Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day
Words that I do not know
Pronounced: GAS-truh-nome, noun
Notes: I was pretty close to this definition
The word premiate means “to grant a prize or give an award to”
This word came into English in the mid-1500s
This word comes from the medieval Latin word praemiātus, which is the past participle of praemiāre (to reward). I’ve not come across this word, but it seems pretty useful.
Pronounced: PREE-mee-ate, verb
Notes: Not a word I know
The word chatoyant means, as an adjective, “having a changeable luster like that of a cat’s eye at night”. As a noun, it is “a chatoyant gemstone, such as a cat’s eye”.
This word came into English in the early 1800s
In hindsight, I should have recognized the word “chat”, which is French for “cat” and then I would have been in the vicinity of the definition. Our word comes from the French word chatoyer (to shine like a cat’s eye).
Pronounced: shuh-TOY-uhnt, adj/noun
Notes: I had no idea of the definition until I read the background; then I realized I should have had a pretty good guess.
The word habiliment means “the clothes worn by those of a certain profession”
This word goes back to the late 1300s or early 1400s
There are no longer many professions that can be told by their clothing these days: priests have their special collar, and nuns often have their habit. There is typical clothing (habiliment) for lumberjacks. How many professions have a distinct kind of clothing? Our word comes from the Middle English word (h)abylement, which came from the French word habillement, which is from habiller abillier (“to trim a log”, and thus to prepare or to dress).
Pronounced: huh-BILL-uh-muhnt, noun
Notes: Not a word that can used as much in modern times
The word campanile means “a bell tower; especially one detached from a main building such as a church”
The word came into English in the mid-1600s
Personally, I would tend to use the second pronunciation of the word (see yesterday’s entry). Our word comes from the Italian word campana (bell), which came from the Latin word campana (bell).
Pronounced: kam-puh-NEE-lee (alternative kam-puh-NEEL)
Notes: I don’t know how well this word is known
The word isonomy means “the equality of political rights”
This word came into English in the late 1500s
The word comes from the Greek word isonomia, which comes from iso- (equal; same) and nomia (law). I recognized both base parts (iso and nomos), but that wasn’t quite enough to properly define the word: it shows how a word can take on a meaning that is not quite the same as the sum of its roots.
Pronounced: aye-SON-uh-mee, noun
Notes: I recognized parts of the word, but I couldn’t define it
The word breviloquence means “speaking briefly and concisely”
This word came into English in the mid-1600s
Our word comes from the Latin word breviloquentia, which comes from brevis (short) and loquentia (speaking). You would get the word right if you saw the words “brevity” and “loquaciousness” in our word.
Pronounced: brih-VILL-uh-kwens, noun
Notes: You might be able to guess this word’s meaning
The phrase Garrison finish is “a finish in which the winner comes from behind at the end”
I have conflicting reports; one said that this phrase came into being in the late 1800s or early 1900s. However, another source says that the phrase appeared in the 1930s.
Our phrase is named after Edward “Snapper” Garrison, who was a jockey for 16 years in the mid- to late 1800s and won may races in a spectacular, come-from-behind fashion. People began using our phrase to mean any come-from-behind win. I’ve never heard or read the phrase to the best of my memory.
Pronounced: GEH-ruh-sun FIN-ish, noun
Notes: I’ve never heard of this, but it is not that uncommon
The word exeleutherostomize means “to speak out freely”
This word came into English in the mid-1800s
Such a neat word, and timely! When I was in college, we talked about many subjects, and we all felt that we were free to exeleutherostomize. People on either side would say things like “I don’t agree with you, but I will strongly defend your right to say it”. Lately, however, people who dissent are “canceled” and their opinion is not allowed. It’s a sad change. Our word is Greek and comes from ex- (out) and elertheros (free) and stoma (mouth).
Pronounced: ex-uh-luth-uh-ROS-tuh-mize, verb
Notes: A nice fancy word that we could use
The word vitiate means
This word came into English in the mid-1500s
Our word comes from the Latin word vitium (fault; vice). As I noted yesterday, I know one definition (the third one). The first definition is similar to the third, and the second definition probably grew out of the “vice” definition. I seem to recollect reading the word about some action or thing vitiating the nerve of a person, which is clearly the third definition.
Pronounced: VIH-she-ate, verb
Notes: I knew one of the three definitions; how about you?
The word corpocracy means
This word came into English in the 1930s
Our word originally referred to the first definition; however, it has changed (or expanded) to the second definition. One reference doesn’t even list the first definition. Anyway, the word is formed by combining (corp)oration with bureau(cracy).
Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day