Pronounced: pro-nun-see-uh-MEN-toe, noun

Notes: You can probably guess at the meaning of this word (I didn’t know this was a word)

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Yesterday’s word

The word nidificate means “to build a nest”

First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1800s

Background / Comments

Our word came from the Latin word nīdificātus, the past participle of nīdificāre (to build a nest). I’ve always used the phrase “the birds are building a nest in our eaves”; I can simplify(?) this to “the birds are nidificating in our eaves”.

Pronounced: NID-uh-fih-kate, verb

Notes: A useful word to know

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Yesterday’s word

The word hegira means “a journey or migration, especially when taken to escape an undesirable situation”

First usage

This word came into English in the late 1500s

Background / Comments

This word came from the flight of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina in 622 in order to escape persecution. It comes from the Arabic noun hijra (departure), which came from the verb hajara (to depart).

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Rejected word

I chose to not use the word tyro (a beginner in learning; novice) because I happened to know it. I did not know that it could be spelled tiro. It originally (in Latin) meant a young soldier or new recruit. I ran across the word in the Star Trek novel Enterprise The First Adventure (at least, that’s what I think… I’m not sure what happened to my copy of that book, but I think it was there that I first read it).

Pronounced: hih-JIGH-ruh (alt: HEJ-uhr-uh), noun

Notes: This is a new word to me

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Yesterday’s word

The word votive means

• offered, given, or dedicated in accordance with a vow or wish
• performed, undertaken, etc., in consequence of a vow

First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1500s

Background / Comments

I have heard of a “votive candle”, but I always thought that merely meant a small candle; I was not aware that such candles were related to vows. Our word comes from the Latin word votivus, which equivalent to votum (a vow).

Pronounced: VOE-tihv, adj

Notes: I’ve heard this word, but I didn’t know the meaning

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Yesterday’s word

The word satori is “sudden enlightenment or intuitive understanding”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1700s

Background / Comments

When I first saw this word, I thought of the word sartorial, and thought it was related. It isn’t; our word came from the Japanese word satori (understanding), which came from satoru (to know or understand).

Pronounced: suh-TORE-ee, noun

Notes: I thought this might be related with how one dresses, but no… you may get it if you have the right background

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Yesterday’s word

The word klatsch is “a casual gathering of people, especially for refreshments and informal conversation”

First usage

Our word came into English in the 1950s

Background / Comments

Our word comes from the German word Klatsch (chitchat, gossip). I think I have run across something that was posing as our word, but my recollection is that it was misspelled or mispronounced. I remember reading about something that fits our word, but was written as “a coffee klutch”; I’m pretty sure it was supposed to be “klatsch”. It was a long time ago, and I don’t remember where I read it.

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Rejected word

The word bevy (BEH-vee) came up, but I’ve run across it in reading and I had a good idea of the meaning. I have heard it used for a collection of quail, and that turned out to be one of the meanings. I have also read the word in Nero Wolfe books by Rex Stout. The character Archie Goodwin refers to “a bevy of beautiful maidens” – I thought that the word therefore meant a large group, and that is also correct. It’s original meaning was used for a group of deer, quail, larks, or young ladies. From there has become more generalized to a large number.

Pronounced: klahch (alt: klach)

Notes: I find those pronunciations to be very close; the second would be latch with a ‘k’ in front.

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Yesterday’s word

The word cunctation means “delay; procrastination; tardiness”

First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1500s

Background / Comments

I can just image the phrase “he has a tendency toward cunctation” causing eyebrows to raise around the office. Our word comes from the Latin word cunctari (to hesitate, delay).

Pronounced: kungk-TAY-shun, noun

Notes: This is a good word to know, as it is useful and will make people wonder

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Yesterday’s word

The word aglet is “a metal tag or sheath at the end of a lace used for tying (such as a shoelace)”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1400s.

Background / Comments

Modern shoelaces seem to use plastic aglets instead of metal ones — but perhaps expensive shoes have metal ones. Our word came from Middle English from the Middle French word aiguillette; equivalent to aiguille (needle).

Pronounced: AG-lit, noun

Notes: This word is one you either know, or else you say “I didn’t know there was a word for that!”

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Yesterday’s word

The word pricket is

• a sharp point or spike for holding a candle
• a male deer in its second year, before his antlers have branched

First usage

Our word goes back a ways; it came into English in the mid-1300s

Background / Comments

I don’t think that our word would get a lot of usage: most people have candle holders instead of prickets to hold their candles (if they even use candles much anymore). Likewise, it is hard to imagine the deer definition coming up in causal conversation, though possibly it may come up in among hunters. Our word is a diminutive of prick (also spelled prik in days long ago), which came from the Old English word prica (point).

Pronounced: PRIK-it, noun

Notes: Looks like a misspelling of “picket” (as in “picket fence”) – a new word to me

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Yesterday’s word

The word tautology is “the needless repetition of an idea, especially in words”

First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1500s

Background / Comments

Apparently, the common example of a tautology is “widow woman”… I spent a few minutes trying to think of something else; I can think of straight, unnecessary repetition, such as “ATM machine” or “PIN number”, but our word seems to be used when the other word is not the same, but adds nothing. I have had annoying conversations when I ask a yes/no question and get back a lengthy statement that could have been stated as “yes” — these may be an example of tautological conversation, which sounds nice. Our word comes from the Late Latin word tautologia, which came from the Greek word tautología (repetition of something already said).

Pronounced: taw-TAHL-uh-jee, noun

Notes: I’ve seen this word used, but wasn’t sure of the meaning

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Yesterday’s word

The word pinchgut means, as a noun, “a miserly person”; as an adjective, it means “miserly”

First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1600s

Background / Comments

Our word has a nautical origin: it originally meant someone who didn’t give enough food to a ship’s crew (presumably causing their “guts” to pinch together).

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Rejected Word

The word rigmarole came up; my first thought was that it was a typo; I was sure it was rigamarole (because that’s how I pronounce it). It had the meaning I thought (“confused or meaningless talk”). I learned that the word is also spelled rigamarole – due to the common pronunciation of “RIH-guh-muh-roll”. The origin of the word is also interesting: in the Middle Ages, there was a game called Ragmane or Ragman: a player randomly selected a string attached to a roll of verses and read the selected verse. The roll was called a “Ragman roll” after the fictional king who supposedly wrote the verses. In the 1500s, ragman and ragman roll referred to a list or catalog. These terms fell our of written use, the in speech, ragman roll persisted and became, in the 1700s, written as rigmarole to mean “a succession of confused, meaningless, or foolish statements”.