frangible

Pronounced: FRAN-juh-bull, adj

Notes: I didn’t know this word when I first ran across it

Yesterday’s word

The word Ruritanian means “relating to an imaginary place characterized by romance, adventure, and intrigue”.

First usage

This word began to be used in the late 1800s

Background / Comments

The book The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope was published in 1894. Ruritania was the fictional central European kingdom in which the action of the book takes place. It was (and remains) a popular story, and our word came about shortly after publication. I’ve not read the book, but I have watched one of the six film adaptations. There were three stage plays from this story, and numerous homages, including a classic Doctor Who serial and a couple of episodes of Get Smart.

Ruritanian

Pronounced: roor-ih-TAY-nee-uhn, adj

Notes: I recognized the source of the word, but didn’t get the meaning right

Yesterday’s word

The word polemic, as a noun, means “someone or something that is controversial”. As an adjective, it means “something that is controversial, argumentative, or contrarian”. The form polemical can be used as the adjectival form.

First usage

This word came into English in the early 1600s

Background / Comments

Our word came into English from the French word polémique (disputatious; argumentative). The French word came from the Greek word polemikós (of or for war), which is made up of pólemos (war) combined with -ikos (having some characteristics of).

polemic

Pronounced: puh-LEM-ick (alternatively, poh-), noun, adj

Notes: I wasn’t quite right on this word

Yesterday’s word

The word ecotopia means “an ecologically ideal place”

First usage

This word came into English in the 1970s

Background / Comments

This word came from the title of a novel by Ernest Callenbach – Ecotopia. In the book, this word is used to describe the west coast of the USA. The word itself is a blend of eco- (environmental; ecological) and utopia (an ideal place) – thus, an ideal environmental place. Incidentally, Utopia is the title of a book published in 1516 by Thomas More. As I noted yesterday, once you know the words it comes from, it’s simple to get the meaning.

ecotopia

Pronounced: EE-koh-toe-pee-uh (alternatively, EK-oh-toe-pee-uh), noun

Notes: I didn’t know the word, but it made sense later

Yesterday’s word

The word espy means “to see at a distance; catch sight of”

First usage

This word goes back to the late 1100s or early 1200s

Background / Comments

As I noted yesterday, I might have had the correct meaning, but I thought that the word was pronounced “ES-pee” and couldn’t guess the definition. Our word comes from the Middle English word espyen, which comes from the Old French word espier.

espy

Notes: If I had paid attention to the pronunciation, I would have known this word

Pronounced: ih-SPY, verb

Yesterday’s word

The word ensiform means “shaped like a sword or a sword blade”

First usage

This word came into English in the mid-1500s

Background / Comments

As I noted yesterday, this is a handy word to mean sword-like or looking like the blade of a sword. Another word to slip into conversation. It comes from the Latin words ensis (sword) and -form (shape).

ensiform

Pronounced: EN-suh-form, adj

Notes: I wish I had known this word; it could be useful

Yesterday’s word

The word passel means “a group of individuals or objects of an unspecified number”

First usage

This word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

The word is an alteration of the word “parcel”.

passel

Pronounced: PASS-uhl, noun

Notes: I think I’ve run across this word, but I could not define it

Yesterday’s word

The word ergophobia means “an abnormal fear or aversion to work”

First usage

This word goes back to the early 1900s

Background / Comments

This word comes from Greek words; you probably recognized phobia (fear). The other word is ergon (work). I can’t say that I know anyone who is afraid of work; however, there are people who have an aversion to work.

ergophobia

Pronounced: er-guh-FOE-bee-uh, noun

Notes: When I ran across this word, I didn’t know what it meant, but I’ve learned it now

Yesterday’s word

The word apatetic means “having colors and forms like camoflage”

First usage

This word came into English in the late 1800s

Background / Comments

The word comes from a Greek word, apatētikos (fallacious; deceiving; misleading)

apatetic

Pronounced: ap-uh-TET-ick, adj

Notes: Another interesting word that I’ve not heard before

Yesterday’s word

The word robustious means

  • strong and sturdy
  • boisterous
  • coarse or crude
First usage

This word came into English in the mid-1500s

Background / Comments

I knew the first meaning, because I could see, as you probably could also, “robust” in the word. I’m not really familiar with the other meanings. I suppose people who are strong and sturdy could be almost unknowingly be boisterous, rather like people in an apartment having a good time and not realizing how loud they might be getting until asked to tone it down. By even further extension, the strong are often thought to have little understanding or patience for social niceties, which could lead to the coarse/crude meaning. Our word hails from a Latin word robus (oak; strength).

robustious

Pronounced: roh-BUS-chuhs

Notes: I knew one of the meanings, but not the others

Yesterday’s word

The word parapraxis, as I noted yesterday, means a Freudian slip; technically, “a slip of the tongue or pen that otherwise reveals true motivation”.

First usage

Our word is a relatively late one, coming into English in the 1930s

Background / Comments

As you may have guessed from the “para”, this word is Greek. It is a combination of para- (alongside or beyond) and prâxis (act or action). Therefore, this word’s roots carry the idea that “alongside” of our actions may be hints as to our real feelings on the matter.