telegraphese

Pronounced: teh-luh-gra-feez, noun

Notes: You can probably guess the meaning of this word

Yesterday’s word

The word sulfurous means

  • relating to or resembling sulfur
  • pale yellow
  • fiery; hellish
  • hot-tempered
  • profane; blasphemous
First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1500s

Background / Comments

Clearly, the first two definitions are pretty clear; sulfur is a pale yellow element. It had been previously known as “brimstone”, and that accounts for the other definitions; the Bible describes the place of eternal punishment as burning with brimstone. Therefore, the other definitions have arisen. Our word is derived from sulfur, which comes from the Latin word sulfur.

sulfurous

Pronounced: SULL-fur-us (alt: sull-FYOOR-us), adj

Notes: Also spelled “sulphurous” – there are multiple definitions: how many do you know?

Yesterday’s word

The word haplology is “the contraction of a word by omission of one or more similar sounds or syllables”

First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1800s

Background / Comments

An example may be useful — a common haplology is saying “prolly” instead of “probably”. While that example is incorrect (at least at the present time), there are other instances of haplology that explain current word: we currently use the word “ably” for someone who does something well, but it started at “ablely” and, due to haplology it was shorted. There are many occurrences of this: What we call today “England” began as “Engla land” (land of the Englas), which, through haplology became “England”. Our word is considered to have been coined by the American philologist Maurice Bloomfield by combining the Greek words haplóos (simple; single) and lógos (speech; expression; idea).

haplology

Pronounced: ha-PLAH-luh-jee, noun

Notes: I didn’t know this word, but many of us have run across haplologies

Yesterday’s word

The word fulminate, as a noun, is “an explosive salt of fulminic acid”. As a verb, it means

  • to explode or to case to explode
  • to issue denunciations
First usage

Our word came into English around 1500

Background / Comments

As I noted yesterday, I recognized one of the definition: the second verb definition is one I think I read somewhere. I was unaware of the other definitions. Our word came from the Latin word fulminare (to strike with lightning), which came from fulmen (lightning), which came from fulgere (to shine).

fulminate

Pronounced: FUHL-muh-nate (alt-1: FUHL-mih-nate; alt-2: FOOL-muh-nate; alt-3: FOOL-mih-ate), noun/verb

Notes: I think I knew one of the definitions

Yesterday’s word

The word solatium is “a compensation (such as money) given as solace for suffering, loss, or injured feelings”

First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1800s

Background / Comments

Our word is used in legal circles to describe payments for emotional pain and suffering; it is distinct from a payment for a physical injury or damaged property. Our word came from the Latin word solatium (solace), which came from the Latin verb solari (to console).

solatium

Pronounced: soh-LAY-she-uhm, noun

Notes: The plural of our word is “solatia”

Yesterday’s word

The word noesis is

  • cognition; perception
  • The exercise of reason
First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1800s

Background / Comments

Our word came from the Greek word noesis (thought), which came from the word noein (to think; to perceive), which came from nous (mind).

noesis

Pronounced: no-EE-sis, noun

Notes: I don’t know this word

Yesterday’s word

The word friable means “easily crumbled or pulverized”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1500s

Background / Comments

Our word came into English either from Middle French or from the Latin adjective friabilis, which came from the verb friare (to crumble), which is related to the verb fricare (to rub) (and the word from which we get “friction”). Our word often crops up when discussion asbestos — the “bad” kind is “friable” asbestos, because it is easily crumbled into tiny fibers, which can float in the air and be inhaled.

friable

Pronounced: FRY-uh-bull, adj

Notes: I think I have run across this word, but I don’t remember where, and I didn’t know the meaning

Yesterday’s word

The word perfuse means

  • to spread over as a liquid, color, light, aroma, etc
  • to force a liquid, such as blood, through an organ or tissue
First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1400s

Background / Comments

Our word came from the Latin word perfundere (to drench), which is made up of per- (through) and fundere (to pour).

perfuse

Pronounced: purr-FUSE, verb

Notes: This word didn’t mean what I was thinking

Yesterday’s word

A Wellerism is “an expression of comparison comprising a usually well-known quotation followed by a facetious sequel”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

An example would be helpful – here’s a common Wellerism: I see, said the blind carpenter as he picked up his hammer and saw. When I was looking up examples, I found this one that I thought was pretty good: Remarkable, said the teacher, trying our her dry-erase board. As you can tell by the capitalization, our word comes from a person — but unlike the recent word “Lucullan” (which comes from a real person), our word comes from a fictional person. Our word comes from Sam Weller, a character in Charles Dickens’ The Pickwick Papers, which was published in 1836. Both Sam Weller and his father would follow a well-known saying or phrase with an unexpected twist – humorous or punning. Shortly after the publication of the book, people began to call such statements “Wellerisms”.

Wellerism

Pronounced: WEH-luh-rih-zuhm, noun

Notes: Another word that I don’t know

Yesterday’s word

The word reprehend means “to disapprove or to reprimand”

First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1300s

Background / Comments

The reason you might guess at the meaning of this word is that it is the verb form of the better known adjective form (“reprehensible”). Our word came from the Latin word reprehendere (to hold back; to censure), which is made up of re- (intensive) and prehendere (to seize).

reprehend

Pronounced: rep-rih-HEND, verb

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

Yesterday’s word

The word Lucullan means “marked by profusion or excess; lavish; luxurious”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-180s

Background / Comments

Our word comes from ancient Rome, where there was a general named Lucius Licinius Lucullus. He defeated the king of Pontus in 72 BC. Aside from his military exploits, he is remembered for the magnificent banquets he threw for the leading artists, poets, and philosophers of his time. The memory of such extravagance has caused his name to be a synonym for “lavish”.