Pronounced: her-uh-DIH-tuh-munt, noun

Notes: I didn’t know this word existed

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Yesterday’s word

The word railbird means

• a horse-racing enthusiast
• a spectator at a contest
• an observer who offers uninvited advice or criticism

First usage

This word came into English in the late 1700s

Background / Comments

I find it interesting to see how a word’s meaning changes over time; the first meaning given above was the original meaning: it referred to someone who watches a horse race or training session from the railing along the track. The word bird is slang for a person with a specific character, or a peculiar person: thus “railbird”. One can imagine how it expanded to refer to any spectator at a contest (the second meaning). Some spectators offer unwanted advice/criticism, and this seems to have come about from the peculiar person part of “bird” (the third meaning).

Pronounced: RALE-bird, noun

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

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Yesterday’s word

The word decoct means

• to extract the flavor of by boiling
• boil down, concentrate

First usage

The reference I looked at is not sure; either the late 1300s or the early 1400s

Background / Comments

As I noted yesterday, I have heard of concoct, which means “to prepare by combining raw materials”, but not today’s word. It comes from the Latin word decoquere, made up of de- (down or away) and coquere (to cook or ripen). Concoct also comes from coquere, but the prefix con- means “with”. Precocious also comes from coquere; it makes sense if you consider the ripen part of the definition; something “precocious” has ripened before one would expect it to – thus, showing mature qualities at an early age.

I wasn’t sure how fair it was to use this word, as it turns out to be relatively rare, but if I run across it, it’s fun to add it here.

Pronounced: dih-KAHKT, verb

Notes: I know “concoct”, but not this word

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Yesterday’s word

The word mooncalf is

• a daydreamer or absent-minded person
• a fool or simpleton
• a congenitally deformed person

First usage

This word was first used in the mid-1500s

Background / Comments

In early times, it was believed that a misshapen birth was a result of the effects of the moon, and thus the third definition. Often such people were taken as simpletons, whether or not they were, and thus the definition spread to the second meaning. By extension, the first meaning came about, as a daydreamer or absent-minded person may appear to be a fool.

Pronounced: MOON-kaf, noun

Notes: I hadn’t heard of this word

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Yesterday’s word

The word nomenclator means

• a book containing collections or lists of words
• one who gives names to or invents names for things

First usage

This word came into English in the mid-1500s

Background / Comments

In ancient Rome, a nomenclator (Latin for “name caller” from nomen [name] and calare [to call]) was to call out or whisper the names of people as they approached a candidate during a political rally – whether this was just for information of the candidate, or if it was an effort to make the candidate look good is not really known. Today, it is a job title for one who creates new names for things; usually applied to those who help create a nomenclature (a system of terms for a particular discipline).

Pronounced: NO-muhn-clay-tuhr, noun

Notes: Your guess would probably be close

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Yesterday’s word

The word ochlocracy means “government by the mob; mob rule”

First usage

This word came into English in the late 1500s

Background / Comments

The word came into English from the Middle French word ochlocratie (mob rule), which came from the Greek word ochlokratia (mob rule), which comes from ochlos (mob) and -kratia (rule). I much prefer the Republican form of government; mob rule is no fun if one is the victim of the mob.

Pronounced: ahk-LAHK-ruh-see, noun

Notes: I keep seeing “och-” and thinking it has something to do with eight (but no)

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Yesterday’s word

The word collimate means “to make parallel” (usually refers to light rays)

First usage

The word came into English in the early 1600s

Background / Notes

I have heard of this word relating to lasers, but was uncertain of the meaning. The word has an interesting background. The word comes from the Latin collimare, but that word is a misreading / corruption of collineare (to direct in a straight line). (I can see the ‘n’ and ‘e’ getting pushed together and looking like an ‘m’). Roman statesmen and scholars used the incorrect word (collimare), and the error was picked up by Johannes Kepler (who wrote in Latin). And thus, the incorrect word collimare came into English as our word; in theory, the word should have been ‘collineate’.

Pronounced: KAH-luh-mate, verb

Notes: Nothing to do with collies… I have heard the word, but wasn’t sure of the meaning

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Yesterday’s word

The word enantiodromia is “the tendency of things, beliefs, etc, to change into their opposites.

First usage

This isn’t that old; it came into English in the early 1900s

Background / Notes

I am not sure that I believe that in enantiodromia; I know it happens, but I’m not sure that it always happens. An example would be a group fighting for freedom, and, once they win it, their leader goes on to become a dictator himself. The word is from the Greek enantio- (opposite) with dromos (running).

Pronounced: ih-nan-tee-uh-DROH-mee-uh, noun

Notes: I’m in a quandry about this word; I didn’t know the word, but I don’t believe the philosophy it describes (more tomorrow).

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Yesterday’s word

The word splenetic means “marked by bad temper, malevolence, or spite”

First usage

This word came into English in the late-1300s

Background / Comments

I should have known this word because of the word word “spleen”, which I’ve seen in old writing to refer to bad temper for very little reason. This idea goes back to the belief (now discredited, I believe) that a person was made up of differing amounts of four basic temperaments. One of these was influenced by the spleen; people with excess spleen production could be easily irritated, and thus we have the origin of today’s word. (the Latin for spleen is splen). This word could also mean “of the spleen”, but the definition above is more interesting, I think.

Pronounced: splih-NEH-tick, adj

Notes: This is a word I should have known, but didn’t

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Yesterday’s word

The word cremnophobia is “a fear of precipices or cliffs”

First usage

This is a relatively recent word; it showed up in the early 1900s

Background / Comments

As I noted, this is not fear or cremation; the -phobia we known to be “fear of”, and the first part comes from Latin cremnos (overhanging cliff). As someone said, “I’m not afraid of heights; just of falling from them.”

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Rejected word

I don’t know how well known it is, but I happen to know the meaning of quisling from my reading, so I didn’t use it. If you don’t know it, look it up and enjoy the origin.

Pronounced: krem-no-FOE-bee-uh, noun

Notes: Fear of — what? Something… my (wrong) guess was being cremated.

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Yesterday’s word

The word exoteric means

• suitable to be imparted to the public
• belonging to the outer or less initiate circle
• external

First usage

This word showed up in the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

This word’s relationship with esoteric is an opposite. Something that is esoteric is only known/understood by the inner circle or initiated. Something that is exoteric can be known by the public at large. Posts on social media should be exoteric in nature, but it seems as though people are prone to forget this good advice. Our word comes from Latin exotericus, which comes from Greek exōterikos (external); the prefix exo- means “outside”.