wen

Pronounced: wen, noun

Notes: This is exactly how I pronounced “when”, but some people may distinguish between the “w” in this word and the “wh” in when — possibly using more air in the latter.

Yesterday’s word

The word passim means “here and there”

First usage

This word came into English in the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

I had trouble finding ‘first usage’ information. The word is most often found in footnotes and reference material. For example: “item, pp 35-40 passim” means that item is discussed here and there in pages 35 to 40. However, the Latin phrase “sic passum” means “so throughout” and I would have loved to know this when reviewing documents. Many times, an error is made and continues throughout the document. Often times I (and other viewers) have noted the first few errors, and then written something like: “this error occurs throughout the document. Please search for and correct all of the errors”. Instead, I could have written, after the 3rd of 4th entry “sic passim”. The word is from the Latin word passus (scattered).

passim

Pronounced: PAH-sum, adv

Notes: A really cool word that I wish I had known when doing document reviews

Yesterday’s word

The word skail, as a noun means “a scattering or dispersal”. As a verb, it means

  • to scatter out, spill, or disperse
  • to dismiss or to disband an assembly, group, etc
First usage

This word goes back to the early 1300s

Background

The origin is a little uncertain; it is from either Scottish or Scandinavian origin. A nice one-syllable alternative for disperse.

skail

Pronounced: scale, verb/noun

Notes: A short word that I didn’t know

Yesterday’s word

The word foison means

  • rich harvest (archaic)
  • physical energy or strength (used in Scotland)
  • (plural) resources (obsolete)
First usage

The word has been around since the early 1300s

Background / Comments

It is very unlikely that anyone will have run across this word (given that two of the definitions are not really used, and the other is regional). My reference material says that the Pilgrims would have run across the word, as it in a book of sermons the used. It comes from Latin fusio (outpouring), which is based on fundere (to pour).

foison

Pronounced: FOY-z(uh)n, noun

Notes: It’s not a typo for poison. This word is oldish

Yesterday’s word

The word demit means

  • to give up an office or a position; to dismiss
  • to resign
First usage

This word came into usage in the mid-1500s

Background / Comments

The word comes from Old French demettre, which came from Latin demittere (to dismiss, relinquish, send away), which is from dis- (away) and mittere (to send). Nice word to know!

demit

Pronounced: dih-MITT, verb

Notes: I know remit, but not demit

Yesterday’s word

The word rearguard means “of or relating to resistance especially to sweeping social forces”

First usage

This word showed up in the late 1800s

Background / Comments

There is a noun “rear guard” that goes back to the late 1400s. It refers to soldiers that are stationed at the rear of a body to protect it from attack – especially during retreat. Note that the troops as the front are called the “vanguard”. A rearguard action is the defensive or delaying fight waged as resistance against the encroaching enemy. Through figurative extension, the word began to apply to other means of resistance, often by a small force against a more powerful one.

rearguard

Pronounced: REAR-guard, adj

Notes: I had an idea of the meaning; also, the background was interesting

Yesterday’s word

The word impend can mean

  • to be about to happen; to loom
  • to threaten or menace
First usage

The word came into English in the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

This word comes from Latin perpendere (to weigh thoroughly), from per- (thoroughly) and pendere (to weigh). It should be no surprise that we get the word prepend from the same source. As I said yesterday, I know one of the definitions — the first one; I know the adjective “impending”. I was unaware of the second meaning.

impend

Pronounced: ihm-PEND, verb

Notes: There are two meanings to this verb; I knew one of them, but not the other

Yesterday’s word

The word abrogate means

  • to abolish by authoritative action; annul
  • to treat as nonexistent
First usage

This word showed up in the 1500s

Background / Comments

This word comes from the Latin roots ab- (from or away) and rogare (to propose a law). The root rogare is the source of prerogative and interrogate.

abrogate

Pronounced: A-bruh-gate (the ‘A’ is a short a, as in “mat”), verb

Notes: I confuse this word with “abdicate”

Yesterday’s word

The word obvert means “to turn so as to show a different side”

First usage

This word goes back to the late 1500s

Background / Comments

I should have had a good guess because the obverse is the main side of something (it’s the opposite of the reverse side of something). This word comes from Latin obvertere (to turn toward), from ob- (toward) and vertere (to turn).

obvert

Pronounced: ob-VUHRT, verb

Notes: I wasn’t sure what this word meant, but I did know a related word that should have given me a clue

Yesterday’s word

The word depone means “to assert under oath : testify”

First usage

The word has been around since the 1500s.

Background / Comments

The word comes from Latin deponere (to put down). The word depone has been used in Scots law since the 1400s. It came into the English in the following century; it has crossed the pond and is known in the American court system.

depone

Pronounced: dih-PONE, verb

Notes: A nice, short, useful word… I’m glad to know it now.

Yesterday’s word

The word straiten means

  • to put into difficulties
  • to limit or restrict
  • to make narrow
First usage

The word showed up in the mid-1500s

Background / Comments

The word came from Old French estreit, which came from Latin strictus; the past participle of stringere (to bind, draw tight). This word, along with its variants, is used a bit in the Authorized Version of the Bible.