sedulous (2009-08-18)

Part of Speech: adjective

Pronunciation: ['se-jê-lês] (US) or British ['se-dyu-lês]

Definition: Diligent, assiduous, zealous; applying oneself unflaggingly to a task.

Usage: Today's is another general purpose word, "If you do your homework sedulously this week, I'll take you to see the Red Sox play this weekend" is a good way for Bostonians to encourage good study habits. Use it outside the home, too: "If Ferenc were as sedulous in his work as he is in his golf, he would have dodged this last round of lay-offs."

Suggested Usage: This is a qualitative adjective, which means it can compare, "more sedulous, most sedulous", form an adverb, "sedulously," and a noun, "sedulity" [sê-'ju-lê-tee] or [sê-'dyu-lê-tee].

Etymology: Latin sedulus "zealous" from se(d) "without" + dolus "trickery." The PIE root *swe(dh)- also underlies "self" and Russian svoi "one's own" and swain "country boy" from "one's own man, servant." The o-grade, "so-" in Latin is found in sobrius "not drunk" from so + ebrius "drunk" (whence in-ebri-ate "to endrunken," so to speak). The PIE root that gave "dolus" gave English "tell," which originally meant "count," and Dutch taal "speech." (For more PIE, read "How is a Hippo like a Feather?" in yourDictionary.com's library.)