Pronounced: ek-suh-TER-ick, adj

Notes: This word has a relationship to the better-known esoteric (more tomorrow)

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Yesterday’s word

The word metanoia means “a profound transformation in one’s outlook”

First usage

This word showed up in English in the late 1500s

Background / Comments

The word comes from Greek metanoia (a change of mind), which comes from metanoein (to change one’s mind). I think we tend to use the phrase “a wake-up call” to mean a metanoia. Anyway, it’s a word I hope to remember and find a use for.

Pronounced: met-uh-NOY-uh, noun

Notes: Another word I could find a use for – I’m more familiar with a different way to express this meaning

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Yesterday’s word

The word probity means “adherence to the highest principles and ideals : uprightness”

First usage

This word dates back to the early 1500s

Background / Comments

As I noted, I happen to know the word, mostly because of reading of English authors from around 100 years ago. I’m not sure how well known this word it. It comes from the Latin word probus (honest).

Probity, honesty, honor, and integrity are similar words; they all mean uprightness of character, but have different shades of meaning. Honesty, for example, implies a refusal to lie or deceive in any way. Honor suggests an active or anxious regard for the standard of one’s profession, calling, or position. Integrity implies trustworthiness and incorruptibility to a degree that one is incapable to being false to a trust, responsibility, or pledge. Our word probity implies tried and proven honesty or integrity.

Pronounced: PRO-buh-tee, noun

Notes: This is kind of a “cheating” entry; I know this word, but I don’t know how well-known it it. I’ve run across it in some older English reading.

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Yesterday’s word

The word Marinism means “a literary style marked by extravagant imagery, elaborate metaphors, etc.”

First usage

This word showed up in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

This word is named after a person (which is why it is capitalized), the Italian poet Giovanni Battista Marino who wrote in this baroque style. He was considered “the” reference for this kind of writing while it was popular. In the 1700s, this kind of poetry fell out of favor, and his work was considered to be the perfect example of Baroque bad taste. In the latter part of the 20th century, his word has undergone a re-evaluation, and it is not viewed to negatively these days.

Pronounced: muh-REE-nih-zuhm, noun

Notes: I had not heard of this word before

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Yesterday’s word

The word lorn means “desolate; forsaken”

First usage

Another old word, going back to the late 1200s

Background / Comments

If you are thinking that this word means the same as “forlorn”, you’re right; they are synonyms. Our word comes from Middle English loren, a past participle of the verb lesen (to lose), descended from the Old English word lēosan (to lose). Although the words are now synonyms, the for- prefix used to mean “completely”, “excessively”, or “to exhaustion”, so being ‘forlorn’ would be a more complete desolation than merely being ‘lorn’. Nevertheless, forlorn is far more commonly used today.

Pronounced: lorn, adj

Notes: A good word to know!

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Yesterday’s word

A wen is

• a benign tumor of the skin
• a large overcrowded city

First usage

Very old; it goes back to the year 1000.

Background / Comments

It comes from the Old English word wen (tumor, wart). This is the same source for the word ‘wound’.

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.

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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).

Pronounced: PAH-sum, adv

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

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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.

Pronounced: scale, verb/noun

Notes: A short word that I didn’t know

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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).

Pronounced: FOY-z(uh)n, noun

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

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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!

Pronounced: dih-MITT, verb

Notes: I know remit, but not demit

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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.