brummagen

Pronounced: BRUH-mih-jem, adj

Notes: This word seemed familiar – but I haven’t used it in this blog. I may have used it for the year I did this on Facebook, or perhaps at work (but maybe I’m just not remembering correctly)

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Yesterday’s word

The word dragoman is “an interpreter or guide”

First usage

Our word came into English in the 1300s

Background / Comments

I think I’ve run across this word; my first impression was something from Dorothy Sayers or Agatha Christie. I don’t remember any specific instance, but upon reflection, this is also the kind of word that Rex Stout uses. In any event, it’s a nice alternative word to drop into conversation. Our word has quite a history: it came from the French word dragoman, which came from the Italian word dragomanno, which came from the Arabic word tarjuman. It also came from Aramaic, which came from the Akkadian word targumanu (interpreter). Akkadian was (it is no longer in use) a cuneiform Semitic language from ancient Mesopotamia.