Pronounced: REAR-guard, adj

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

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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.

Pronounced: ihm-PEND, verb

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

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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.

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

Notes: I confuse this word with “abdicate”

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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).

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

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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.

Pronounced: dih-PONE, verb

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

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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.

Pronounced: STRAYT-n, verb

Notes: I’ve run across this word and thought it was merely an old-fashioned spelling of “straighten” – but it is not

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Yesterday’s word

The word sciolism means “a superficial show of learning”

First usage

This word came into English in the early 1800s

Background / Comments

The word comes from Late Latin sciolus (smatterer, or one who speaks with spotty or superficial knowledge). The Late Latin word is a diminutive of the Latin scius (knowing). In the course of my work, I have met a couple of people who bring this word immediately to mind. I won’t say anything more, except that neither person worked for the same company as I did — that is, neither of these people were co-workers of mine.

Pronounced: SIGH-uh-lih-zuhm, noun

Notes: I wish I had known this word; I could have used it a few times in the course of my career

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Yesterday’s word

The word elutriate means “to purify or separate, especially by washing or straining”

First usage

This came into usage in the mid-1700s

Background / Comments

It comes from Latin elutriare (to wash out). This word takes me back to childhood on the farm with our big garden. We didn’t use this word, but we did purify produce from the garden.

Pronounced: ih-LOO-tree-ate, verb (first syllable can also be ‘ee-‘ or ‘uh-‘)

Notes: It looks a bit like elucidate, but that’s not the meaning

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Yesterday’s word

The word lief means “soon, gladly”

First usage

The word first appeared in the 1200s

Background / Comments

The word was lēof in Old English, and started in Bewulf as an adjective meaning “dear” or “beloved”. The adverb appeared later. The word is not used much today; some consider it to be archaic. If it is used, it shows up in a phrase like “would as lief”.

Pronounced: leef, adv

Notes: We don’t often get adverbs listed!

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Yesterday’s word

The word emolument means “payment, salary, or fees from an office or employment”

First usage

This word goes back to the late 1400s

Background / Comments

I think I’ve read this word in the US Constitution. It comes from Latin emolumentum (profit, advantage), a combination of ex- (out) and molere (to grind).

Pronounced: ih-MOLL-yuh-muhnt, noun

Notes: This is a word I’ve run across in reading, but never looked up, so I wasn’t sure what it meant

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Yesterday’s word

The word tare means “a deduction from the gross weight of a substance made in allowance for the weight of the container; also, the weight of the container

First usage

This word goes back to the late 1400s

Background / Comments

I have seen kitchen scales that have a “tare” setting; I’ve always called this function a “zero” setting (since when you press the button, the weight goes to zero). The origination of the word has traveled… It came to English from Middle French, and to Middle French from the Old Italian word tara. The Old Italian word came from the Arabic word tarha (that which is removed). One definition of net weight is “weight excluding all tare”. Note that the word tare for the plant (mentioned in the Bible) is a completely different word with a different origin.