emprise

Pronounced: em-PRIZE, noun

Notes: An old word, but I didn’t know it

Yesterday’s word

The word defervescence is “the abatement of a fever”

First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1700s

Background / Comments

When I saw our word, I thought of effervescence, and thought it might be related, but while they share a root, the meanings are quite different. Our word came from Latin words de- (away from) and fevere (to boil; to be hot). As an interesting side note, this is another word that only contains one vowel.

defervescence

Pronounced: dee-fur-VESS-uhns, noun

Notes: Not at all what I thought

Yesterday’s word

The word farceur means

  • joker; wag
  • a writer or actor of farce
First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1700s

Background / Comments

Like me, you probably thought that our word had something to do with “farce” (and we were right), but I was unaware of the first meaning. In fact, the first meaning was the original meaning – our word came to us from Modern French, and to Modern French from the Middle French word farcer (to joke). The word farce originally meant “forcemeat”; that is, seasoned meat used for a stuffing. Both “farce” and our word ultimately go back to the Latin word farcire (to stuff); one can think that a farce is silly humor “stuffed” with a contrived plot.

farceur

Pronounced: far-SUHR, noun

Notes: You may be able to guess one of the definitions

Yesterday’s phrase

The phrase ex post means, as an adjective, “based on past events; actual, rather then predicted”. As an adverb, it means “retrospectively”

First usage

Our phrase came into English in the 1930s

Background / Comments

I don’t know if I new our phrase was a thing; I am used to the phrase “ex post facto” (literally, ‘after the fact’ – retroactively). Our phrase came from the two Lain words ex (from) and post (after).

ex post

Pronounced: ex-POST, adj/adv

Notes: I could not quite define this phrase correctly

Yesterday’s word

The word gruntle means “to put in a good humor”

First usage

Our word came into English in the 1920s

Background / Comments

You probably got the definition right if you thought of “disgruntle” (to make ill-humored). That word has been around since the late 1600s and never had an opposite until writers tried (supposedly humorously) to create an opposite for it. I knew that our word existed, but I didn’t realize how much time there was between the two words.

gruntle

Pronounced: GRUHN-t(uh)l, verb

Notes: You may know this word (or be able to guess it), but it is interesting

Yesterday’s word

The word bryology is “the branch of botany that deals with mosses, liverworts, and hornworts”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

I had no idea that there was such a specific word — it came from the Greek word bryo- (moss) combined with -ology (study).

bryology

Pronounced: bry-OL-uh-jee, noun

Notes: Clearly, a study of (something)…

Yesterday’s word

The word ponderous means

  • of very great weight
  • unwieldy or clumsy because of weight and size
  • oppressively or unpleasantly dull; lifeless
First usage

Our word came into English around 1400

Background / Comment

I knew the first two definition; however, the third one I didn’t know. Our word came from the Middle French word ponderos [alt: pondereuse] (heavy), which came from the Latin word pondus (weight). The Latin word is related to the source of “pound” (a measure of weight).

ponderous

Pronounced: PAHN-druhs (alt: PAHN-duh-ruhs)

Notes: I did not know all the meanings of this word

Yesterday’s word

The word cento is “a literary work (especially a poem) composed of parts taken from works of other authors”

First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1600s

Background / Comments

Our word is new to me. It is probably not a word I can work into conversations, so I will probably forget it again. Our word came from the Latin word cento (patchwork).

cento

Pronounced: SEN-to, noun

Notes: This word is new to me

Yesterday’s word

The word divarication means

  • the action, process or fact of spreading apart
  • a divergence of opinion
First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1500s

Background / Comments

Our word originally had the literal definition of spreading apart (as two roads may do). Over time, the meaning spread to a metaphorical sense (as in the second definition above). I have found that the more one pins someone down to details on an option, the more the opinions will spread apart. Our word came from the Medieval Latin word divaricatio, which came from the verb divaricare (to spread apart), which came from the Latin verb varicare (to straddle).

divarication

Pronounced: die-ver-uh-KAY-shun, noun

Notes: I didn’t know there was a word for this thing

Yesterday’s word

The word doggerel is

  • comic verse that is irregular in rhythm and in rhyme especially for comic effect
  • Trivial or bad poetry
First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1400s

Background / Comments

I am not sure how well known this word is; I have both read it and heard it (both UK sources). So, this is one of those rare words that I happen to know, but I don’t know how generally known it is, so I included it. It seems that our word is merely a diminutive of “dog” – words with dog are generally unfavorable: consider “dogsbody” or “a dog’s chance”.

doggerel

Pronounced: DAH-guhr-uhl (alt: DOG-uhr-uhl), noun

Notes: I don’t know how well known this word is

Yesterday’s word

The word convoke means “to call together to a meeting”

First usage

Our word came into English in the very late 1500s

Background / Comments

I didn’t know our word, but when I saw the definition, I thought that it was the same as “convene”. And then I started thinking about the two words. Our word comes from con- (with; together) and the Latin verb vocare (to call) – the noun is vox (voice). So our word has the literal meaning given above, but I thought that was what “convene” meant; however, the second part of convene comes from venire (to come), so it is literally “to come together”. So, if people just gather of their own accord, that is properly to convene. When it is a called meeting, it is convoked. I always just used convene, not knowing our word. As I said yesterday – interesting.