gnar

Pronounced: nar

Notes: Also spelled gnarr. Another word I’ve no run across

Yesterday’s word

The word subrogate means

  • to put into the place of another; substitute for another
  • (in law) to substitute one person for another, with reference to a claim or right
First usage

The second definition above was the first meaning in the first half of the 1400s; the first meaning comes from the mid-1500s.

Background / Comments

I think I confused our word with subjugate (to bring under complete control). Our word came from late Middle English, which came from the Late Latin word subrogātus, a past participle of subrogāre (to nominate [someone] as a substitute), which is composed of sub- (below; under; beneath) and rogāre (to request).

subrogate

Pronounced: SUB-ruh-gate, verb

Notes: This word has a much more common synonym

Yesterday’s word

The word puissant means “potent”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1400s

Background / Comments

Our word sounds a lot more run to use that ‘potent’. If you think it looks French, you are correct: it came into English from French. The French word came from the Latin word posse (to be able).

puissant

Pronounced: PWIS-uhnt (alt: PYOO-uh-suhnt), adj

Notes: Not what I thought

Yesterday’s word

The word cicerone means “a person who conducts sightseers; a guide”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1700s

Background / Comments

This is an Italian word. Because it has Italian background, the proper plural is ciceroni (just like the proper plural of concerto is concerti). However, just like concertos is often used as the plural of concerto, cicerones is also an acceptable plural of cicerone. Our word comes from the Italian word Cicerōnem, which is the accusative form of the name Cicerō; guides were thought to have the knowledge and eloquence of Cicero.

cicerone

Pronounced: sis-uh-ROE-nee (alt: chich-uh-ROE-nee), noun

Notes: I don’t think I’ve run across this word anywhere

Yesterday’s word

The word inhere means “to belong to something by its very nature; to be an inseparable part of something”

First usage

This word came into English in the mid-1500s

Background / Comments

I didn’t know that this verb existed, but I (and, I suspect many people) are aware of the adjective form: inherent. Our word comes from the Latin word inhaerere (to be attached), which comes from in- (in) and haerere (to stick).

inhere

Pronounced: in-HERE, verb

Notes: You might be able to guess this one, even if you don’t know it

Yesterday’s word

The word viridescent means “slightly green; greenish”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

If you take off the ‘v’, you get iridescent, which means something that shows varied, lustrous colors rather like a rainbow. So, that was all I could see. However, I should have been able to guess that this was related to the color green. Our word comes from the Late Latin word viridēscent, from viridēscēns, the present participle of viridēscere (to become green), which has a root of viridis (green).

viridescent

Pronounced: vir-ih-DESS-uhnt, adj

Notes: Another strike for the poor quality control on this entry; it was clearly an adjective from the definition, but was listed as a noun.

Yesterday’s word

The word spavined means

  • suffering from spavin, a disease involving swelling of the hock joints in a horse
  • old; decrepit; broken-down
First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1400s

Background / Comments

This is one of the word in which it is easy to follow the definition as it changed. Clearly, the first definition above was the original definition. Probably older horses were more common to this condition, and that gave rise to the more general definition listed second above. Our word comes from the Old French word espavain (swelling).

spavined

Pronounced: SPAV-ind, adj

Notes: I don’t think I’ve ever run across this word

Yesterday’s word

The word thalassic means

  • of, or pertaining to, seas and oceans
  • of, or pertaining to, smaller bodies of water, as seas and gulfs
  • growing, living, or found in the sea; marine
First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

Our word comes from the Greek word thálassa (sea), with -ic added to indicate an adjective. I was annoyed with myself for not getting this word… I’ve dabbled a bit in Greek, and knew the word thálassa (sea). I also knew the word thanatos (death), but I got the words confused, and was therefore annoyed at myself.

thalassic

Pronounced: thuh-LASS-ick, adj

Notes: Sounds like a pickle (heh). Seriously, I should have known this word

Yesterday’s word

The word comminute means “to pulverize”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

I would never have guessed the meaning of our word – it looks like ‘commune’ or a short form of ‘communicate’. Our word comes from the Latin word comminuere, which is made up of com- (an intensifier) and minuere (to lessen).

comminute

Pronounced: KOM-uh-noot (alt: KOM-uh-nyoot), verb

Notes: Not at all what I thought this word might mean

Yesterday’s word

The word nosophobia is “an abnormal fear of disease”

First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1800s

Background / Comments

You probably recognized -phobia (fear); usually, when describing phobias, we are talking about irrational, exaggerated, or abnormal fear of <whatever>. One of the reasons for hygiene is a fear of catching or spreading disease, but this is not the irrational kind of fear meant by -phobia. The other part of the word comes from the Greek word nósos (disease).

nosophobia

Pronounced: noss-uh-FOE-bee-uh, noun

Notes: Another phobia!

Yesterday’s word

The word behoof means “advantage; benefit”

First usage

Our word came into English back in the late 1200s

Background / Comments

Our word comes from the Old English word behof (profit; need). From the same source, we get the more familiar verb “behoove” (as in it behooves us to be good citizens). I always thought that the expression “it behooves me/us to…” meant that it was something we were supposed to do; something proper or ethical; that is one definition, and it matches the “need” meaning of the source. In addition, it can use the “profit” part of the definition and mean that it is something to our advantage.