empyreal

Pronounced: em-pie-REE-uhl, adj

Notes: The pronunciation reminds me of sidereal

Yesterday’s word

The word disaffect means “to alienate the support of loyalty of someone”

First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1600s

Background / Comments

As I noted, I was exactly on the fence as to whether or not to use our word. I had a pretty good idea of the meaning, but I was not (and still am not) sure how well the word was known. I decided to go ahead and use it. Our word came from the Latin words dis- (away) and affectare (to aim at; to strive after) – the latter is made up of ad- (to) and facere (to do).

disaffect

Pronounced: dis-uh-FEKT, verb

Notes: This word was exactly on the border

Yesterday’s word

The word aperçu is

  • a brief survey or sketch; outline
  • an immediate impression; insight
First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1800s

Background / Comments

Our word was borrowed in its entirety from French – in French, the word aperçu is the past participle of the verb apercevoir (to perceive; to comprehend). It is also a noun meaning “glimpse; outline; general idea”.

aperçu

Pronounced: a-per-SUE, noun

Notes: I thought I’d previously used this word, but apparently not

Yesterday’s word

The word loblolly means

  • a thick gruel
  • mire; mudhole
  • an assistant to a ship’s surgeon
  • a pine tree with long needles and strong wood
  • an evergreen – loblolly-bay
First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1500s

Background / Comments

A pretty bewildering set of definitions, isn’t it? As strange as it may seem, they are all related to the origin, which came from lob (an onomatopoeic word representing the bubbling sound of something boiling) combined with lolly (an English dialectal word for broth or soup). Thus, we can see that the first definition is the bubbling sound that porridge or oatmeal may make while boiling. In the same way, some mudholes have the consistency of porridge. How about the surgeon’s assistant? He was usually the one who fed the doctor’s patience. The final two definitions came from the fact that these trees are usually found in swap lands.

vatic

Pronounced: VAH-tik, adj

Notes: A new word for me

Yesterday’s word

The word plutomania is “an obsession with money or wealth”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1600s

Background / Comment

Our word comes from the Greek word pluto- (wealth) combined with the word -mania (excessive enthusiasm; craze).

plutomania

Pronounced: ploo-tuh-MAY-nee-uh, noun

Notes: I was on the right track for this word, but had the wrong meaning

Yesterday’s word

The word chiliad is

  • a group of 1,000
  • a period of 1,000 years; especially one reckoned from the beginning of the Christian era
First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1500s

Background / Comments

I am used to the term millennium for a 1,000-year period; however, chiliad is the older term (millennium came into English in the early 1600s). Our word comes from the Greek word chilioi (thousand). Just for the record, the word “millennium” came from the Latin word for “thousand”.

chiliad

Pronounced: KIH-lee-ad, noun

Notes: I know a different word

Yesterday’s word

The word luftmensch is “an impractical dreamer”

First usage

Our word came into English in the 1900s (1900-1909)

Background / Comments

Our word came from the Yiddish words luft (air) and mensch (man; person).

luftmensch

Pronounced: LOOFT-mensh, noun

Notes: Not a word I’m familiar with

Yesterday’s phrase

The phrase lord of misrule is “a master of Christmas revels in England especially in the 1400s and 1500s”

First usage

Our phrase came into English in the 1400s

Background / Comments

The tradition back in medieval England in the royal court, in the houses of noblemen, and many colleges and universities was to appoint a lord of misrule (also called the “abott of misrule”) to manage their Christmas festivities. He had to arrange all of the Christmas entertainment – plays, processions, and feasts. He normally had some kind of mock court and received mock homage from the revelers. The name is thought to have originated from an older New Year’s celebration (“the Feast of Fools”).

lord of misrule

Pronounced: LORD of miss-RULE, noun

Notes: Another phrase I think I’ve read, but I didn’t know the actual meaning

Yesterday’s word

The word dactyloscopy is “the analysis of fingerprints for identification of individuals”

First usage

Our word came into English in the 1900s (that is, 1900-1909)

Background / Comments

I normally hear and use the word “fingerprinting”, but this word would be a much more fun word to use. It comes from the Greek word dactylo- (finger; toe) and -scopy (observation).

dactyloscopy

Pronounced: dak-tuh-LOS-kuh-pee, noun

Notes: This is a fancy word for something else we knew

Yesterday’s word

The word élan means “vigorous spirit or enthusiasm”

First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1800s

Background / Comments

As I noted yesterday, I’ve run across this word in reading, but I could not recall the definition. Our word came (as you might expect) from the Middle French word eslan (dash; rush), which came from s’eslancer (“to hurl oneself forth” -that is, to rush or dash). When the word was adopted into English, we dropped the literal idea of “rush” or “dash” but used the word for the enthusiasm of such things.