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June 24, 2008

Afflatus  (noun)

Pronunciation: [ê-'fley-tês]

Definition: A strong creative impulse from a muse or higher power, divine or supernatural inspiration.

Usage: The adjective for today's word is "afflatitious" but it has also inspired a more regular family with essentially the same meaning: afflate "to blow upon or inspire" and its noun, afflation "inspiration from mysterious higher powers."

Suggested Usage: An afflatus is usually divine, "Collette played the Bach fugues under divine afflatus as we all sat in awe." However, the ultimate test of an afflatus is simply whether it springs from the supernatural, "Arlene must have been under a Satanic afflatus when she agreed to host her husband's office party."

Etymology: Latin afflatus, the past participle of afflare "to blow on" from ad-, (up) to + flare "to blow." The same connection between blowing and inspiration is seen in "inspiration" itself, based on a Latin word meaning to blow in or inhale. The Proto-Indo-European root from which "flare" derives is *bhle-/*bhlo- which shows little change in Modern English "blow." The same root, though, underlies "bladder," perhaps because of the Celts' proclivity to blow into bladders to make music (as in bag-pipes). Nor is it coincidental that blowhards blather—the stems share the same origin. In Latin, however, the initial [bh] became [f] and this root ended up in a word (flare "to blow") that marks blowing at both ends: as in today's word and, again, in "flatulent."

June 23, 2008

Victual  (noun)

Pronunciation: ['vit-êl]

Definition: Human food; (Plural) food and provisions.

Usage: Today's word is used most often in the plural as in "to lay in victuals for the coming storm." The noun may be used as a verb, too, which leads to the British use of "victualler" [vitt(e)ler] in reference to an inn-keeper or provisioner of ships and armies. Supply ships themselves have been referred to as "victuallers." "Victualage" [vitt(e)lage] may refer to the occupation of a victualler or the supplies he victuals.

Suggested Usage: The reason the [c] was returned to today's word was to make it sound more formal, more Latinate (see Etymology). The result was the misconception that the pronunciation "vittles" is incorrect. In fact, it is the natural one: "We have enough victuals in the house to live for three months without leaving it." But don't forget the delightful derivations of this word, "Bernard, could you help me remove the victualage from the trunk of the car?"

Etymology: From Old French vitaille (also vitale), the normal descendent of Late Latin victualia, the neuter plural of victualis "food, sustenance." In Middle French, the [c] was reintroduced in the word to produce victuaille and English soon followed suit. The word is, in fact, sometimes spelled "vittle" but it has always been pronounced that way throughout the English-speaking world. The root goes back to Proto-Indo-European *gwei- which gave us English "quick" in the original sense of "alive." Latin lost the [g] and the [w] became [v] in vivere "to live," which stands behind our "vital," "vivid," "Viva!" and "vivacious."

June 22, 2008

Kitsch  (noun)

Pronunciation: [kich]

Definition: Art or decoration exemplifying taste both pretentious and bad. More broadly, anything that appeals to a popular, vulgar sensibility.

Usage: "Kitsch" can also be an adjective, rendering "kitschy" redundant. "Kitschify" is the facetiously contrived verb which, unfortunately, begs "kitschification," "kitschifiable," and so on. Let's not let this derivation get out of hand.

Suggested Usage: "Kitsch" implies that an artwork is either cloying, ostentatious, or both: "The Lazy Boy recliner was just too kitsch for the otherwise contemporary furnishings in Llewellyn's living room." "Bethany wasn't in a mood for high-brow culture, so she settled for a weekend of kitsch at the local craft fair." A little bit of kitsch may be necessary in our lives. Kitsch is popular culture that binds classes together in many industrialized countries.

Etymology: German dialectal kitsch "trash, knickknack, shoddiness" of unknown origin.

June 21, 2008

Lycanthropy  (noun)

Pronunciation: [LI-'kæn-thrê-pi]

Definition: The supposed power of certain human beings to convert themselves into wolves; the belief in such power; the delusion that one has become a wolf. In other words, today's word is the scientific term for "werewolf."

Usage: Today's word is distinguished from "zoanthropy" in that this word is the belief in the power to convert into any animal. "Lycanthropy" implies that the animal is specifically a wolf. The adjective is "lycanthropic," as in a lycanthropic society, an organization of people (lycanthropes) who think themselves part-time wolves. A philanthropic lycanthropic society would be an organization devoted to financially promoting the welfare of werewolves. (We just thought you might like to know.)

Suggested Usage: Today's family of terms want to be used metaphorically, "Blitzer is a right lycanthrope; one moment he is charming and polite, the next minute he will bite your head off." But don't stop there: "Why don't you turn that lycanthropic dolt into the human relations board; maybe then he will stop stalking you." ("Into the human relations board?" What kind of magic is that?)

Etymology: Based on Greek lykanthropos "wolf-man," comprising lykos "wolf" + anthropos "man." The root underlying "lykos" was *wlkwo-, with a vocalic [l], that also devolved into English "wolf," interestingly enough, also found in the colloquial term, "werewolf." The "were" in this word comes from *wiro- "man", found in Latin vir "man," the root of "virile." The word "world" originally was wer-ald "man-age," based on the same root. In the Slavic languages, *wlkwo- became "v'lk-," now "volk" in Russian, "vlk" in Czech, and "vuk" in Serbian. Latin lupus "wolf" is probably also related, perhaps a taboo variant.

June 20, 2008

Ennui  (noun)

Pronunciation: [ahn-'nwee]

Definition: Boredom, jadedness, apathy brought on by having or knowing (or thinking you know) everything; a chronic intellectual blue funk.

Usage: The noun is a lexical orphan since the adjective "ennuyé" passed on, but it does do yeoman's duty as a verb as well as a noun, "The Roman public, jaded and ennuyed, found life not worth living without the stimulus of the sight of death" (Pall Mall Gazette, August 1888). The [i] usually changes to [y] when followed by a vowel.

Suggested Usage: "Ennui" is a particular kind of boredom that comes with modern times: "Once Fishburn finished reading everything by and about Derrida, he fell into a state of perpetual ennui from which nothing can extract him." It does require experience, so don't let your children get away with it—even if they subscribe to our Word of the Day: "What do you mean you are too ennuyed to clean your room? No one under thirty can experience ennui."

Etymology: "Ennui" and "annoy" were borrowed from the same French word at different points of development of the French language. It all started with the Latin idiomatic phrase, mihi in odio est "I hate or dislike" (literally, “for me [mihi] it is [est] in odiousness [in odio]”). This phrase reduced to a single verb, *inodiare “to make odious” which served as the source of the Old French verb anoier “to annoy, bore.” This verb was borrowed into English around 1275 as anoien, our "annoy" today. Later the Old French verb developed into ennuyer from which arose the noun "ennui" in modern French. This noun acquired the sense “boredom” and was then borrowed again, this time in its new form, in the 18th century, no doubt, to distinguish the complex apathy of the upper class from the simple boredom of the lower.

June 19, 2008

Lachrymatory  (noun)

Pronunciation: [læ-'kree-mê-tor-ee]

Definition (1): (Noun) A small glass bottle usually with a teardrop body and a tall narrow neck, of a kind found in quantity in Roman tombs. So called from the erroneous supposition that they held the tears of the mourners. They were in fact a common type of unguentarium or cosmetic oil jar.

Usage (1): 'Tear bottles' were a Victorian invention arising out of the old legend that has survived to today. Supposedly(!), tear bottles were prevalent in ancient Roman times, when mourners filled small glass vials with tears and placed them in burial tombs as symbols of love and respect. Supporters of the 'tear bottle' legend sometimes quote the Biblical Psalm 56:8 where David prays to God, "Thou tellest my wanderings, put thou my tears in Thy bottle; are they not in Thy Book?" a figurative request referring to the "no'dh" or ancient Hebrew leathern water flask.

Definition (2): (Adjective) Causing tears, as onions are likely to do when you slice them or the stock market when it dives.

Usage (2): 'Related adjectives are lachrymal "pertaining to tears" and lachrymose "tearful or mournful." The noun "lachrymal" refers to a tear-causing substance such as highly lachrymatory tear gas.

Suggested Usage: As an adjective meaning "causing tears," we begin with the obvious, "Fresh onions are spicy, pungent and lachrymatory." But in 'Loss of Breath' Poe wrote "A thousand vague and lachrymatory fancies took possession of my soul." Some wags have used today’s word to refer to handkerchiefs, often seen at weddings, which can be very lachrymatory occasions.

Etymology: "Lachrymatory" comes to us from Middle French or Medieval Latin "lacrymal" from Medieval Latin "lacrimalis," the adjective from Latin lacrima "tear." This noun descended from an older Latin "dacrima," related to Greek dakry "tear," a distant cousin to Old High German zahar "tear" which produced modern German Zähre "tear" and Old English tæhher which is today, "tear."

June 18, 2008

Myrmidon  (noun)

Pronunciation: ['mi(r)-mê-dahn]

Definition: In Greek mythology, a warlike people of ancient Thessaly, said to have been created from ants by the god Zeus; hence, any objectionably industrious lackey.

Usage: Although the ancient Myrmidons were seen as having admirable qualities when Homer sang of their adventures in the Iliad, the association with busy, ant-like invasiveness predominates in current metaphorical usage. Those who behave like myrmidons are said to be "myrmidonian;" if you convert normal human beings into myrmidons, you "myrmidonize" them.

Suggested Usage: Ants are indefatigable and annoying, but are ultimately seen as bit-players in the grand scheme of things (although that may change in the next million years). The metaphorical use therefore allows us to brush off what might otherwise be seen as a significant threat: "I had a visit from one of the Dean's myrmidons; apparently, I'm not to give my academic affiliation in any future articles I write for the National Enquirer."

Etymology: From Greek murmex "an ant," which also gives us myrmecology "the study of ants" and myrmecophagous "ant-eating." In Latin the related word for ant was "formica," from which we have the former Word of the Day "formication," the sensation of ants crawling under the skin. The proprietary name "Formica" applies to a plastic laminate ultimately derived from formic acid (which comes from ants), but it is also a pun—it was originally developed as an electrical insulator that could be substituted "for mica."

June 17, 2008

Psephology  (noun)

Pronunciation: [se-'fah-lê-gee]

Definition: The study of political campaigns and elections, including voting trends that predict election results. It could also be used to refer to the conduct of elections and voting trends themselves.

Usage: As the hundreds of millions of dollars begin to roll into the various campaign headquarters around the US, you might be interested in examining this word that takes a silent "p" (don't forget it). The adjective is "psephological" [pse-fê-'lah-ji-kêl] and those engaged in this activity are "psephologists."

Suggested Usage: Today's word originated in Britain and is used there more widely than in the States. We do have as much use for it as our British cousins do, though, "The Florida results of the 2000 presidential election put US psephology to its severest test." Many may question the value of psephology: "Milhouse was one of the best psephologists in the country until they locked him up." Right after the Florida fiasco, no doubt.

Etymology: Today's word was concocted around 1952 by a certain Mr. R. B. McCallum, who apparently didn't want people to catch on to what he did. It is made up of Greek psephos "smooth round pebble" + o + logos "word, idea, study." The word for "pebble" was chosen because ancient Greeks sometimes voted by casting pebbles for (seldom at) the candidates. So, it can also refer to the study of small, round stones.

June 16, 2008

Polygyny  (noun)

Pronunciation: [pê-'li-jê-ni]

Definition: Having several wives at one time.

Usage: Although it is more often used to refer to men with multiple wives, polygamy in fact refers to multiple spouses of either sex. Polygyny refers specifically to men with multiple wives. This term allows an antonym, polyandry 'having several husbands at one time,' a less common practice but found in several societies.

Suggested Usage: "Polygynous man" or "polyandrous woman" might be stretched to fit someone simultaneously with a spouse and several paramours. I leave the examples up to you here.

Etymology: Greek polus "many" and gyne "woman". Polus comes from PIE *pol-/*pel- from which English "full" and, via French plein "full", "plenty"; also Russian polnyi "full". "Gyne" occurs in "gynecology" and "misogyny". From the same PIE root *gwen- whence Old English cwene "woman, prostitute, wife" and cween "woman, wife, queen". Also found in Greek gen- "give birth" underlying "generate".

June 15, 2008

Quidnunc  (noun)

Pronunciation: ['kwid-nêngk]

Definition: A busybody, a nosy person, especially one who is always asking questions that are none of his or her business.

Usage: The plural of today's word is a simple "quidnuncs" but we seem unable to decide whether the quality that distinguishes quidnuncs is "quidnuncism" or "quidnunckery." (We are inclined to prefer the latter.)

Suggested Usage: Kids, today's word is one you can have a lot of fun with because it sounds much worse than it really is: "You're just a big quidnunc! Now stay out of my room!" Say that to an older sibling and they will certainly tell your parents. But all you have to do is bring a dictionary with you to dinner to teach the trouble-maker an important lesson—knowledge is power. If you are older, you probably know at least one quidnunc without a dictionary in the office. Now, you can fend off their quidnunckery verbally without lowering your speech standards.

Etymology: From the Latin phrase Quid nunc? "What now? What's going on?" "Quid" comes from the Proto-Indo-European *kwo-. As we now know, PIE [k] became [h] in English, so we would expect hwa-something in English. Well, pronounce "what" slowly and listen to yourself. We actually switch the [h] and [w] in our writing, for "what" is pronounced [hwaht]. So, "where," "when," and "which" developed from the same primitive words as Latin "quid," quo "where," quando "when." By the way, Russian chto "what" and kto "who" come from the same root with to "that" suffixed to it.

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.

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.