fuliginous

Pronounced: fyoo-LIZ-uh-nuhs, adj

Notes: Another word that is new to me

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Yesterday’s word

The word welkin means

• the vault of the sky; firmament; heaven
• the upper atmosphere

First usage

This is an old word; it goes back to the 1100s

Background / Comments

The word comes from an Old English word that meant “cloud”. Although I’ve not seen this word, it is often paired with “ring” to suggest a loud noise in such statements as “the welkin rang with the sound of the orchestra”. I mentioned a Christmas connection — it is the Christmas carol “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”. The original words of the carol were “Hark, how all the welkin ring!”