ahimsa

Pronounced: uh-HIM-sah, noun

Notes: Like so many words here, this is another word that I didn’t know (and I couldn’t even guess at what it might mean)

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Yesterday’s word

The word hyperborean, as a noun, means “an inhabitant of the extreme north”. As an adjective, it means “relating to the extreme north” or “very cold”. So, I guess one could say that Santa Claus is a hyperborean.

First usage

This word came into English in the early 1600s

Background / Comments

I had thought that our word may have to do with trees, thinking of arboreal, I guess. But the word comes from Greek mythology, which is a little strange, since, as a youth, I was interested in that subject. Anyway, the Hyperboreans were people who lived in perpetual sunshine beyond the reaches of the north wind. The word is comprised of hyper- (beyond) and Boreas (the god of the north wind).