muppet

Pronounced: MUHP-it, noun

Notes: No, not the Sesame Street puppets (sorry about the very late post-RL)

Yesterday’s word

The word insouciant means “free of worry or anxiety; nonchalant”

First usage

This word came into English in the early 1800s

Background / Comments

I keep thinking that this word is a synonym for “insolent” (probably just because the words start similarly). The base of this word is the French word souciant, which is the present participle of soucier (to worry). It is combined with the prefix in- (not). The French word came from the Latin word sollicītāre (to disturb). If I hadn’t been distracted by the similar word “insolent”, I should have been able to figure it out… I know about the Prussian ruler Frederick the Great – he built a castle as a retreat; a place to be free from worry or case, and he called it that: Sanssouci (sans souci – without care”) Palace. Knowing this, I should have been able to parse our word.

insouciant

Pronounced: in-SOO-see-uhnt, adj

Notes: Another word that I could have guessed if I spent a little longer with it. I’ve run across this word in reading, but could not define it properly

Yesterday’s word

The word proxemics is “the study of physical proximity between people”. For example, in Spanish cultures, people stand closer together when talking that Americans do… I think the Italians are even closer together when speaking. How close two people are affects how close they stand together. This kind of thing falls under our word.

First usage

Our word came into usage in the 1960s

Background / Comments

Our word was coined by Edward T Hall. It comes from (as you might think) the word proximity, which came from the French word proximité, which came from the Latin word proximitas, which comes from proximus (nearest), the superlative of prope (near).

proxemics

Pronounced: prok-SEE-mix, noun

Notes: I hadn’t heard of this word

Yesterday’s word

The word cryophilic means “preferring or thriving in the cold or at low temperatures”

First usage

This word came into English usage in the 1940s

Background / Comments

This is a word that I should have known, but I didn’t parse it properly. Our word is the combination of cryo- (cold, as in cryogenics) and -philic (liking; enjoying). Both of these comes from Greek – cryo comes from krýos, and -philic is the adjective form of -phile (lover of), as in “francophile”. The suffix -phile comes from the Greek word -philos (dear, beloved). It is said that there are people who like to sleep warm and others who like to sleep cool, and they are often married to each other.

cryophilic

Pronounced: cry-oh-FIL-ick, adj

Notes: I should have known the meaning; maybe you’ve worked it out?

Yesterday’s word

The word senesce means “to grow old or decay”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

As I noted yesterday, I was aware of a related word from my reading: senescence. It is the noun form of our word. Our word comes the the Latin word senescere (to grow old), which came from senex (old).

senesce

Pronounced: suh-NESS, verb

Notes: I didn’t guess the meaning, but afterwards, I realized I knew another form of the word

Yesterday’s word

The word nonce means “in the present or immediate occasion”; it is usually used in the phrase “for the nonce”

First usage

Our word goes back to the mid- to late 1100s

Background / Comments

Our word comes from an error (and I find this kind of thing interesting). Our word came from Middle English word nones, used in the phrase for the nones. However, this phrase is an error; it was originally for then ones (meaning “for the once” — in early English ‘then’ is a modified form of ‘the’), and then became improperly divided.

Rejected Word

The word piquant (adj) came up, but I knew the word from reading – I don’t remember the author or book, but I could define it well enough to not add it into the queue for words to use.

nonce

Pronounced: nahns, noun

Notes: Another word that is new to me

Yesterday’s word

The word grimgribber means “jargon of a trade”

First usage

This word came into English in the early 1700s

Background / Comments

This word comes from the play Conscious Lovers by Richard Steele; it was an imaginary estate in the play. It must have made quite an impression, as the word came into usage shortly thereafter the play came out.

Rejected Word

I came across the word importunate (adj), but I know the noun version (importunity) from the Bible, so I knew this word. Did you?

grimgribber

Pronounced: GRIM-grih-buhr, noun

Notes: I don’t think I’ve ever run across this word

Yesterday’s word

The word alpenglow refers to “the reddish, pinkish glow seen on mountains before sunrise, or after sunset

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

As I noted yesterday, many of us have not seen this word (in print), but may have seen it (in real life). The word comes from the German word Alpenglühen, a combination of Alpen (Alps) and glühen (to glow). Oddly enough, half of the German word was translation in the English.

alpenglow

Pronounced: AL-puhn-glow, noun

Notes: This is a word that few of us have seen, and yet many people have seen

Yesterday’s word

The word reeve, as a verb, means “to pass (a rope or something like) through”. As a noun, it means “a local official”.

First usage

The verb form goes back to the early 1600s; the noun form goes back to before 1100.

Background / Comments

No one knows where the verb form came from; however, the noun form comes from Old English gerefa (high official). Our word is one of the root words behind “sheriff”, which was originally the high official (“reeve”) of the certain area in the UK (“shire”) – the shire’s reeve, which was shortened to “sheriff”.

reeve

Pronounced: reev, verb/noun

Notes: An interesting word; see tomorrow’s comments

Yesterday’s word

The word desiderata is the plural form of desideratum and thus means “several things wanted or needed”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

As you might guess from the singular and plural forms, our word comes from Latin; specifically, the Latin word dēsīderāre (to long for; require). I find it easy to remember the meaning of this word by seeing the word “desire” (parts of it, at least) in our word.

desiderata

Pronounced: dih-sid-uh-RAY-tuh (alt 1: dih-sid-uh-RAH-tuh) (alt 2: dih-zid-uh-RAY-tuh)

Notes: This is a plural noun; once again, this is a word I could have figured out, but I didn’t until after reading about it

Yesterday’s word

The word nuncupate means

  • to solemnly pronounce
  • to declare a will orally
First usage

This word came into English in the mid-1500s

Background / Comments

Our word comes from Latin nuncupare (to name), which is composed of nomen (name) and capere (to seize). As I noted yesterday, the adjectival form nuncupative (spoken rather than written; oral) may be more familiar (at least, it is to me; I’m pretty sure I’ve run across “nuncupative will” in my reading). The idea of nuncupative wills goes back to Roman law. Back then, it had to be heard by seven witnesses, and later presented to a magistrate. In the United States, some states allow oral wills, but usually in extreme circumstances, such as imminent peril of death from a terminal illness or from military or maritime service. It is common to require that such wills be recorded in writing within a specific time frame. Witnesses are required. It’s probably easier to have one drawn up that attempt to nuncupate.