wisenheimer

Pronounced: WHY-zuhn-hi-mer, noun

Notes: I think I have heard this word, but it’s been many years since I’ve run across it

Yesterday’s word

The word hugger-mugger means, as a noun “confusion or secret”. As verb, it means “to keep secret or act in a secretive manner”. As an adjective, it means “confused or secret”. As an adverb, it means “secretly or confusingly”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1500s

Background / Comments

The board game “hugger-mugger” has been described as a cross between Trivia Pursuit and a word game; there is a secret word that one has to answer questions to get a chance to guess the mystery word. I have the game, but I didn’t realize that the title referred to the secret word. The origin of our word is not known for sure, but some believe it is a reduplication of the Middle English word mokeren (to hoard or conceal). In case you’re wondering, ‘reduplication’ refers to the doubling of a specific syllable or sound.

hugger-mugger

Pronounced: HUG-uhr MUG-uhr, noun/adj/verb/adv

Notes: I own a game called “hugger-mugger”, but I did not know the meaning of the word

Yesterday’s word

The word rejectamenta means “things or matter rejected as useless or worthless”

First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1800s

Background / Comments

Our word reminds me of a line from the Sherlock Holmes story – The Blue Carbuncle that runs “I can hardly see what use the disjecta membra of my late acquaintance are going to be to me.” (Until I looked it up, I couldn’t remember the exact phrase, but it’s still pretty close in sound). Our word comes from the New Latin word rējectāmenta (things thrown back); it is the plural of rējectāmentum. These nouns comes from the verb rējectāre (repeated rejection) from rējicere (to reject).

rejectamenta

Pronounced: rih-jek-tuh-MEN-tuh, noun

Notes: This word is a plural noun; you may know the word

Yesterday’s word

The word officious means

  • excessively eager in offering unwanted or unneeded advice or help
  • acting in pompous or domineering manner, especially in trivial matters
First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1400s

Background / Comments

I had an idea of the sense of pomposity; a kind of a stickler for details. What I did not know was that this word originally a good thing: someone who was dutiful or helpful. Over time, the word came to have a negative sense. With that known, our word comes from the Latin word officiosus (dutiful), which came from officium (service).

officious

Pronounced: oh-FISH-us, adj

Notes: You probably know this word, as I did, but I was unaware of the background

Yesterday’s word

The word serein means “a fine rain falling after sunset from a sky in which no clouds are visible”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

Our word came from the French word serein, which came from the Middle French word serain (evening; nightfall). This word came from the Latin word sērum (a late hour), which is the neuter form of sērus (late). I don’t think I’ve ever seen a serein, but after sunset, it is hard to see clouds in the sky.

serein

Pronounced: suh-RAN, noun

Notes: Neat word (but I didn’t know it)

Yesterday’s word

The word purblind means

  • partially blind
  • lacking in understanding, insight, or vision
First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1300s

Background / Comments

I find the background to our word interesting: it is a combination of pure and blind — meaning completely blind. Over time, the sense shifted meaning to our meaning.

purblind

Pronounced: PURR-blind, adj

Notes: You may know this word; I found the background interesting

Yesterday’s word

The word anatine means “resembling a duck, swan, or goose; a member of this family of birds, the Anatidae

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

It it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it must be anatine, eh? Our word came from the Latin word anatinus (of, or pertaining to, a duck), which has the root of anat- (duck).

anatine

Pronounced: AN-uh-tine (alt: AN-uh-tin), noun

Notes: I don’t think I’ve every run across this word

Yesterday’s word

The word condign means “well-deserved; appropriate”

First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1400s

Background / Comments

Our word is another useful word to use in conversation; it helps the one using to remember the word, and would, no doubt, be instructive to those hearing him. Our word comes from the Middle English word condigne, which came from Anglo French, which came from the Latin word condignus, made up of com- (completely) and dignus (worthy). This latter word is the source of our word ‘dignity’.

condign

Pronounced: kuhn-DINE, adj

Notes: My pronunciation of this word was wrong; I had the accent on the first syllable

Yesterday’s word

The word rident means “laughing; smiling; cheerful”

First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1600s

Background / Comments

What a nice word to drop into conversation! It comes from the Latin word rīdent, related to the present participle of rīdēre (to laugh).

rident

Pronounced: RIDE-nt, adj

Notes: A nice, useful word, but I didn’t know it

Yesterday’s word

The word blag, as a verb, means “to obtain something by guile; to cheat, rob, snatch, steal, scam, or beg”. As a noun, it means “a robbery, con, or theft”

First usage

Our word came into English in the 1930s

Background / Comments

The origin of this word is not known… I don’t remember having every run across it.