Augean stable

Pronounced: aw-JEE-uhn stable, noun

Notes: I know the reference, but not the actual meaning

Yesterday’s word

The word trencherman is

  • a hearty eater
  • a hanger-on; parasite
First usage

This word showed up in the late 1500s

Background / Comments

The word comes from trencher (a flat piece of wood on which food is served or carved); this word comes from Old French trenchier (to cut), which came from Latin truncare (to lop). I was aware of the first definition from my reading, but I wasn’t aware of the second definition.

trencherman

Pronounced: TREN-chur-man, noun

Notes: I ran across this word in some reading, but I don’t think it’s very well known

Yesterday’s word

The word eleemosynary means “of, relating to, or supported by charity”

First usage

The word came into English in the early 1600s

Background / Comments

This is a fancy word for “charitable” (which is much easier to spell). Our word comes from the Latin word eleemosyna. In early England, the word was shortened to œlmes, which was used for “charity”. This became the word “alms”, which refers to food or money given to the poor. The full word came into English as noted above.

eleemosynary

Pronounced: eh-lih-MAH-suh-ner-ee, adj

Notes: I think I’ve run across this word in my reading… it’s a good one to read

Yesterday’s word

The word whipjack means “a beggar who pretends to be an out-of-luck sailor”

First usage

This word came into English in the mid-1500s

Background / Comments

It is thought that the word comes from whip (to flog) and jack (man; worker). Even if that is true, I don’t see how this origin came to its meaning.

whipjack

Pronounced: WHIP-jack, noun

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

Yesterday’s word

The word arcanum means

  • mysterious or specialized knowledge, language, or information accessible or possessed only by the initiate (usually used in plural)
  • elixir
First usage

This word goes back to the late-1500s

Background / Comments

This word is more frequently seen in its plural form (arcana). It comes from the Latin word arcanus (secret). At the time this word entered English, the mysteries of the physical and spiritual worlds were subjects of heavy scrutiny and rethinking. Alchemists pursued the arcana of nature, seeking elixirs to change base metals into gold. This sense has influenced the second meaning.

arcanum

Pronounced: ar-KAY-num, noun

Notes: You may know this word; the plural may be more well-known

Yesterday’s word

The word azymous means “unleavened; unfermented”

First usage

This word goes back to the mid-1700s

Background / Comments

As I noted yesterday, this word is one that Christians and Jews may know: the Jewish feat of Passover is eaten with unleavened bread, and the Christian ceremony called “The Lord’s Supper” (also “Communion” and “Eucharist”) likewise uses unleavened bread. While many churches use wine at this ceremony, others use completely azymous elements, including the juice. I find it interesting that in every gospel passage that talks about Jesus instituting this ceremony, the drink is always called “the fruit of the vine”. This word comes to English from the Latin word azymous (unleavened, uncorrupted). The Latin word comes from Greek azumos (unleavened), which is made up of a- (not) and zumos (leaven).

azymous

Pronounced: ay-ZIGH-muss, adj

Notes: Nice, fancy word for something that Christians and Jews know well

Yesterday’s word

The word phosphene is “a luminous impression due to the excitation of the retina” — the shapes of light you see if you close your eyes and press on them with your fingers.

First usage

This word showed up in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

The word is a combination of two Greek words: phōs (light) and phainein (to show).

phosphene

Pronounced: FAHS-feen, noun

Notes: A word for something most of us know; I didn’t know there was a word for it.

Yesterday’s word

The word vaquero means “a livestock handler; cowboy”

First usage

The word came back into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

Today’s word is from the Spanish word vaquero (cowboy), which is in turn based on vaca (cow).

vaquero

Pronounced: vah-KER-oh, noun

Notes: I was a little off on this word

Yesterday’s word

The word fatidic means “of or relating to prophecy”

First usage

This word came into English in the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

This word has an interesting double reference. First of all, it comes from the Latin word fatum (fate), making our word related to “fate”, which comes from the same word. The literal meaning of fatum is “what has been spoken” — the belief of the ancients was that one’s fate was completely in the hands of the gods. The second part of our word is dicere (to say), which is the same root for “predict”.

fatidic

Pronounced: fay-TIH-dik, adj

Notes: A simple word, but I’ve never heard of it

Yesterday’s word

The word expergefaction means

  • awakening or arousing
  • the state of being awakened or aroused
First usage

This word came into English in the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

Our word comes from the Latin word expergefacere (to awaken), which is made up of expergisci (to become awake) and facere (to make or do).

Rejected Word

I recently ran across wormhole in a vocabulary list; I didn’t use it because I know it (I enjoy science fiction). However, I am so used to the sci-fi usage that I almost forgot that it can also simply mean “a hole created by a worm”; nor did I know that the word goes back to the time of Shakespeare.

expergefaction

Pronounced: ex-SPUR-juh-fak-shun, noun

Notes: A long word for a common thing

Yesterday’s word

The word scofflaw is “a contemptuous law violator”

First usage

This word goes back to the 1920s

Background / Comments

A wealthy Prohibitionist sponsored a contest in the 1920s to create a word to mean “a lawless drinker” (he wanted a word to cast shame on Prohibition lawbreakers). Two people independently came up with our word, and split the cash prize. Language experts didn’t think much of the word, but it caught on, eventually expanding beyond its Prohibition roots to the present meaning.