ecotone

Pronounced: EE-kuh-tone (alt: EK-uh-tone), noun

Notes: You may be able to make a good guess at this word

Yesterday’s word

The word equipollent means “equal in power, force, effect, etc”

First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1400s

Background / Comments

Our word came from the Old French word equipolent, which came from the Latin word aequipollent (of equal value), which is made up of aequus (equal) and pollent (able), which is the present participle of the verb pollere (to be strong).

equipollent

Pronounced: ee-kwuh-PAH-luhnt, adj

Notes: I’ve never run across this word: it looks like “to equip with pollen”

Yesterday’s word

The word refulgence means “a radiant or resplendent quality of state; brilliance”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

Back in early 2004, the word was effulgence; in the “Comments” section, I noted that a related word was refulgence, which had a similar meaning, but implied reflected light. Our word came from the Latin word refulgēre (to shine brightly), which came from the verb fulgēre (to shine). There is a neat offshoot word related to the Latin root: “fulchronograph”, which is a device for recording lightning strikes.

refulgence

Pronounced: rih-FUL-jen(t)s, adj

Notes: Long time readers with excellent memory (I’m not sure I have any of these) have seen this earlier

Yesterday’s word

The word settlor is “one who makes a settlement of property”

First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1800s

Background / Comments

Our word is more common in wills or in legal documents. However, our word is an alteration of “settler”, which came from the Old English word setlan (to seat or place).

settlor

Pronounced: SET-luhr (alt: SET-lore), noun

Notes: Not a misspelling

Yesterday’s word

The word tub-thumper is “a vociferous supporter”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

I was sure that this came from politicians beating on an upturned tub to make their point; however, the earliest tub-thumpers were preachers who pounded on the pulpit (possibly to wake up attendees). At the time our word came into English, “tub” could be used as a synonym for “pulpit”. Our word spread to public speakers pounding on their lecterns. These days, the pounding aspect has died away, leaving our current meaning of someone who loudly supports something.

tub-thumper

Pronounced: TUB-thuhm-puhr, noun

Notes: I thought I knew the origin of this word, but I was incorrect

Yesterday’s word

The word ordonnance is “the systematic arrangement of parts in art, literature, architecture, etc”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

Our word came from French, being changed from the Old French word ordenance (order), which came from the Latin word ordinantia, which came from ordinare (to put in order), which came from ordo (order). There are three similar words (they call come from the same French source): ordnance, ordinance, and ordonnance – the first is military supplies; the second in an order, decree, law, etc; the last is our word.

ordonnance

Pronounced: OR-dn-uhns (alt: or-duh-NAHNS), noun

Notes: This word could be confused with two other similarly spelled words

Yesterday’s word

The word florescence is “a state or period of flourishing”

First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1700s

Background / Comments

I confused our word with “fluorescence”, which refers to light that substances emit under certain circumstances. Our word came from the New Latin word florescentia (blossoming), which is related to the Latin verb florēre (to blossom or flourish), which traces back to flos (flower).

florescence

Pronounced: flaw-REH-s(uh)nts, (alt-1: floh-REH-s[uh]nts; alt-2: fluh-REH-s[uh]nts), noun

Notes: I had totally confused this word with another one

Yesterday’s word

The word cliticize means “to attach or become attached”

First usage

Our word came into English in the 1970s

Background / Comments

Our word is a verb that was created from the noun clitic, which came into English in the 1940s. The root word is klinein (to lean), which came from klitos (slope). Although these words look like Greek words (Greek nouns often end in –os), my reference information did not identify the language. Our word is primarily used in linguistics. In British English, the word ends in –ise instead of –ize (which is one of the common differences between American and British English).

cliticize

Pronounced: CLIT-uh-size, verb

Notes: This is NOT “criticize” misspelled

Yesterday’s word

The word eupeptic means

  • of, relating to, or having good digestion
  • cheerful, optimistic
First usage

Our word came into English around 1700 (maybe slightly earlier)

Background / Comments

As I noted yesterday, I recognized the eu- part of this word, but not the second part. In fact, our word is composed of the Greek words eu- (good; well; easily) and -pepsia (digestion) — thereby, we have the first definition above. The second definition came from the idea that if a person has a good digestive system, he is likely to be cheerful. On the flip side, if one has a poor digestion, it may cause one to be cranky: the word for this is “dyspeptic”, which can suggest ill humor as well. I’ve definitely run across this word in novels by either Agatha Christie or Dorothy Sayers (or both).

eupeptic

Pronounced: you-PEP-tick, adj

Notes: I recognize one part of the word, but it doesn’t help me to the meaning

Yesterday’s word

The word fomites are “inanimate objects, such as surfaces, that can transmit germs from one person to another”

First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1800s

Background / Comments

As noted, our word is a plural noun. It is the plural of fomes; however, because the usual convention is to add an ‘s’ to make a plural, people assumed that the singular form is fomite. This assumption was so widespread that fomite is now considered a legitimate singular form. Our word came from the Latin word fomites, which is the plural of fomes (touchwood; tinder), which came from fovere (to warm).

fomites

Pronounced: FOAM-uh-teez (alt: FOH-mites)

Notes: Our word is a plural noun, but the singular form is NOT fomite

Yesterday’s word

The word chatelaine is

  • the wife of a castellan [governor of a castle]
  • the mistress of a chateau, household, or large establishment
  • a clasp or hook for a watch, purse, or bunch of keys
First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

As I noted, I had the idea that our word referred to someone like a hostess; that is pretty close to the first two meanings. However, I was completely unaware of the third meaning. It is, however, a logical progression: our word (which came from the French word châtelaine) originally had the first definition, and broadened to the second definition. However, a woman in charge of castle (or household) must, of necessity, have a complete set of keys, and our word was used for a decorative hook or clasp from which keys could be suspended. From there, other things were hung (a watch, a purse, etc), but the word remained.