floccinaucinihilipilification

Pronounced: FLOCK-see-NAH-see-NIL-ih-PILL-ee-fih-KAY-shun, noun

Notes: I happen to know this from a radio show, but I wanted to share it

Yesterday’s word

The word solander is “a case for maps, plates, etc, made to resemble a book, having a front cover and hinged fore edge”

First usage

Our word came into being in the late 1700s

Background / Comments

Our word was named after the man who created it: Daniel Solander, a Swedish botanist while he was working at the British Museum.

Rejected word

The verb nictitate came up as a word, but I think I’ve previously run across it and happened to learn it. If you don’t know it, it is a fancy, Latin-based word for “wink”

solander

Pronounced: suh-LAN-der, noun

Notes: When I saw the pronunciation, it reminded me of “slander” stretched to three syllables (more in comments).

Yesterday’s word

The word calumniate means “to make false statements about someone maliciously”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1500s

Background / Comments

It is a total coincidence that our word can mean “slander”, and today’s word sounds a lot like “slander”. As I noted yesterday, I was close to the meaning: I was aware of the noun calumnies, but I thought it merely meant “lies”, so I thought our word was a fancy one for lying… I missed the ‘malicious’ part of the definition, and I’m not sure I knew that it was lies ‘about someone’. Anyway, our word comes from the Latin word calumniari (to accuse falsely).

calumniate

Pronounced: kuh-LUHM-nee-ate, verb

Notes: This was another close one; I had a sense of the meaning, but was a bit off

Yesterday’s word

The word affinal means “related to or concerning marriage”

First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1600s

Background / Comments

After seeing the definition, I thought our word was related to fiancé or finacée; to bolster that thought, I had seen the word affianced somewhere in my reading, and knew from the context that it meant “betrothed” or “engaged”. However, such is not the case: our word comes from the Latin word affinis (a relative), and is related to one of the definitions of affinity; specifically, “relationship by marriage or ties other than blood” – it stands in contrast to consanguinity (related by blood; having a common ancestor).

affinal

Pronounced: ah-FINE-l (alt: uh-FINE-l), adj

Notes: This is a word that I thought I figured out “backwards” – meaning that after I saw the definition, I could see how the word could mean it.

Yesterday’s word

The word comport means “to conduct (oneself)” or “to agree with”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1500s

Background / Comments

I think I was thinking of the word deportment, which does trace back to similar roots. Our word comes from the French word comportement (behavior), which comes from comporter (to bear), which comes from the Latin word comportare (to transport), which is composed of com- (with) and portare (to carry).

comport

Pronounced: come-PORT, verb

Notes: I was pretty close to the right definition

Yesterday’s word

The word sophrosyne is “moderation; discretion; prudence”

First usage

Our word is another one that didn’t have information about when it came into English

Background / Comments

Our word is a great one to sprinkle into conversation; with the idea of being sound of mind or having discretion, it seem like a good word to know. It comes from the Greek word sōphrosýnē (soundness of mind; prudence; temperance), which is derived from sṓphrōn (prudence).

sophrosyne

Pronounced: suh-FROSS-uh-nee, noun

Notes: I don’t think I’ve every run across this word, but it’s a good, usable word to know

Yesterday’s word

The word kakistocracy means “government by the least qualified or worst persons”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

The only reason I figured out our word was that I have taken a few Greek classes, and the front part of the word looked as if it were related to the Greek word kakos, which I happened to know… so I got it right. Most people know that words ending in -cracy have to do with ruling (meritocracy, democracy, theocracy, and many others). To get specific, our word comes from the Greek word kakistos (worst), which is the superlative form of kakos (bad) combined with -cracy (rule).

kakistocracy

Pronounced: kak-ih-STOCK-ruh-see (alt: kah-kih-STOCK-ruh-see), noun

Notes: This is a rare exception to my only posting words I don’t know; I was able to correctly guess the meaning of this word, but I think it is rare enough to post

Yesterday’s word

The word clowder is “a group or cluster of cats”

First usage

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

Background / Comments

Did you know this was the group word for cats? (I didn’t). A cat-oriented web site says that this word is used if the cats appears to know each other. A group of cats that don’t know one another is called a “glaring”, which seems somehow appropriate. A group of kittens is a “litter”, but also sometimes called a “kindle”. Our word has a purely English origin; it was a variant of the noun clodder (clotted mass), which came from the verb clodder (to clot; to coagulate), which came from Middle English clothered, a variant of clotered. There is also an obsolete word clotter (to huddle together).

clowder

Pronounced: KLOW-der, noun

Notes: All I can see is “chowder” misspelled.

Yesterday’s word

The word coulrophobia is “the fear of clowns”

First usage

Our word came into English in the 1980s

Background / Comments

I assume that our word came into English later because clowns were originally supposed to be funny; it was later that clowns began to be seen as creepy. I don’t know anyone that truly suffers from coulrophobia, but I have heard of people that don’t like clowns. The word comes from the Greek words kolobatheron (stilt) and -phobia (fear). I assume that clowns were frequently on stilts, or falling off of them (for comic effect), and this is why the Greek word for ‘stilt’ was used.

coulrophobia

Pronounced: kool-ruh-FOE-bee-uh, noun

Notes: You may know this phobia (especially if you have it)

Yesterday’s word

The word kickshaw means

  • a tidbit of delicacy, especially one served as an appetizer; hors d’oeuvre
  • something showy but without value; a trinket; a trifle
First usage

Our word came back into English in the late 1500s

Background / Comments

At least with this word, one can see how the definition evolved (I’m assuming that the first definition above was the earlier definition). An hors d’oeuvre is usually showy and, while it may be tasty, it isn’t necessary to eating. Thus, the second definition came about as just something that is showy. Our word started as the French phrase quelque chose, pronounced ‘kell-kuh show-suh” and meaning ‘something’. When it was brought into English the ‘l’ was dropped – if you say it without the ‘l’, it sounds like kickshaws or kickshoes. English speaking people who were ignorant of the French origin thought that kickshaws was the plural form and created kickshaw as the singular.

kickshaw

Pronounced: KICK-shaw, noun

Notes: Interesting word; not sure how often I’d use it

Yesterday’s word

The word boodler is “someone involved in bribery or corruption”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

Our word came to us from the Dutch word boedel (property). This is a neat word to know, but it is not clear how our word acquired its meaning from the source.