Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day
Words that I do not know
Pronounced: vuh-tih-suh-NAY-shun, noun
Notes: Another word I don’t think I’ve run across
The word proem is “an introduction, preface, or preamble”
Our word came into English in the early 1400s
Our word came from the Old French word proeme, which came from the Latin word prooemium, which came from the Greek word prooimion, which is made up of pro- (before) and oime (song).
Pronounced: PRO-uhm (alt: PRO-em), noun
Notes: Not a misspelling of “poem”; I’ve never heard of this word
The word asperse means
Our word came into English in the late 1400s
I am familiar with the noun form, in the phrase “casting aspersions”, in which the noun form of our word has essentially the same meaning as the second definition of our word. However, I did not know that “aspersion” can mean “a sprinkling with water”. Our word came from the Latin verb aspergere (to sprinkle).
Pronounced: uh-SPUHRS, verb
Notes: Yet another word I’ve not run across
The word secretory means “relating to the release of a substance from a cell, gland, or an organ”
Our word came into English in the late 1600s
Our word came from the Latin word secernere (to distinguish), which came from se- (apart) and cernere (to sift).
Pronounced: si-KREE-tuh-ree, adj
Notes: Looks like “secretary” misspelled, but that’s not it at all
The word oleaginous means
Our word came into English in the mid-1400s
Our word came from Middle French, which came from the Latin word oleagineus (of an olive tree) – the Latin word olea (olive tree) and came from the Greek word elaia (olive). The first definition was the original definition; it was in the 1800s that the second definition came about.
Pronounced: oh-lee-A-juh-nuhs, adj
Notes: You may have a bit of a clue as to the meaning of this word
The word grogram is “a course fabric of silk, combined with mohair or wool, and often stiffened with gum”
Our word came into English in the mid-1500s
Our word came from the French word gros grain (large or coarse grain). Oddly enough, there is another English word for a type of fabric — “grosgrain” (a heavy corded ribbon or cloth of silk or rayon”) — that comes from the same source.
Pronounced: GROG-rum, noun
Notes: This word is completely new to me
The word pooh-bah is
Our word came into English in the late 1800s
As I noted yesterday, I have heard this word — usually in the phrase “grand pooh-bah”; I deduce from contexts where I’ve seen it that it is a derisive description of someone who thinks he is important. In fact, our word comes from the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Mikado, which contains a character named Pooh-Bah, who was an arrogant, buffoonish bureaucrat. His title was “Lord High Everything Else” – he agrees to accept many important government offices (along with their salaries). He would do anything if the bribe is big enough, and he enjoyed showing off his importance. The Mikado came out if 1885, and it wasn’t long after that when pooh-bah (also Pooh-Bah, Pooh Bah, Poo-Ba, and poobah) started to be used for someone who holds either many offices or a high position usually with great pompousness or self-importance.
Pronounced: POO-bah, noun
Notes: I’ve heard this word, but had no clue as to the origination of it
The word vizard is “a visor, mask, or disguise”
Our word came into English in the mid-1500s
Our word is a variant of “visor”, which comes from the Anglo-French word viser, which comes from vis (face), which came from visus (sight), which came from videre (to see).
Pronounced: VIZ-uhrd, noun
Notes: Also spelled “visard”, this is not “wizard” misspelled
The word cicerone is
Our word came into English in the mid-1700s
When I saw our word, I thought of the Roman named “Cicero” – rather to my surprise, that is the correct origin of our word: he was known in Rome as a statesman, lawyer, and writer. Today, he is remembered for his skill in oration and as a rhetorician – his style placed emphasis on the rhythms and cadences of phrases and sentences, so that the speech would appeal to the audience. It is thought that his eloquence is why his Italian name – Cicerone – was used to refer to sightseeing guides (also known for their eloquence). In time, this because our word for people who are mentors or tutors to others.
Pronounced: si-suh-ROH-nee, noun
Notes: I didn’t know the definition, but my tentative guess at the origin was correct
The word cocker, as a verb, means “to pamper or spoil”. As a noun, it is “a breed of small spaniel dog”
The verb definition came into English in the late 1400; the noun meaning came into English in the early 1800s.
The verb definition was unknown to me… the origin of the verb form is not really known. The noun usage comes from dogs used in hunting of birds such as woodcock (thus, “cocker”). I have heard of “cocker spaniels”, but didn’t know that cocker itself was a word.
Pronounced: KAHK-urh, verb/noun
Notes: I thought of the idiom “according to Cocker”, but that has nothing to do with this word
The word Svengali is “a person who manipulates or exerts excessive control over another”
Our word came into English in the 1910s
Our word came from a novel by George du Maurier: Trilby, published in 1984. A model named Trilby falls under the spell of a villainous musician and hypnotist named Svengali – through hypnosis he trains her voice and she becomes a singing star. Svengali completely subjugates her. The villain of the book impressed people enough that his named passed into the language.
Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day