empyreal

Pronounced: em-PIR-ee-uhl (alt 1: em-PIE-ree-uhl; alt 2: em-puh-REE-uhl; alt 3: em-pie-REE-uhl)

Note: Wow, I don’t think I’ve run across a word with four different pronunciations

Yesterday’s phrase

The phrase gung ho, as most people know, means “extremely eager and enthusiastic”

First usage

This phrase came into English in the 1940s

Background / Comments

It is the background that made me include this word. It was adopted by US Marine Corps officer Evans Carlson and used as training slogan. It comes from the Chinese word gonghe, an acronym from the Gongye Hezuoshe (the Chinese Industrial Cooperative Society). The word gonghe was understood to mean “work together”. Evans Carlson liked the sound of it and thus used it for a slogan, from where is made its way into general English usage as our phrase.

gung ho

Pronounced: gung hoe

Notes: I assume nearly everyone know the meaning of this phrase; I’ve included it because I found the background interesting.

Yesterday’s word

The word oniomania means “the uncontrollable urge to but things” – we tend to use “shop-a-holic” to describe someone instead of this word. Ah, English, with the many ways to say something!

First usage

This word showed up in English in the early 1900s

Background / Comments

I am sure you recognized the Greek ending -manía (madness; insanity). The other one looks like it should be onion-related, but is actually the Greek word ṓnios (sale), which comes from the Greek word ônos (price). I’m sure that online buying has made it so easy to indulge in one’s oniomania; one used to have to drive somewhere to indulge in buying, or at least use a catalog with a lengthy delay between order and delivery… so many things today are delivered next-day or within a day or two.

oniomania

Pronounced: oh-nee-uh-MAY-nee-uh (alt: oh-nee-uh-MAIN-yuh), noun

Notes: So, take your choice of five or six syllables; I would tend to use the first pronunciation (thus, six). We have another word for this that is more commonly used

Yesterday’s word

The word synoptic means

  • relating to a summary or general view of something
  • covering a wide area (as weather conditions)
  • taking a similar view (as the first three books of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, and Luke)
First usage

This word came into English in the mid-1700s

Background / Comments

I knew that Matthew, Mark, and Luke were called the ‘synoptic gospels’, but even so, I was fuzzy about the exact meaning of synoptic… and I had certainly not heard of the weather-related definition. The work is Greek; it comes from syn- (together) combined with opsis (view)… this latter Greek word is no doubt the basis for optical, and optics, etc.

synoptic

Pronounced: suh-NOP-tik (alt: sih-NOP-tik)

Notes: I know one of the meanings

Yesterday’s word

The word pandiculation means “the act of stretching and yawning upon waking”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

I think nearly everyone has done this at least once; some may do it daily… and now you know a word for it. The word comes from the Latin word pandiculātus, which is the past participle of pandiculārī (to stretch oneself).

Rejected word

It was a close thing for gymkhana. I happened to know the word from a British show (To the Manor Born, I think) and decided not to use it.

pandiculation

Pronounced: pan-dik-yuh-LAY-shun, noun

Notes: I love words like this one; it describes something that (nearly) everyone does

Yesterday’s word

The word acarophobia has multiple meanings

  • an fear (phobia) of small insects
  • a delusion that one’s skin is infected with bugs
  • a fear of itching
First usage

Odd; most times, a word from the 20th century can be narrowed to within a decade, but my research gave a wide range of somewhere in the middle to late 1900s.

Background / Comments

It seems straightforward as to how the meaning of our word changed over time… let’s start with the background: I’m sure that nearly everyone who enjoys vocabulary recognized the Greek word -phobia (fear). The first part is from the Greek word acarus (mite). So, clearly, our word started out as a fear of small insects – the first definition. Really small ones would be hard to see, so the word mutated to the second meaning. Finally, if one does have bugs, one would itch, and, no doubt, be afraid that if one started itching, it would be a sign of a small insect infestation. I hope writing about this doesn’t make you itchy (heh).

acarophobia

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

Notes: An interesting word

Yesterday’s word

The word bibliotaph means “one who hoards or hides away books”

First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1800s

Background / Comments

While I enjoy having books, I don’t think I qualify as a bibliotaph; I don’t think I “hoard” books or hide them away. The word comes from the Greek word biblion (book; really papyrus roll or strip of papyrus) and táphos (burial). If you see the word “Bible” in this word, you are right; it comes from the first Greek word (biblion).

bibliotaph

Pronounced: BIB-lee-uh-taf (alt BIB-lee-uh-tahf), noun

Notes: You may know this word; at least, part of the word

Yesterday’s word

The word exclosure means “a fenced area, especially in a wide open area, to keep unwanted animals out”

First usage

This word came into English around 1920

Background / Comments

Our word is the other side of ‘enclosure’, which is a fenced area to keep wanted animals in. It comes from ex- (out) and closure (barrier), which comes from the Latin word claudere (to close). I guess that in the phrase “good fences make good neighbors”, it is implied that such fences are an exclosure.

exclosure

Pronounced: ik-SKLO-zuhr, noun

Notes: I should have known this word

Yesterday’s word

The word propinquity means “a similarity or affinity of nature or character; close kinship or relationship”

First usage

The word came into English in the mid to late 1300s

Background / Comments

Our word comes from the Middle English word propinquite, which in turn came from the Latin word propinquitās (nearness). I seem to have a faint memory of running across a sentence like “she suspected him to be guilty of propinquity” and I may thus have connected it with some kind of sin or iniquity.

propinquity

Pronounced: pro-PING-kwih-tee, noun

Notes: You may know this word; I keep seeing “iniquity” in it, and getting thrown off — perhaps writing it here will help me remember it!

Yesterday’s word

The word cunctative means “delaying; slow”

First usage

This word came into English in the early 1600s

Background / Comments

I suppose this word could be used in “cunctative tactics” (instead of the more common ‘delaying tactics’. It’s a nice fancy word to use for delaying. It comes from the Latin word cunctari (to hesitate or delay).

cunctative

Pronounced: KUNGK-tuh-tiv, adj

Notes: A pretty fancy word for something we’ve all experienced

Yesterday’s word

The word foudroyant means “suddenly and powerfully affected; stunned or struck, as if by lightning”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

The definition didn’t use “thunderstruck”, but that’s also a good meaning for our word. As I said, I hope I remember it well enough to use it; it would make a great alternative to “stunned” or “thunderstruck” or “gobsmacked” (more common in the UK). I think I probably use “stunned” or “completely amazed” or “astonished” for this kind of thing. As you probably guessed, this is a French word: it’s the present participle of foudroyer (to strike with lightning), which itself comes from foudre (lightning).