Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day
Words that I do not know
Pronounced: KUHR-tuhl, noun/adj
Notes: Looks like “curtail” with a letter missing
The word rutilant means “having a reddish glow”
Our word came into English in the late 1400s
In classic Doctor Who, there was an alien race called the Rutans, which were in a long-standing war between them and the Sontarans. Our word came from the Latin word rutilus (ruddy), which is thought to be related to ruber (red).
Pronounced: ROO-tuh-luhnt, adj
Notes: This word made me think of classic Doctor Who
The word niddering means “a coward or wretch”
Our word came into English in the late 1500s
Our word came from an erroneous reading of the Middle English word nithing, which came from the Old English word nithing, which came from the Old Norse word nidhingr, which came from nidh (scorn). It’s nice to have another word for coward.
Pronounced: NIHD-uhr-ing, noun
Notes: Another good word to know
The word hidebound means
Our word came into English in the late 1500s
As I noted, I know the second definition, but the first one is new to me. The first one is the original one – when the word started as hyde bounde, it meant cattle that had skin that clung to the skeleton, and thus could not be pinched, loosened, or worked with the fingers. Our word can be applied literally to people with tight skin, and soon acquired a figurative meaning of “stingy” or “miserly”. While this meaning has fallen out of use, a second figurative meaning (the second above) arose.
Pronounced: HIDE-bownd, adj
Notes: I knew one of the two meanings, but not the other
The phrase Canterbury tale means “a tale that is long, tedious, or absurdly implausible”
Our phrase came into English in the late 1500s
Our phrase was taken, as you no doubt know, from The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, published around 1400.
Pronounced: KAN-tuhr-ber-ee tail, noun
Notes: I have heard of the Canterbury tales, but not our phrase
The word interstice means
Our word came into English in the late 1500s
Our word came from the Latin word interstitium, which is made from inter- (between) and -stes (standing). As I mentioned yesterday, I know a related word – “interstitial” from an early classic Doctor Who show.
Pronounced: in-TUHR-stuhs, noun
Notes: I have heard a related word
The word faitour means “a cheat or impostor”
Our word came into English in the mid-1300s
It is great to have another word for a cheat! Our word came from the Latin word factor (maker; doer; perpetrator) which came from facere (to make; to do)
Pronounced: FAY-tuhr, noun
Notes: A word I can use!
The word macédoine means
Our word came into English in the early 1800s (but see Comments below)
The first definition above was the original meaning; the second meaning came about later in the century. Macédoine is the French name for Macedonia – this region was historically home to a rich variety of population (that is, many ethnic groups). The word began to be used as a generic term for any kind of wildly jumbled mixture.
Pronounced: ma-suh-DWAN, noun
Notes: I didn’t know this word, but I had had what it described
The word draggletailed means “dirty or untidy”
Our word came into English in the mid-1600s
I thought of the word “bedraggled” when I saw the definition of our word. Our word came from draggle (to trail on the ground or in mud) and tail.
Pronounced: DRAG-uhl-tailed, adj
Notes: This is similar, I think, to a word I do know
The word démarche means
Our word came into English in the 1600s
Once again, the first usage was very broad. Our word came from the French word démarche (gait; walk; action).
Pronounced: day-MARSH, noun
Notes: I’ve not run across this word before
The word clamant means
Our word came into English in the mid-1600s
Our word came from the Latin word clamere (to cry out)
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