chambray

Pronounced: SHAM-bray, noun

Notes: This word is one of those that I’ve seen and heard, but really could not properly define

Yesterday’s word

The word Barbados (the verb) means “to forcibly ship someone to another place to work”

First usage

Our word goes back to the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

Yes, this word comes from the island in the Caribbean. In the 1600s, when it was a British colony, many Irish people were sent there by the British (they were also sent to other British colones in the Caribbean) as indentured servants. The Errol Flynn film Captain Blood has people being Barbadosed (although that word is not used in the film – at least as far as I know). The name Barbados is from the Spanish/Portuguese word barbados (bearded ones). It is not clear if the dense vegetation made the island appear to be bearded (and thus the name), or if the word referred to the bearded men living there.

Barbados

Pronounced: bar-BAY-doz (alt-1: -dos; alt-2: -duhs), verb

Notes: I know the noun (the island), but I did not know the verb. Also, I tend to use the first alternate pronunciation – ending the word with an ‘s’ sound, not a ‘z’ sound.

Yesterday’s word

The word anfractuous means “something with winding twists and turns; sinuous; circuitous”

First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1500s

Background / Comments

The definition makes me think of the original Adventure text game with its “you are in a maze of twisting passages, all alike” notes. Our word comes from the French word anfracteuex, which came from the Late Latin word anfractuosus (roundabout), which came from the Latin word anfractus (bend, curve).

anfractuous

Pronounced: an-FRACK-choo-uhs, adj

Notes: Another new word to me, but useful

Yesterday’s word

The word birminghamize means “to render artificial”

First usage

This word began to be used in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

Yes, it comes from the UK city of Birmingham… but why the meaning? In the 1600s, counterfeit coins were made there. There is a similar word that I think I have heard that comes from a corruption of Birmingham and that is “brummagem”.

birminghamize

Pronounced: BURR-ming-ham-ize, verb

Notes: I’ve not heard this word, but it’s not hard to guess where it comes from – the trick is figuring out the meaning

Yesterday’s word

The word dissilient means “something bursting apart or open”

First usage

This word came into English in the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

I enjoy this background; I’ll explain after giving it. It comes from a Latin word dissilient, a stem of the present participle of dissilīre (to leap apart); this is decomposed into dis- (away or apart), a combining for of sali (to leap), and -ent (alt: -ant), often found in nouns and adjectives taken from Latin. The reason I enjoy this background is that “desultory”, a word I enjoy, traces part of its roots back to the same word for “to leap”. If you don’t know the word “desultory”, look it up… it’s a pretty good description of some conversations, and has its own interesting origin.

dissilient

Pronounced: dih-SIL-ee-uhnt, adj

Notes: A word that is new to me

Yesterday’s word

The word longlist means “a preliminary list of candidates, such as people, places, things, etc for a prize, job, etc from which a shortlist is compiled.

First usage

This word came into usage in the 1970s

Background / Comments

This word grew out of the word shortlist (which came about in the 1920s).

longlist

Pronounced: c’mon – like it looks, noun

Notes: I didn’t know this was a word, but it makes sense

Yesterday’s word

The word fleer means, as a noun, “a sneer or mocking look”. As a verb it means “to grin or laugh coarsely and mockingly”

First usage

This came into English the late 1300s

Background / Comments

I feel a bit justified – there is a different word fleer (sounds the same, but pronounced differently [FLEE-uhr] and has a separate origin) that means “one who flees”. So, my guess was correct, but that is not the word under consideration. Our word comes from the Middle English flerien, which is thought to comes from the Scandinavian language: the Norwegian flire (a grin).

fleer

Pronounced: fleer, noun/verb

Notes: My guess was one who runs away (the person who is pursued), but that isn’t correct

Yesterday’s word

The word deterge means “to wash, wipe, or cleanse”

First usage

Our word goes back to the early 1600s

Background / Comments

You probably guessed the word if you added an ‘n’ and a ‘t’ and produced “detergent”. It comes from the Latin word detergere (to wipe away), which comes from de- (away) and tergere (to wipe)

deterge

Pronounced: dih-TUHRG, verb

Notes: You probably know this word, but I didn’t know it existed

Yesterday’s word

The word pilose means “covered with soft hairs or fur”

First usage

This word came into English in the mid-1700s

Background / Comments

As I wrote yesterday, our word rings a faint bell, so I think I’ve run across it in reading, but I don’t recall any of the circumstances. Our word comes from the Latin word pilōsus (shaggy).

pilose

Pronounced: PIE-lohss, adj

Notes: After reading the meaning, I think I’ve run across this word somewhere, but I wasn’t able to recall the meaning – do you know it?

Yesterday’s word

The word trangam means “a trinket, puzzle, or odd gadget”

First usage

This word goes back a long way; it came into English in the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

As I noted yesterday, I have a few things that could be described as trangams in my house. The origin of this word is not known.

trangam

Pronounced: TRANG-uhm, noun

Notes: I have several of these at home (you may, too), but I didn’t know this word

Yesterday’s word

The word sectile means “capable of being cut smoothly with a knife”

First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1700s

Background / Comments

As I noted yesterday, this word is useful. Our word comes from the Latin word sectilis (cuttable).