deliquesce

Pronounced: deh-lih-KWES, verb

Notes: A new word to me

Yesterday’s word

The word yeanling means, as a noun, “the young of an animal (especially of a sheep or a goat)”. As an adjective, it means “new-born; infant”.

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

I know the word “yearling”, but our word was new to me. It came from yean (to give birth to a young), which came from the Old English geeanian, which came from eanian (to bear young), combined with -ling (small; young; inferior).

yeanling

Pronounced: YEEN-ling, noun/adj

Notes: I didn’t know this was a word; you may be able to guess the meaning

Yesterday’s word

The word pleiad is “a group of (usually seven) illustrious or brilliant persons or things”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

I am familiar with the “Pleiades” from Greek mythology, but our word was knew to me. The Pleiades were seven sisters who were changed into a cluster of seven starts in the constellation Taurus. During the Renaissance, the French used Pléiade (the singular form of “Pleiades”) for the name of an eminent group of seven tragic poets of ancient Alexandria. It was then used to describe a group of French poets in the 1500s. From there, it worked its way into English.

pleiad

Pronounced: PLEE-uhd, noun

Notes: This looks similar to a word I know, but it is only remotely related

Yesterday’s word

The word anemious means “growing in windy conditions”

First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1800s

Background / Comments

I was thinking that perhaps our word was related to anemones, but no — our word comes from the Greek word anemos (wind).

anemious

Pronounced: uh-NEE-mih-us, adj

Notes: My guess at the meaning was incorrect

Yesterday’s word

The word aubade is

  • a song or poem greeting the dawn
  • a morning love song, or a song or poem of lovers parting at dawn
First usage

Our word came into English in the mid to late 1600s

Background / Comments

As you may have guessed, our word came the French word aubade (dawn serenade) — our first definition above. The second meaning grew up over time. Part of the French word aubade is the Old Occitan word auba (dawn), which is thought to comes from the Latin word albus (white). Note: I have not heard of Old Occitan before; it was an early language that descended from Latin, primary in the area of modern France.

aubade

Pronounced: oh-BAHD, noun

Notes: Another word I have no recollection of running across

Yesterday’s word

The word pishogue means “sorcery; witchcraft; spell”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

Our word came from the Irish word piseog (witchcraft).

pishogue

Pronounced: pih-SHOHG, noun

Notes: I have not run across this word

Yesterday’s word

The word chilblain is “an inflammatory swelling or sore caused by exposure (such as feed or hands) to cold”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1500s

Background / Comments

As you might expect, the first part of our word came from “chill”, which came from the Old English word ciele (frost; chill), which is related to the Old English word ceald, an ancestor of “cold”. The second part of the word is a word by itself, meaning “an inflammatory swelling or sore”)” — it came from the Old English word blegen. When our word first appeared, it was spelled “chyll blayne”.

picaro

Pronounced: PEE-kuh-roh, noun

Notes: I’ve not run across this word

Yesterday’s word

The word snickersnee is “a large knife or sword”

First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1600s

Background / Comments

Our word used to be a phrase “snick or snee” (before it was compressed into our word). This phrase was originally “steake or snye”, a term used in pirate times to describe someone engaged in a sword and/or dagger fight. This phrase came from a Dutch term meaning “to thrust or cut”. In addition to the noun, our word is also a verb meaning to engage in such fights.

snickersnee

Pronounced: SNIH-kuhr-snee, noun

Notes: This word made me think of Lewis Carroll’s poem “Jabberwocky”

Yesterday’s word

The word pogonip is “a dense winter fog having ice particles”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

Our word came from the Shoshone word payinappih (cloud).

pogonip

Pronounced: POG-uh-nip, noun

Notes: I’ve run across this word

Yesterday’s word

The word festoon is

  • a decorative chain or strip hanging between two points
  • a carved, molded, or painted ornament representing a decorative chain
First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1600s

Background / Comments

I am familiar with the verb “festoon” (decorate), but not with our word. The verb is actually newer; the noun was older. Our word came from French and Italian, which came from the Latin word festa, which is the plural of festum (festival). As a side note, we get our word “feast” from the same Latin root.