Pronounced: ho-mee-o-TEL-yuh-ton, noun

Notes: A kind of technical word

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Yesterday’s word

The word mucro is “an abrupt sharp terminal point or tip or process (as with a leaf)

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

If your hobby is botany, you may know this word, which is often used to describe the shape of a plant’s leaves. The word mucronate describes a leaf that ends in a sharp, abrupt tip (our word mucro). A leaf with a rounded tip with a slight notch is called “retuse”. Our word came from the Latin word mucro (point; edge). In addition to botany, our word can be used in anatomy.

Pronounced: MEW-crow, noun

Notes: I know “macro”, but not this word (people with certain hobbies may know it)

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Yesterday’s word

The word devi means “a goddess”

First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1700s

Background / Comments

Our word came from the Sanskrit word devi (goddess); note that I don’t think many of the words I’ve posted come from Sanskrit.

Pronounced: DAY-vee, noun

Notes: A word I didn’t know

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Yesterday’s word

The word precentor is “a leader of the singing of a choir or congregation”

First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1600s

Background / Comments

I had no idea that our word existed. I’ve always heard such a person called “the song leader”; sometimes, “the music director”; fancy churches may call the position “the worship leader”. I like precentor – our word came from the Latin verb praecinere (to lead in singing), which is made up of prae- and canere (to sing).

Pronounced: prih-SEN-tuhr, noun

Notes: I didn’t know that there was a word for this

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Yesterday’s word

The word metonymy is “a figure of speech in which someone or something is referred to be the name of somethings associated with it.”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1500s

Background / Comments

Some time ago, I posted the word “synecdoche”, which is a word with a similar meaning: in “synecdoche”, a part of something to refer to the whole (such as using “sails” to refer to ships). In our word, it is an associated thing that is used. One example is using “crown” to refer to the monarchy. Another one I’ve heard is “boots on the ground” to refer to soldiers being deployed. Our word came from the Latin word metonymia, which came from the Greek word metonymia (change of noun), which is made up of meta- (after; beyond) and onama (name). It is this latter bit that I recognized; I recognized the “nym” in our word as meaning “name”.

Pronounced: muh-TAHN-uh-mee, noun

Notes: Although I didn’t know the definition, I did recognize part of the word

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Yesterday’s word

The word bludge means

• to avoid work or responsibility
• to get by imposing another; sponge

First usage

Our word came into English in the 1910s

Background / Comments

As I noted yesterday, our word is primarily used in Australia and New Zealand. Our word has an interesting twisting of meaning. A bully armed with a bludgeon (a short club with one end heavier than the other [due to it being weighted or just thicker]) is called a “bludgeoner”. In the 1800s, “bludgeoner” was shortened to “bludger” and became a slang word for “pimp”. Then the verb bludge came about to describe the actions of a “bludger”, and then finally, it acquired our meaning in Australia and New Zealand, with only the idea of sponging or cadging remaining.

Pronounced: bluhj, verb

Notes: I don’t mind not knowing this word, as it is not primarily used in this county.

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Yesterday’s word

The word pensive means “sadly thoughtful; wistful”

First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1300s

Background / Comments

I thought of our word as “thoughtful”; I don’t really associate sadness with it. Our word came from the Old French word pensif (pensive), which came from penser (to think), which came from the Latin word pensare (ponder).

Pronounced: PEN-sihv, adj

Notes: I know the word, but I had the definition slightly wrong

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Yesterday’s word

The word argosy is

• a large ship; especially a large merchant ship
• a rich supply

First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1500s

Background / Comments

Looking at our word, I saw “argo” and thought of “Argo” (the ship on which Jason set sail to seek the Golden Fleece in Greek mythology). It seemed like the right origin, but it is not. Our word actually came from Ragusa, which is the Italian name for the city that is now called Dubrovnik in Croatia. In time, Ragusa became ragusea, a name for the laden merchant ships that sailed from that port in medieval days. Over time, the spelling changed and the meaning broadened, given us our word.

Pronounced: ARE-guh-see, noun

Notes: Not only did I not know the meaning, my guess at the origin was incorrect

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Yesterday’s word

The word bident is “a two-pronged implement, weapon, instrument, etc”

First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1600s

Background / Comments

I should have known the meaning; I know the word “trident”, and our word is similar; it comes from the Latin word bidens (two-pronged), which is from bi- (two) and dens (tooth).

Pronounced: BY-duhnt, noun

Notes: I didn’t know what this word meant, but when I saw the definition, I thought I should have known

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Yesterday’s word

The word pellucid means

• admitting maximum passage of light without diffusion or distortion
• reflecting light evenly from all surfaces
• easy to understand

First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1600s

Background / Comments

You may have recognized “lucid” in our word. Our word came from the Latin word per (through) and lucidus (lucid; clear). I know the word “translucent”, but our word is new to me.

Pronounced: puh-LOO-suhd, adj

Notes: You may know part of the word

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Yesterday’s word

The word basilect means “the least prestigious variety of a language”

First usage

Our word came into English in the 1960s

Background / Comments

Our word came from the Latin words basis and dialectus (dialect). In discussing dialects, my reference data tried to insist that no dialect is “proper” based solely on grammar, but on social status. I don’t want to get into the discussion, but I thought the discussion I read was rather simplistic.