Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day
Words that I do not know
Pronounced: HEH-buh-tude, noun
Notes: I wondered if it was related to ‘herbivore’ (nope!)
The word ilka simply means “each; every” (Still not sure why this would be preferred over “each”)
It comes from ilk (each), which is from Old English ylc + the indefinite article a
This word showed up in the early 1200s
Pronounced: ILL-kuh, adj
Notes: A handy word to know, but I’m not sure what advantage this has over the other words that could be chosen
The word inspissate means “to make or become thick or thicker”
This is a somewhat rare verb… it is derived from the Latin spissus (slow, dense), and related to the Greek word spidnos (compact) and the Lithuanian word spisti (to from a swarm).
This word appeared in English in the 1600s (Francis Bacon used it in 1626).
Pronounced: in-SPIH-sate, verb
Notes: Another word that leads me to exclaim: There’s a word for that?!
The word yclept means “called or named”
The word comes from Old English geclypod.
This word goes back a long way; it showed up in the mid-900s
Pronounced: ih-KLEPT
Notes: I ran across this word in one of my sources and didn’t know it… I remembered it because of the unusual spelling. A few months later, I ran across this word in my reading.
The word eclogue is “a poem in which shepherds converse”
The word comes from Latin ecloga, which came from Greek eklogḗ (selection). The Idylls of the Greek poet Theocritus was the first eclogue, but the word was first used by the Roman poet Virgil in his ten Eclogues. The eclogue was popular in the Renaissance up through the 1600s; however, the poets of the Romantic period didn’t care for the eclogue and it fell out of favor. In modern times, eclogue still means a pastor poem, but the conversations may be of people other than shepherds — and often, there is heavy irony involved
The word showed up in the mid-1400s
chimera: I happen to know the definition, but I’m not sure when I first ran across this word. What I didn’t know was the pronunciation: I thought it was “SHIH-muh-ruh”, but it is actually “kigh-MIR-uh”.
Pronounced: EHK-log, noun
Notes: Really? There is a word for this?
I assume most, if not all, readers know jinx means “to bring bad luck upon”, but I was unaware that it also meant “to cast a spell on”.
The origin is not known for sure… it is thought it may come from jynx wryneck, a bird that was used in witchcraft.
Surprisingly, pretty modern – the early 1900s.
Pronounced: jinks, verb
Notes: OK, we know the usual meaning, but this word also has a meaning of which I was unaware.
The word alopecia means “baldness; specifically, the loss of hair, wool or feathers”
Oddly enough, the root word from which the word comes is the Greek word alōpēx (fox)! The word actually came into English from Latin alopecia, which itself came from the Greek word alōpekia (mange on foxes).
The word showed up in the late 1300s
Pronounced: a-luh-PEA-shuh, or a-luh-PEA-shee-uh, noun
Notes: This word doesn’t conform to my usual rules for selection: I only happen to know this word because of a British radio comedy show from the 1960s, so I don’t know how well know it is.
The word appurtenance means “an accessory or other item associated with a particular activity or style of living”. It is usually found in the plural, as in the appurtenances of luxurious travel. It comes from
The word comes into Middle English from the Old French word apertunance, which itself came from the Late Latin word appertinere (belonging to). If you see the word pertain here, you’re right; it comes from the same Late Latin root.
The word appeared in the late 1300s
Pronounced: uh-PURR-tin-uhns, noun
Notes: This is a word I came across in my reading (Death in the Clouds, by Agatha Christie). It is usually found as a plural
The word diktat means
If, like me, you saw dictate or dictator in the word, you’re on the right track. They all come from Latin dictare (to assert or to dictate), but diktat came via German where it meant “something dictated”. Prince Wilhelm of Germany first started to use this word to refer to the Treaty of Versailles (when I read the definition, I immediately thought of this treaty, as many people believe its harsh terms led to the rise of Hitler and World War II). Today, the word can be a critical term for even a minor regulation that one believes to be unfair or authoritarian.
This word showed up in the 1930s (as you’d expect, given the background)
duopoly: I correctly worked out the meaning of this word
Pronounced: dik-TAHT, noun
Notes: I couldn’t define this word properly, but I did recognize bits of it…do you?
The word gyve means, as a noun: “a fetter of shackle”; as a verb: to restrain
The origin is unknown; it may be from Middle English and somehow related to “give”.
This is an old word; it goes back to the late-1200s.
bowdlerize: I happen to know this word; it may have been a vocabulary word in high school
Hi! I hope people are enjoying the vocabulary words!
I’m going to add a section (from time to time) of words that I rejected from the list. I’m hoping that this will be fun… it won’t be a separate post, but it will be at the bottom of posts when it applies.
Enjoy!
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