psychogenic

Pronounced: sigh-kuh-JEN-ick, adj

Notes: I don’t think I’ve run across this word anywhere, but you may be able to guess the meaning

Yesterday’s word

The word parvenu is “one that has recently or suddenly risen to an unaccustomed position of wealth or power and has not yet gained the prestige, dignity, or manner associated with it”

First usage

Our word came into English around 1800 (very late 1700s or very early 1800s)

Background / Comments

Our word came from the French word parvenu (upstart), which is a past participle of parvenir (to arrive; reach), which came from the Latin word pervenire, which is made up of per- (through; thoroughly; utterly) and venire (to come).

parvenu

Pronounced: PAR-vuh-new, noun

Notes: I think I’ve run across this word somewhere, but I cannot imagine it

Yesterday’s word

The word frum means “religious; observant of religious laws”

First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1800s

Background / Comments

Our word came from the Yiddish word frum, which came from the Middle High German word vrum (pious) — in Modern Gernam, it is fromm.

frum

Pronounced: froom (the “oo” as in “book”), adj

Notes: Not a word I know

Yesterday’s word

The word rectilinear means

  • moving in or forming a straight line
  • characterized by straight lines
First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

Our came from the Late Latin word recilineus, which is made up of the Latin words rectus (straight) and linea (line). There is a variant spelling of our word — “rectilineal” — but our word is much more common.

rectilinear

Pronounced: rek-tuh-LIH-nee-uhr, adj

Notes: This word makes me think of rectangles

Yesterday’s word

The word perlage is “the assemblage of bubbles, in a glass of champagne (for example)”

First usage

Our word came into English in the 1980s

Background / Comments

Our word came from the French word perle (pearl), with the suffix -age (state of condition). The tiny, fine bubbles in a glass of sparkling wine rise in a steady stream and resemble a string of pearls.

perlage

Pronounced: PUHR-lizh (alt: PURH-lazh), noun

Notes: Some may know the meaning of this word, but I didn’t

Yesterday’s word

The word lambent means

  • playing lightly on or over a surface; flickering
  • softly bright o radiant
  • marked by lightness or brilliance especially of expression
First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

In the Bible, there is a pretty well-known passage in which Elijah confronts the false prophets of Baal on mount Carmel; the prophets of Baal would build an altar and put a sacrifice upon it, and then pray to their god to burn the sacrifice. Elijah would do the same. To shorten the story, Elijah won: fire came down and burned up the sacrifice on the altar he had built. In the Authorized Version, the fire is described as “licking up” some of the material. I have read elsewhere about fire “licking up” paper or wood. All of this is relevant because our word came from the Latin word lambens, which is the present participle of the Latin verb lambere (to lick).

lambent

Pronounced: LAM-bunt, adj

Notes: I haven’t run across this word, and I’m a bit surprised

Yesterday’s word

The word plotz means “to faint, collapse, or flop down, as from excitement, frustration, surprise, exhaustion, etc”

First usage

Our word came into English in the 1920s

Background / Comments

Our word came from the Yiddish word platsn (to burst), which came from the German word platzen (to burst).

plotz

Pronounced: PLOTS, verb

Notes: Not a word I have run across

Yesterday’s word

The word lissome means

  • easily flexed
  • characterized by easy flexibility and grace; lithe
  • nimble
First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1700s

Background / Comments

Our word can also be spelled “lissom” – it is basically an altered form of “lithesome”. These days, our word is somewhat more used than “lithesome”. Our word came from the older English word lithe, which came from an Old English word meaning “gentle”.

lissome

Pronounced: LIH-sum, adj

Notes: I’ve run across this word, but I wasn’t sure of the meaning

Yesterday’s word

The word diversivolent means “desiring strife”

First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1600s

Background / Comments

There are some people who just seem to enjoy strife; perhaps you know some? Our word came from the Latin word diversus (diverse), which came from divertere (to turn aside), which is made up of di- (away; apart) and vertere (to turn). The other source word is the Latin word volens, the present participle of velle (to wish).

diversivolent

Pronounced: dyou-vurh-SIV-uh-lunht, adj

Notes: An unknown word; interesting one

Yesterday’s word

The word inspissate means “to make or become thick or thicker”

First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1600s

Background / Comments

So, our word is a synonym of the verb “thicken”. I find it interesting is that (as far as I can recall), this is the first word with a Lithuanian background. Our word is related to the Lithuanian word spisti (to form a swarm); it traces back to the Latin word spissus (slow; dense), which came from the Greek word spidnos (compact). Our word originally was used in the literal sense, but over time, a metaphorical meaning was added as well.

inspissate

Pronounced: in-SPIH-sate, verb

Notes: You may know the word (I didn’t), and it has an interesting history

Yesterday’s word

The word glossophobia is “the fear of public speaking”

First usage

Our word came into English in the 1960s

Background / Comments

Although I was able to parse this word correctly, it did not help me with the meaning. Our word came from the Greek word glosso (tongue; language) and phobia (fear). My guess had, therefore, been that it was a fear of foreign languages.