion of the first part in the second, e.g. "When the going gets tough, the tough get going" or "Never negotiate out of fear, but never fear to negotiate."

Usage: The adjective is "chiasmic (chiastic, or chiasmal)" which can double as a noun referring to someone who is addicted to chiasmuses. One of the most quoted chiasmuses of the past century is John Kennedy's, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." Letter chiasmuses, that only switch one (alphabetical) letter, are also popular: "An experimental psychologist is someone who pulls habits out of rats" or, "Scholars are advised to apply for several grants at the time so as not to put all their begs in one askit."

Suggested Usage: Here are a few chiasmuses to practice on. Lord Byron wrote, "Pleasure's a sin, and sometimes sin's a pleasure." An old Edwardian toast runs, "Here's to champagne for our real friends and real pain for our sham friends." Betsy Cronkite, wife of U.S. newscaster, Walter, said, "Errol Flynn died on a 70-foot boat with a 17-year-old girl. Walter has always wanted to go that way, but he's going to settle for a 17-footer with a 70-year-old." Finally, perhaps the most quoted U.S. chiasmic, Mae West, said, "I'd rather be looked over than overlooked" and "It's not the men in my life, it's the life in my men." (For more examples of chiasmus, read "Never Let a Fool Kiss You or a Kiss Fool You" by Dr. Mardy Grothe.)

Etymology: From Greek chiasmos "crossing, diagonal arrangement" from chiazein "to mark with a cross" from the Greek letter chi (X). Related to "chiasma" (plural "chiasmata"), as in the optic chiasma, the crossing of the optic nerves in middle of the brain.

June 12, 2008

Anhedonia  (noun)

Pronunciation: [æn-hee-‘don-i-yê]

Definition: The lack of a capacity to enjoy pleasure.

Usage: Today’s word emerges most frequently in discussions of depression: an anhedonic sports fan does not get excited when his team wins; an anhedonic mother does not enjoy her child. The adjective, as you can see, is “anhedonic,” which makes the adverb, “anhedonically.” The adjective referring neutrally to pleasure is “hedonic.”

Suggested Usage: Aside from those suffering from depression, we all know enough party-poopers to put today’s word to work for us, “Her anhedonia prevents Charlotte Mousse from ever putting the top of her convertible down.” Christmas is probably the worst time of the year for anhedonia, “Myrna is as anhedonic as the Grinch and fits into a Christmas party about as well.”

Etymology: Today’s word derives from the PIE root *swad- “sweet” which emerged in Greek as hedys “sweet” and hedone “pleasure.” No wonder sweets are so difficult to refuse: sweetness is the very basis of our concept of pleasure. “Anhedonia” is from Greek a(n)- “without” + hedone, also the root of the antonym of today’s word, hedonism “the desire to maximize pleasure.” Another interesting derivative from the Greek root is hedonometer “a (yet to be invented) device for measuring pleasure.” (Where would it connect?) The same root descended directly into English via its Germanic roots as “sweet.”

June 13, 2008

Triskaidekaphobia  (noun)

Pronunciation: [tris-kê-de-kê-'fo-bee-yê]

Definition: Fear of the number "13." (Still doubt English has a word for everything?)

Usage: Sufferers of triskaidekaphobia are triskaidekaphobes (agent noun) because they are triskaidekaphobic (adjective). The antonym is triskaidekaphilia "love of the number 13." If 13 is your lucky number, you are a triskaidekaphile. If misandrist is someone who hates men and misogynist, someone who hates women, someone who hates the number 13 but doesn't let it frighten him, would have to be a mistriskaidekist. Such a person would not avoid "13" but would fearlessly deface or remove the number whenever he encountered it.

Suggested Usage: Triskaidekaphobes are at home in US elevators (unless they are also claustrophobic) since elevators in the US do not list a 13th floor. Meanwhile, on the 12th floor, terror struck the once comfortable triskaidekaphobia support group when the newest member, number 13, knocked at the door.

Etymology: Greek treiskaideka "thirteen," based on treis "three" + kai "and" + deka "ten" + New Latin phobia "fear." The PIE word for "three" is well preserved in all Indo-European languages: German "drei," French "trois," Russian tri, Sanskrit "tri," Greek "tria," whence "triad," Scandinavian "tre," Spanish "tres," Romany "trin." The name of the "trillium," with its triplets of leaves, seems to derive from Swedish trilling "triplet." Latin decem, Greek deka "ten" and English "ten" also share the same origin, for the English form derives via Germanic *tehan, a normal reduction of PIE *dekem (with [m] becoming [n]). The same original root gave us "dime," "dozen," "decimate," and "December," which once was the 10th month.

June 14, 2008

Syzygy  (noun)

Pronunciation: ['si-zê-jee]

Definition: The alignment of two (or more) celestial bodies, as the moon and sun are in alignment vis-a-vis the earth during an eclipse; by extension, any two distinct objects or ideas in alignment or conjunction with each other.

Usage: The moon is in syzygy with the earth and sun when it is new or full. Conjunctive syzygy occurs at the new moon, when the Sun and Moon appear on the same side of the Earth. The other syzygy condition, opposition, results in the full moon, since the Sun and Moon are on opposite sides of the Earth. The plural is "syzygies" and the adjective is "syzygetic."

Suggested Usage: Let's bring this word down to earth. Things, especially events, align themselves as much on earth as in the heavens. "We were delayed by an unexpected syzygy of events: I bent over to tie my shoe just as, behind me, Beryl drew the mop handle back to finish cleaning the floor." Here is another plain English application: "A syzygy of summer tires, icy roads, and a sharp curve wrapped my car around a tree."

Etymology: Late Latin syzygia, from Greek syzygia "union," derived from syzygos "paired": syn- "together, with" + zygon "yoke." The PIE root *yeug-, whence "zygon" derived, is also the source of English "yoke" not to mention Sanskrit yugam "yoke" and yogah "union" from which English "yoga" is borrowed. "Join," "joint," "juncture," and similar words also go back to the same root. See "Origins of Words" in YourDictionary's library for a slice of PIE.