effulgent

Pronounced: ih-FUHL-juhnt (alt: ih-FOOL-juhnt), adj

Notes: Another unknown word to me

Yesterday’s word

The word galumph means “to move clumsily or heavily”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

Our word is another one coined by Lewis Carroll in Through the Looking-Glass (as I have previously noted, the correct title is Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There, published in 1871). It is from the poem “Jabberwocky” found in the book and is supposedly a combination of gallop and triumph. I’m not quite sure how this comes to mean clumsily or heavily.

galumph

Pronounced: guh-LUMF, verb

Notes: I kind of knew this word, but could not properly define it, so I add it here

Yesterday’s word

The word sternutation means “the act of sneezing”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1500s

Background / Comments

Our word comes from the Latin word sternūtātiōn, related to sternūtātus, which is the past participle of sternūtāre, which is a word designating repeated action; in this case, of sternuere (to sneeze).

sternutation

Pronounced: stur-nyuh-TAY-shun, noun

Notes: I think this is a word I keep learning and forgetting; I seem to remember running across it previously. Perhaps posting it here will help me remember it in future.

Yesterday’s word

The word clarigation is “a demand for restitution for some wrong, as a precursor to declaring war”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1400s

Background / Comments

Our word comes from the Latin word clarigare (to make clear), which came from clarus (clear). Apparently, in ancient Roman times, a clarigation was a solemn and ceremonial (“clear”) recital of injuries or grievances at another peoples’ hands. It was usually accompanied by a demand for satisfaction — without which, they would go to war. This may be similar to the English phrase “sabre-rattling”.

Rejected word

The word cacophony came up; I’m a little proud that I correctly parsed this word; I remembered the Greek words kakos (bad) and phōnē (sound) – thus, literally, “bad sound” : a harsh, discordant sound.

clarigation

Pronounced: klar-ih-GAY-shun, noun

Notes: Not a word I’ve run across

Yesterday’s word

The word comminate means

  • to threaten with divine punishment or vengeance
  • to curse
First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1600s

Background / Comments

I thought of ‘commune’ or ‘communicate’, but those are clearly not close to the meaning at all. Our word is a back formation (that means that another form of the word existed and the word was created) from the noun commination, which came from Late Middle English, which came from Anglo-French, which came from the Latin word comminātiōn, which is related to comminātus, the past participle of comminārī (to threaten).

comminate

Pronounced: KOM-uh-nate, verb

Notes: My guess at the meaning was way off

Yesterday’s word

The word afflated means “having inspiration; inspired”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

Our word comes from the obsolete verb afflate (to inspire), which came from the Latin word afflātus, which is the past participle of afflāre (to breathe upon), from af- (towards) and flāre (to blow). I find it interesting that we still have afflated, but afflate is obsolete.

afflated

Pronounced: uh-FLAY-tid, adj

Notes: I haven’t run across this word, and could not figure out the meaning

Yesterday’s word

The word slithy means “smooth and active; slimy; slithery”

First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1800s

Background / Comments

This word was created by Lewis Carroll in the novel Through the Looking-Glass (full title is Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There), published in 1871. This novel is the sequel to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, published in 1865. Through the Looking-Glass has a kind of chess theme (instead of playing cards, as in the first book). I’ve read that all chess pieces are represented except a bishop. This is also the book than contains “Jabberwocky” and “The Walrus and the Carpenter”, as well as the characters Tweedledee and Tweedledum. Our word is a combination of slimy and lithe.

slithy

Pronounced: SLIH-thee, adj

Notes: You may know this word (I recognized it, but could not properly define it)

Yesterday’s word

The word sororal means “of, relating to, or characteristic of, a sister or sisters; sisterly”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

When I saw this word, I thought of ‘sorrel’ and thought it may be related to horses somehow. After I saw the definition, I realized that the same basis is used for ‘sorority’, and I certainly should have been able to figure out the definition. Our word comes from the Latin word soror (sister).

sororal

Pronounced: suh-RAWR-uhl (alt: suh-ROAR-uhl), adj

Notes: This is one of those words that I didn’t know, but after I saw the definition, I thought “Of course! I should have known this word!”

Yesterday’s word

The word blet means “to over-ripen to the point of rotting”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

Our word was coined by botanist John Lindley in the 1830s; he took it from the French word blettir (to over-ripen).

blet

Pronounced: blet, verb

Notes: I didn’t know this word existed

Yesterday’s word

The word rubricate means

  • to mark or color with red
  • to furnish with or regulate by rubrics
First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1500s

Background / Comments

When I saw the second definition, I thought “What does rubrics mean?” While it can refer to a heading in a book that is done is larger type, and often in a different color (historically red), I believe that in context, the meaning here is “a guide listing specific criteria for grading or scoring academic papers, projects, or tests”. Our word comes from the late Latin word rūbrīcātus, the past participle of rūbrīcāre (to color red), from rūbrīca (red ocher).

Rejected Word

Occasionally, I run across a word that I happen to know, but I don’t think is well known, so I post it as a rejected word. Today that word is ululate (to howl or wail). There used to be a humor group called Capitol Steps (they do political satire), and one of their routines used the word ululate, and I learned it. They pronounced it “YOUL-yuh-late”, but apparently, the preferred pronunciation is “UHL-yuh-late”.

rubricate

Pronounced: ROO-brih-kate, verb

Notes: You may be able to guess at the meaning

Yesterday’s word

The word exaptation means “the adaptation of a trait for a purpose other than for which is was evolved”

First usage

This word was created in the 1980s

Background / Comments

The word was coined by Stephen J Gould in 1981: it is a combination of ex- (out) and adaptation, which itself is made up of ad- (toward) and aptare (to fit). Personally, I find the meaning a bit silly, as who is really to say what “the purpose” of a trait really was. An example of ‘feathers’ was given. It is said that “purpose” of feathers was warmth and later they were used for flight. Perhaps God gave feathers to birds for the dual purpose of warmth and flight.