Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: JAH-kuh-napes, noun Notes: You may know this word, but I found the origin interesting Yesterday’s word The word basilic means “kingly; royal” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1700s Background / Comments Our word came from the Latin word basilicus, which came from the Greek word basilikos (royal). As I notedContinue reading “jackanapes”

Pronounced: buh-SIL-ick (alt: buh-ZIL-ick), adj Notes: I didn’t know the word, but I mostly know a root Yesterday’s word The word abyssal means First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments There is some strange things about our word: the noun form of our word (“abyss”) is much betterContinue reading “basilic”

Pronounced: uh-BIH-suhl, adj Notes: When I first glanced at this word, I thought it was “abysmal” (which meaning I know) Yesterday’s word The word interregnum means “the period between the end of a reign and the beginning of the next; a time when there is no ruler” First usage Our word came into English inContinue reading “abyssal”

Pronounced: in-tuhr-REG-nuhm, noun Notes: I ran across this word in reading, but didn’t have the meaning quite right Yesterday’s word The word welter means First usage Our word came into English in the late 1200s Background / Comments Our word can also be a noun, but that is about 300 years later than the verb.Continue reading “interregnum”

Pronounced: WELL-tuhr, verb Notes: I know what a “welt” is, but not our word Yesterday’s word The word vole, as a noun, means As a verb, it means First usage The first definition came into English in the early 1800s; the other definitions game into English in the late 1600s Background / Comments The onlyContinue reading “welter”

Pronounced: vohl, noun/verb Notes: There are definitions I didn’t know Yesterday’s word The word Barmedical means “providing only the illusion of abundance” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Well, our word does NOT come from Shakespeare (as I thought). It comes from a tale that is part ofContinue reading “vole”

Pronounced: bar-muh-SIGH-duhl, adj (the final syllable is the “d” and “l” with just a hint of the vowel) Notes: I thought this was another Shakespeare character, but it isn’t Yesterday’s word The word Prospero is “someone who is capable of influencing others’ behavior or perceptions without their being aware of it” First usage Our wordContinue reading “Barmecidal”

Pronounced: PROSS-puh-roh, noun Notes: I know who this is, but not what the word means Yesterday’s word The word declivity means First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments Our word (the main root) came from the Latin word clivus (slope; hill). There are three English words that comeContinue reading “Prospero”

Pronounced: dih-KLIH-vuh-tee, noun Notes: I had a vague sense of the meaning of this word Yesterday’s word The word Timon is “one who hates or distrusts humankind” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments This is another word that comes from a Shakespeare play — specifically, Timon ofContinue reading “declivity”

Pronounced: TIE-muhn, noun Notes: Another word I don’t know Yesterday’s word The word cap-a-pie means “head to foot” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1500s Background / Comments Our word goes back to medieval times, when knights were completely encased in armor (from head to foot). They were said to beContinue reading “Timon”