bioturbation

Pronounced: by-oh-tuhr-BAY-shun, noun

Notes: This is one of the words about which I had no inkling of the meaning, but when I saw it, I thought “of course!” (perhaps you will do better than me)

Yesterday’s word

The word handfast, as a noun, means “a contract or agreement, especially about a betrothal of marriage”. As a verb, it means “to engage to be married or to bind in wedlock”

First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1200s

Background / Comments

Our word came from the Old English handfaesten (to pledge or to betroth), which is made up of hand- and faesten (to fasten). This certainly refers to the old custom of betrothals made by joining of hands. We see remnants of this in modern marriage ceremonies, where the couple to be wed joins hands.

handfast

Pronounced: HAND-fast, noun/verb

Notes: I don’t think I’ve run across this — you may be able to guess one of the definitions

Yesterday’s word

The word wifty means “eccentrically silly or scatterbrained; ditzy”

First usage

Our word came into English in the 1910s (but see Comments below)

Background / Comments

The reference material indicated that our word may have been around in audible form before the first written appearance (which is generally what is used for the “First usage”). The origins of wifty are not really known.

wifty

Pronounced: WHIFF-tea, adj

Notes: Another word that I have not heard about

Yesterday’s phrase

The phrase dead hand means

  • the stifling influence of something, especially of the past on the present
  • the perpetual ownership of property by institutions, such as churches
First usage

Our phrase came into English in the early 1600s

Background / Comments

I knew the first definition from reading; it is used in the original Foundation trilogy by Isaac Asimov. I think I have run across it elsewhere; I have an idea I’ve run across it discussing a controlling will or trust account. The other definition is not one that I knew about. Our word is a literal translation of the term “mortmain” (which also looked a bit familiar to me).

dead hand

Pronounced: (as it looks), noun

Notes: Another word of which I knew one of the definitions

Yesterday’s word

The word perseverate means

  • to repeat or recur persistently
  • to go back over previously covered ground
First usage

Our word came into English in the 1910s

Background / Comments

Our word looks like a form of persevere (and they do trace to the same source), but these days the meanings are different. Our verb was created from the noun perseveration, which has been around since the 1500s, but started to be used in the early 1900s to refer to repetitious behavior.

perseverate

Pronounced: puhr-SEH-vuh-rate, verb

Notes: Another word I’ve not run across

Yesterday’s word

The word grinagog is “one who is always grinning”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1500s

Background / Comments

Our word came from the Old English word grennian (to show the teeth in pain or anger) combined with (it is thought) -agogue (bringer).

grinagog

Pronounced: GRIN-uh-gog, noun

Notes: You may be able to guess the meaning, but I’ve never run across this word

Yesterday’s word

The word apotheosis means

  • the perfect form or example of something; quintessence
  • the highest or best part of something
  • elevation to divine status; deification
First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1500s

Background / Comments

I was aware of the third definition; I’ve run across it somewhere or other using that definition. As it happens, the third definition is the original one; it came from the Greek word apotheosis (making into a god), which came from two Greek word apo- (completely; quite) and theos (god). People would elevate someone to god status. This concept has rather died out in modern times, but that sense still survives in the idea of placing someone upon a high pedestal. The other definition arose over time.

apotheosis

Pronounced: uh-pah-thee-OH-suhs, noun

Notes: Interesting definitions

Yesterday’s word

The word pot-valor is “boldness or courage induced by the consumption of alcohol”

First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1600s

Background / Comments

I have heard the alternate phrases “liquid courage” and “Dutch courage”, but our word was new to me. It is simply a combination of pot (that is, a drinking pot) combined with valor (boldness), which came from the Latin noun valor (worth), which came from verb valere (to be well; be of worth).

pot-valor

Pronounced: POT-val-uhr, noun

Notes: I didn’t know the meaning of the word, but after seeing it, it made sense

Yesterday’s word

The word ratiocination is

  • the process of exact thinking; reasoning
  • a reasoned train of thought
First usage

Our word came into English in the early to mid-1500s

Background / Comments

Our word seems to fit the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. Edgar Allen Poe used our word to describe his first book – The Murders in the Rue Morgue. The word actually appears in the sequel (The Mystery of Marie Roget). Our word traces back to the Latin root word ratio (reason; computation).

ratiocination

Pronounced: rah-tee-oh-suh-NAY-shun, noun

Notes: I saw “ratio” in the word and mispronounced it

Yesterday’s word

The word gazunder means “to reduce the amount of an offer after it has been accepted by the seller”

First usage

Our word came into English in the 1980s

Background / Comments

As I noted, I’ve never run across this word; on the other hand, it is a relatively new word. It seems immoral to me to change the price after it has been agreed upon, no matter which side (buyer or seller) does it. When the seller raises the price after it has been agreed upon, it is called “gazump”, which came into English in the 1920s. Our word is a combination of “gazump” and “under”.

gazunder

Pronounced: guh-ZUHN-duhr, verb

Notes: I have not heard this word before

Yesterday’s word

The word bricolage is “construction or something constructed by using whatever comes to hand”

First usage

Our word came into English in the 1960s

Background / Comments

Our word came from the French word bricolage (do-it-yourself), which came from bricoler (to do odd jobs or small chores; to putter about), which came from the Middle French word bicoler (to zigzag; to bounce off), which came from the Old French word bricole (a trifle). Today, it can be used in cooking, as in the creative use of leftovers (“culinary bricolage”) or when cobbling together of various computer parts (“technical bricolage”).