numen

Pronounced: NOO-muhn, noun

Notes: An odd word, I think

Yesterday’s word

The word handsel means, as a noun

  • a gift for good luck given at the beginning of the new year or a new venture
  • a first payment or installment

As a verb, it means

  • to give a handsel to
  • to inaugurate or to do something for the first time
First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1400s

Background / Comments

Because our word makes me think of the fairy tale, I keep thinking that it would be fun to refer to “Gretel’s handsel”. Our word came from the Old English word handselen (giving into the hand), which is made up of hand and selen (the action of giving; gift).

handsel

Pronounced: HAN-sel, noun/verb

Notes: Also “hansel”; sounded like a character in a fairy tale to me

Yesterday’s word

The word provender is

  • dry food for domestic animals; feed
  • food; victuals
First usage

Our word came into English around 1300

Background / Comments

I think I’ve run across both meanings of the word; as I noted yesterday, I included this word because I found the meaning interesting: when it first came into English, it referred to a stipend that a clergyman received from his cathedral or collegiate church (also called prebend), but it didn’t take long for the word to acquire the current meaning. Our word usually shows up in articles by food and travel writers. Our word came from the Middle English word provendre, which came from the Old French word, which was a variant of provende (prebend; provender); which came from the Medieval Latin word prōbenda, which is an alteration of praebenda (prebend), which (probably) came from the Latin word prōvidēre (provide; to look out for).

provender

Pronounced: PRAH-vuhn-duhr, noun

Notes: I kind of knew this word, but the origin was interesting enough to include it

Yesterday’s word

The word manumit means “to free from slavery”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1400s

Background / Comments

As I noted yesterday, I did not know that there was a word for this action. Words are fun! Our word came from the Latin words manus (hand) combined with mittere (to let go).

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).