Pronounced: BOM-buh-nate, verb

Notes: Well, I thought this was related to bombs, but no

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Yesterday’s word

The word mammothrept means

• a spoiled child
• a person of immature judgment

First usage

This word came into English in the early 1600s

Background / Comments

The background of our word doesn’t seem to be complete. It comes from the Latin word mammothreptus, which came from ancient Greek mammothreptos (brought up by one’s grandmother). This word is a combination of mamme (grandmother) and trephein (to bring up or nourish). So far so good, but I’m not sure how we got from that origin to the current meaning. I know that there is a common belief that grandparents spoil grandchildren, and I suppose that this idea is behind the meaning. Personally, I don’t think that all grandparents spoil their grandchildren, especially grandparents that have to raise their grandchild or grandchildren (as opposed to grandparents that just have their grandchildren for visits from time to time).

Pronounced: MAM-uh-thrept, noun

Notes: This sounds like word Rex Stout uses in the Nero Wolfe novels, but if it is, I have no recollection of reading it.

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Yesterday’s word

The word matutinal means “of, or occurring in, the morning, or of the early day”.

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

This word came from the late Latin word mātūtinālis (of the morning; early), which came from the Latin word mātūtīnus (of the morning). This word in turn came from Mātūta (goddess of dawn).

Pronounced: muh-TOOT-en-el (alt: muh-TYOOT-en-el), adj

Notes: I don’t think I’ve heard this word

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Yesterday’s word

The word mimsy means “prim; feeble; affected”

First usage

This word was created in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

This word was coined by Lewis Carroll in a poem he published in his periodical Mischmasch. An expanded version of this poem appeared in Through the Looking-Glass as Jabberwocky. I think I’ve read Jabberwocky, but I didn’t recall this word. It is thought that our word is a combination of slimy and lithe.

Pronounced: MIM-zee, adj

Notes: I guess I’ve seen this word, but I don’t remember it

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Yesterday’s word

The word telluric means “coming out of, or proceeding from, the soil or earth”

First usage

The word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

Our word comes from the Latin word tellūr, which is the stem of tellūs (earth). In hindsight, I should have recognized the root and deduced the meaning of the word.

Pronounced: teh-LOOR-ick, adj

Notes: This is another word that I didn’t know, but after seeing the origin, it made sense

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Yesterday’s phrase

The phrase scare quote refers to “the quotation marks around a word or phrase to indicate said phrase is incorrect, nonstandard, or ironic”.

First usage

This word came into English in the 1950s

Background / Comments

Our phrase was coined by a philosopher: G. E. M. Anscombe. For an example of scare quotes, consider the following: My attention kept wanting to wander as Bob shared ‘interesting’ facts from his life. Scare quotes are used in writing; the equivalent of scare quotes in speaking is “air quotes”.

Pronounced: (just like it sounds), noun

Notes: I didn’t know this phrase, but it is common

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Yesterday’s word

The word eudemonic means “pertaining to or conducive to happiness; related to theories of happiness”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

The word comes from the Greek word eudaimonikós, which comes from eudaimōn (blessed with a good genius, fortunate, happy). My original guess of eu- combined with demon and -ic was correct, but apparently, daimōn – the Greek base for demon – could also mean “destiny” or “fortune”.

Pronunciation: you-dih-MON-ick, adj

Notes: When I attempted to parse this word, I saw eu- (good) parsed with “demonic”, so this didn’t make any sense

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Yesterday’s word

The word endogenous means “originating from within”

First usage

This word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

Our word comes from the Greek word endo- (inside; within) combined with -genous (producing).

Pronounced: en-DOJ-uh-nuhs, adj

Notes: As is usual here, this is another word I didn’t know

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Yesterday’s word

The word valediction means “the formal act of announcing one’s departure, one’s leave-taking, or bidding farewell”

First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1600s

Background

Well, the word looks like valedictorian, which we call the student that graduates at the top of his class — usually high-school class (he usually has to give a speech). But the meaning doesn’t appear to be related, although it is, in a roundabout kind of way: our word comes from the Latin word valedictiōn, composed of vale (farewell) and dictus (to say). The tie-in with valedictorian is that it was originally the speech given at graduation saying a farewell to the school and teachers. The one who was chosen to give it was the best student in the class, and the word shifted to mean that person.

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

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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).

Pronounced: stuh-NOFF-uh-gus, adj

Notes: Another really nifty, useful word

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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.