manumit

Pronounced: man-yuh-MIT, verb

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

Yesterday’s word

The word ailurophile means “a cat fancier; a lover of cats”

First usage

Our word came into English in the 1920s

Background / Comments

This is one of those words that I keep running across in books, look it up, and remember that I have seen it before. But then I forget the meaning again shortly. I am familiar with the -phile suffix (lover), but the first part of the verb doesn’t remind me of cats; it looks like it should have something to do with ears. Our word came from the aforementioned Greek suffix -phile appended to the Greek word ailouros (cat). Maybe this time I’ll remember the definition?

ailurophile

Pronounced: aye-LOOR-uh-file (alt: aye-LOOR-uh-fie-uhl)

Notes: I keep running across this word and forgetting the meaning

Yesterday’s word

The word chiral refers to something that “cannot be superposed on its mirror image” (note the deliberate use of “superposed” instead of “superimposed”)

First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1800s

Background / Comments

The human hand is a prime example of something that is chiral; and our word comes from the Greek word cheir (hand). Anything that does not have an axis of symmetry is chiral.

chiral

Pronounced: KY-ruhl, adj

Notes: I haven’t run across this word

Yesterday’s word

The word vapor means

  • to rise of pass off in vapor; to emit vapor
  • to indulge in bragging, blustering, or idle talk
First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1600s

Background / Comments

Most of us would have known the first definition, from the noun “vapor” — but the second one was completely unknown to me. The second definition came about because that kind of talk in as insubstantial as floating gas; an early word was “blow” (in the sense of bragging); later words are “windbag” and “gasbag”. Our word came from the Middle English word vapour, which came from Latin word vapor (steam). It is thought to be related to the Latin word vapidus (vapid) and vappa (wine that has gone flat).

vapor

Pronounced: VAY-purr, verb

Notes: I know what the noun means, but the verb had a surprise definition

Yesterday’s word

The word quinary means

  • relating to five
  • fifth in a series
  • having five things or arranged in five
First usage

Our word came into English in the very late 1500s

Background / Comments

Most of us know the words “primary” and “secondary”. Many probably know “tertiary”. I don’t know how many know that the next one is “quaternary”. With our word, you now know what comes next: quinary. You have have (correctly) guessed that our word related to five: it came from the Latin word quinarius (containing five), which came from quini (five each), which came from quinque (five).

quinary

Pronounced: KWHY-nuh-ree

Notes: You may be able to guess the meaning of this word

Yesterday’s word

The word tatterdemalion means

  • ragged or disreputable in appearance
  • being in a decayed state or condition; dilapidated
First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1600s

Background / Comments

Originally, our word was written tatter-de-mallian. The origin of the word is uncertain, but is probably related to “tattered” or “ragged”. It was first a noun referring to a person wearing ragged clothes, but then became the adjective. The word ragamuffin has a similar meaning, but showed up in English shortly after tatterdemalion.

tatterdemalion

Pronounced: ta-tuhr-di-MALE-yuhn, adj

Notes: For some reason, this word makes me think of “dandelion”

Yesterday’s word

The word decant means

  • to pour, especially in a manner that the sediment is left behind
  • to rehouse people while their buildings are being rebuilt or refurbished
First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

As I noted yesterday, I knew one of the meanings — the first one. It may have been used in one or more Sherlock Holmes stories: I thought it may have been The Adventure of the Abbey Grange, but I checked, and it is not used in that story. I know I have read it in one or more of the Lord Peter Wimsey stories by Dorothy Sayers. However, the second meaning was completely unknown to me. Our word came from the French word décanter (to settle; to clarify), which came from the Latin word decanthare, made up of de- (from) and canthus (spout; rim).

decant

Pronounced: dih-KANT, verb

Notes: I knew one of the definitions

Yesterday’s word

The word issuable means

  • open to contest, debate, or litigation
  • authorized for issue
  • possible as a result of consequence
First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1500s

Background / Comments

While all of the definitions make sense, I thought of the second one listed above. When the word first came into English, it had the first definition above. The word “issue” traces back to the Latin word exire (to go out).

issuable

Pronounced: IH-shoo-uh-buhl, adj

Notes: I knew one of the definitions

Yesterday’s word

The word edacity means “greediness; good appetite”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

Our word came from the Latin word edere (to eat). I was trying to see “city” or “edict” in the world, but that was just wrong.

edacity

Pronounced: ih-DAS-ih-tee, noun

Notes: I could not break down this word so as to guess the meaning

Yesterday’s word

The word cabbage means “to take or appropriate without right; steal; filch”

First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1600s

Background / Comments

It turns out that our word, although spelled the same as the leafy vegetable, it is not related to it. Originally, our word referred to a practice of tailors to keep the pieces of cloth left over after creating a garment for a client. It is thought that the word was originally “carbage”, which may have been a variant of “garbage”. Another theory is that the word came from the Middle French word cabas (cheating; theft).

cabbage

Pronounced: KA-bihj, verb

Notes: So, I know what this is as a noun, but I don’t know what this means as a verb

Yesterday’s word

The word euchre, as a noun, is “a card game for two to four players played with 32 cards”. As a verb, it means “to cheat; trick; outwit”.

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

The origin of our word is not certain: something that it came from the Alsatian game of Juckerspiel (in which the top two trumps are Jucker [jack]). The verb sense came about because a failure to win three tricks is referred to as being “euchered” (and the opponent scores two points).