Pronounced: chi-LAX, verb

Notes: I’ve not heard this word, but you may have

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Yesterday’s word

The word ludic means “playful in a pointless, spontanious or aimless way”

First usage

This is another relatively recent word, coming into English in the 1940s

Background / Comments

Finally, we have a word that I didn’t feel guilty about not being able to figure out the word after reading the origin information! One example of our word is the way kittens play, or perhaps children at recess. The word comes from the stem of the Latin word lūdere (to play); specifically, lud- with the adjectival ending -ic.

Pronounced: LOO-dik, adj

Notes: Not a word I know (or could have deduced)

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Yesterday’s word

The word freemium means, as a noun, “a pricing model in which the basic product or service is free, but extra features must be paid for”. As an adjective, it means “relating to such a model”.

First usage

A fairly recent word; it came into English in the 1900s

Background / Comments

Our word is a blend of free and premium. Versions of Red Hat Linux are free, but to have support means paying a fee. Presumably, this is a freemium product. I suspect that this is closely related to “crippleware”, in which software is free to download and use, but not all of the features are enabled unless one pays.

Pronounced: FREE-mih-uhn, noun/adj

Notes: You can probably guess this one, but I was off too far to not include it

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Yesterday’s word

The word eonian means “something lasting an eon; eternal or everlasting”

First usage

This word showed up in the mid-1700s

Background / Comments

The word is the word eon with the adjectival form -ian added to it. The word eon comes from the Greek word aiṓnios (eternal).

Pronounced: ee-OH-nee-uhn, adj

Notes: Like so many of the recent words, I didn’t know this word, but after I saw the definition, I realized I should have been able to figure it out

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Yesterday’s word

The word wegotism is “the habit of using ‘we’ when referring to oneself”

First usage

Although this sounds new, the word came into English in the late 1700s

Background / Comments

The word is simply a joining of we and egotism. I haven’t run into this word, nor can I think of anyone I know to whom this word applies. In formal speech, royalty uses “we” instead of “I” but that is a convention, not necessarily egotism.

Pronounced: WE-guh-tiz-uhm, noun

Notes: I didn’t know this word, but after seeing the definition, it makes sense

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Yesterday’s word

The word presenteeism means “the habit of coming to work despite illness or a hangover, resulting in low productivity”

First usage

This word showed up in the 1930s

Background / Comments

Our word in modeled on absenteeism; thus present plus ee plus ism. Some would argue that low productivity is better than none. That is true, as far as it goes, but if, by attending work when ill, it takes longer to recover than if one stayed home. For example, suppose that one is normally about 100% productive. The ill person who comes to work we will suppose to be about 50% productive. Furthermore, this person takes three days to recover… that’s three days at 50% productivity. The ill person who stays home and recovers in a single day and returns to work will have 0%, 100%, 100%, which averages to 67% productivity. In addition, if the illness is communicable, there is always the chance that the ill person will infect others. Businesses that give great awards for “perfect attendance” can tend to presenteeism.

Pronounced: prez-uhn-TEE-iz-uhn, noun

Notes: Another word I should have known (using hindsight, after I saw the definition)

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Yesterday’s word

The word bafflegab means “obscure, pompous, or incomprehensible language, such as bureaucratic jargon”

First usage

This word came into English in the 1950s

Background / Comments

I heard this word in the Doctor Who show – the classic series, during the time of the Fourth Doctor, played by Tom Baker; I cannot think of the name of the show, but I have a remembrance of Romana. I think therefore, that it is the show The Pirate Planet, written by Douglas Adams (the author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy). This word has an American origin; coined by Milton A Smith, the assistant general counsel for the US Chamber of Commerce. It is thought that it comes from the Scots bauchle (to denounce) combined with gab (talk; possibly of imitative origin).

Pronounced: BAH-full-gab, noun

Notes: This is a word I pretty much know, but I think it is obscure enough to use here

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Yesterday’s word

The word amative means “ready for, disposed to, or welcoming of love; amorous

First usage

This word showed up in the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

You may have recognized the word “amour” in our word, or possibly the Spanish verb “amar”. Like these, our word came from the Medieval Latin word amātīvus or its equivalent amātus, the past participle of amāre (to love). So, this word came up the day after Valentine’s Day – I hope you had a good one!

Pronounced: AM-uh-tihv, adj

Notes: I should have had this posted for Valentine’s Day

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Yesterday’s word

The word muppet is “a stupid person; a fool”

First usage

This word came into being in the 1950s

Background / Comments

I’ve only heard muppet referring to Jim Henson’s puppets. The word was indeed coined by Jim Henson to describe his puppets. Presumably, the word spread to the more general meaning.

Pronounced: MUHP-it, noun

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

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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.

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

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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).