 |
BloodstarLiberals and Libertarians on Everything and Nothing |
|
Foudroyant
\foo-DROI-uhnt \ , adjective;
Origin:
Foudroyant is adapted from the French foudroyer , "to strike with lightning."
Kith
\KITH \ , noun;
Origin:
Kith finds its origin in the Old English cunnan , "to know." Can and other English words stem from the same source.
Susurration
\soo-suh-RAY-shun \ , noun;
Origin:
Susurration is from Late Latin susurratio , from Latin susurrare , "to whisper, to mutter," from susurrus , "a whispering, a muttering."
Myrmidon
\MUR-muh-don; -duhn \ , noun;
Origin:
Myrmidon derives from Greek Myrmidones , a warlike people of ancient Thessaly.
Pleonasm
\PLEE-uh-naz-uhm \ , noun;
Origin:
Pleonasm is from Greek pleonasmos , from pleon , "greater, more."
Unctuous
\UNGK-choo-us \ , adjective;
Origin:
Unctuous is from Medieval Latin unctuosus , from Latin unctus , "anointed, besmeared, greasy," past participle of unguere , "to anoint, to besmear."
Immure
\ih-MYUR \ , verb;
Origin:
Immure comes from Medieval Latin immurare , from Latin in- , "in" + murus , "wall." It is related to mural , a painting applied to a wall.
Avoirdupois
\av-uhr-duh-POIZ; AV-uhr-duh-poiz \ , noun;
Origin:
Avoirdupois is from Middle English avoir de pois , "goods sold by weight," from Old French aveir de peis , literally "goods of weight," from aveir , "property, goods" (from aveir , "to have," from Latin habere , "to have, to hold, to possess property") + de , "from" (from the Latin) + peis , "weight," from Latin pensum , "weight."
Senescent
\si-NES-uhnt \ , adjective;
Origin:
Senescent is from Latin senescere , "to grow old," from senex , "old."
Odium
\OH-dee-uhm \ , noun;
Origin:
Odium comes from the Latin odium , "hatred," from odisse , "to hate."
Aplomb
\uh-PLOM \ , noun;
Origin:
Aplomb is from the French word meaning "perpendicularity, equilibrium, steadiness, assurance," from the Old French phrase a plomb , from a , "according to" (from Latin ad ) + plomb , "lead weight" (from Latin plumbum , "lead").
Sine Qua Non
\sin-ih-kwah-NON; -NOHN; sy-nih-kway- \ , noun;
Origin:
Sine qua non is from the Late Latin, literally "without which not."
Legerdemain
\lej-ur-duh-MAIN \ , noun;
Origin:
Apothegm comes from Greek apophthegma , from apophthengesthai , "to speak one’s opinion plainly," from apo- , intensive prefix + phthengesthai , "to speak." The adjective form is apothegmatic .
Apothegm
\AP-uh-them \ , noun;
Origin:
Apothegm comes from Greek apophthegma , from apophthengesthai , "to speak one’s opinion plainly," from apo- , intensive prefix + phthengesthai , "to speak." The adjective form is apothegmatic .
Premorse
\pri-MAWRS \ , adjective;
Origin:
Premorse originates in botany and derives from the Latin praemorsus , "bitten off in front." Notice the relationship to morsel.