diablerie

Pronounced: dee-AH-bluh-ree, noun

Notes: You may be able to guess the definition

Yesterday’s word

The word ascesis (also spelled askesis) is “the practice of severe self-discipline or self-control”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

After seeing the definition, I wonder if our word is related to a word I do know (ascetic or asceticism). It appears that it is related: it came from the Greek word askesis (exercise; training), which came from the askein (to exercise; to work).

ascesis

Pronounced: uh-SEES-is, noun

Notes: Another new word to me

Yesterday’s word

The word pantheon means

  • a temple dedicated to all the gods, or the gods of a people
  • a group of illustrious persons
First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1300s to early 1400s

Background / Comments

I noted yesterday that I was not familiar with one definition — specifically, the second definition above. When capitalized, our word referred to the circular domed temple built in Rome. The Romans borrowed the name of the temple from the Greek word (pantheion) for a temple honoring all their gods. That word comes from pan- (all) and theos (god). The second meaning above came into usage in the 1800s.

pantheon

Pronounced: PAN(t)-thee-ahn, noun

Notes: This word had a meaning I didn’t know

Yesterday’s word

The word senary means

  • relating to the number six
  • having sixth rank
  • having six parts of things
First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

I was familiar with “sestet” and “sextet”, but not our word. Our word came from the Latin word senarious (consisting of six).

senary

Pronounced: SEN-uh-ree, adj

Notes: A new word to me

Yesterday’s word

The word qua means “in the capacity or character of; as”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

I remember this word from way back; I ran across it in the Lord Peter Wimsey novel Strong Poison by Dorothy Sayers. (It is not the first book in the series, but it was the first one I read.) It was recommended to me by my tenth grade teacher as the subject for a book review. That particular teacher also liked mysteries and introduced me to the Lord Peter Wimsey novels. I may have run across the word elsewhere, but I do not remember. Our word came from Latin word qua (which way; as), which is itself a derivative of qui (who).

qua

Pronounced: kwah, prep

Notes: I happen to know this word; I don’t know how well-known it is

Yesterday’s word

The word apricate means “to bask in the sun” or “to expose to the sun”

First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1600s

Background / Comments

Our word came from the Latin word apricati (to bask in the sun). Even though our word make look like “apricot”, it does not share the same root. For those interested, the word “apricot” came from the Latin word praecox (early-ripening).

apricate

Pronounced: AP-rih-kate, verb

Notes: A useful word

Yesterday’s word

The word meshuggener is “a foolish or crazy person”

First usage

Our word came into English around 1900

Background / Comments

Our word came from the Yiddish word meshugener, which came from meshuge (crazy; foolish).

meshuggener

Pronounced: muh-SHUH-guh-ner, noun

Notes: I have not run across this word before

Yesterday’s word

The word litterateur is “an author of literary or critical works”

First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1800s

Background / Comments

The meaning could have been guessed. Our word came from the French word littérateur, which came from the Latin word litterator (teacher of letters; grammarian; critic), which came from litterae (letters; literature), the plural of littera (letter).

litterateur

Pronounced: lit-uh-uh-TUR (alt: lit-ruh-uh-TUR), noun

Notes: It may be what you think

Yesterday’s word

The word hebdomadal means “occurring, appearing, or done every week; weekly”

First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1600s

Background / Comments

Our word came from the Greek word hepta (seven). We get the word “heptathlon” from the same root – an Olympic event consisting of seven events. The noun form of our word is “hepdomad”, which is a group of seven, or a period of seven days. One relatively famous usage of our word is the name of the chief executive body of the University of Oxford from 1854 until the fall term in 2000: the Hebdomadal Council – they met once a week.

hebdomadal

Pronounced: heb-DAH-muh-dull, adj

Notes: Fancy word; we use another word much more frequently

Yesterday’s phrase

The phrase local classicus means “an authoritative and often quoted passage from a book”

First usage

Our phrase came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

I was aware that the Latin word locus (place), and I thought classicus meant “classical”, which it does: actually “classical; belonging to the first or highest class”. But the actual meaning of the phrase was unknown to me.

locus classicus

Pronounced: LOW-cuss CLASS-ih-cuss, noun

Notes: I had an idea of the meaning of the words, but not the phrase meant

Yesterday’s word

The word coruscate means

  • to give off or reflect light in bright beams or flashes; sparkle
  • to be brilliant or showy in technique or style
First usage

Our word came into English around 1700

Background / Comments

Our word came from the Latin word coruscare (to flash). I don’t know how well known the word is, but I have run across it in a book in which a pouch was opened and the contents (gems) poured out, coruscating in the light of the room. Our word is a good synonym for “sparkle”.