valediction

Pronounced: val-ih-DIK-shun, noun

Notes: I didn’t know the meaning of this word; it reminded me of a word I do know

Yesterday’s word

The word stenophagous means “feeding on a limited variety of food”

First usage

The word came into English in the 1920s

Background / Comments

I am not sure how “limited” the food has to be to qualify for this word. I remember having a discussion back in high school of food we didn’t like, and one of the class comedians listed “pine cones”. Cutting these out of one’s diet probably doesn’t count as a “limited” variety of food. Our word comes from a combination of two words steno- (narrow; small) and -phagous (feeding on).

stenophagous

Pronounced: stuh-NOFF-uh-gus, adj

Notes: Another really nifty, useful word

Yesterday’s word

The word besot means

  • to inspire with admiration to the point of foolishness
  • to make dull or stupid (as by drunkenness)
First usage

This word can be traced back to the mid-1500s

Background / Comments

I was so sure I was right on this one! I’m familiar with the phrase “he is besotted by her” – because I recognized the word “sot” (a drunkard), I was convinced that the word meant to have someone act like a drunkard (which some besotted men can do). Unfortunately, I had it backwards: the word comes from a combination of be- (to cause to be) and sot (to cause to appear foolish or stupid). The root sot comes from the Middle English word sott (fool). Thus, the modern word “sot” – meaning drunkard – is because a drunkard can be foolish, not the other way around.

besot

Pronounced: bih-SAHT, verb

Notes: I know the general meaning (you probably do, too), but I was a little off because I attempted to parse the word… and I was wrong

Yesterday’s word

The word irenic means “tending to promote peace and reconciliation”

First usage

This word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

Our word comes from the Greek word eirēnikós (peaceful), with the root of eirḗnē (peace). I’m guessing that the name “Irene” comes from this same source and means “peace” or “peaceful”.

Rejected Word

I think most people know what exonerate (verb) means – at least one definition (to clear from blame). This seems to be the commonly used one, so I didn’t add it. However, there is another meaning that I’m not familiar with: to relieve of a responsibility, obligation, or hardship. I didn’t know that meaning, and it appears to be the original one by combining ex- (no longer) and onus (load or burden). It was a near thing, but I decided not to add it.

irenic

Pronounced: aye-ren-ick (alt: aye-ree-nick), adj

Notes: The “aye” above is supposed to be the long “i” sound (as in “time”). At one time, I worked for someone named “Irene”, and I just saw her name and could not guess the meaning

Yesterday’s word

The word zetetic means, as an adjective, “proceeding by inquiry, search, or investigation”. As a noun, it means “a skeptic or inquirer”.

First usage

This word came into English in the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

Our word comes from Greek; specifically, the word zetein (to seek or inquire). I like the noun definition and may try to slip it into conversations.

zetetic

Pronounced: zuh-TET-ick, adj/noun

Notes: An interesting word; I don’t think I’ve run across it

Yesterday’s word

The word stelliferous means “abounding or full with stars”

First usage

This word came into English in the late 1500s

Background / Comments

You did better than I if you saw “stellar” in the word. Our word comes from the Latin word stellifer (star-bearing), which comes from stella (star) and -fer; the -ous added makes it an adjective.

stelliferous

Pronounced: steh-LIHF-er-us, adj

Notes: Another word I couldn’t guess the meaning of, but after reading it, it makes sense

Yesterday’s phrase

The phrase mise en abyme means “self-reflection in a literary work, a work of art, etc”

First usage

A fairly recent word; it came into English in the 1960s

Background / Comments

As you probably thought, our word is a French word mise en abyme or mise en abîme (placed into abyss). This term originally applied to heraldic shields in which a smaller shield was put into the center of the shield. I’m not sure how it mutated into the current definition, but examples would be a story within a story, or a dream within a dream… or the infinite reflection one can see in two mirrors facing one another.

mise en abyme

Pronounced: mee-zan-nah-BEEM, noun

Notes: I didn’t know this word

Yesterday’s word

The word clinquant means, as an adjective, “glittering; decked out with tinsel of garish finery or jewelry”. As a noun, it means “imitation gold leaf; gold tinsel”

First usage

This word came into English in the late 1500s

Background / Comments

The word comes from middle French clinking, the past participle of clinquer, which comes from the Dutch word klinken (to sound). I don’t really mess around with fine art stuff, which may be why I haven’t run across this word.

clinquant

Pronounced: KLING-kuhnt, adj/noun

Notes: Another word I have no recollection of reading

Yesterday’s word

The word untrack means “to remove from a track; change course”

First usage

This word came into English in the late 1800s

Background / Comments

Our word is a combination of English and French words. From English, the word un- (a reversal or a negation) combined with the French word trac (track). This word makes a good synonym for “change course”.

untrack

Pronounced: uhn-TRACK, verb

Notes: I don’t think I’ve every run across this word (aside from vocabulary lists)

Yesterday’s word

The word reify means “to convert something abstract into a concrete thing; to make a thought or wish into an action or object” – I think of it as “to make real”

First usage

This word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

The word comes from Latin rēs (thing) combined with -ify (an intensification suffix)

reify

Pronounced: REE-uh-fie (alt: RAY-uh-fie), verb

Notes: I didn’t know this word

Yesterday’s word

The word mediocracy means “rule by the mediocre” (not the media, as I guessed)

First usage

This word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

Given the definition, you can tell it is mediocre combined with -ocracy (rule). So, by thinking ‘rule by the media’, I was close, but wasn’t right.