sialoquent

Pronounced: sigh-AHL-uh-kwuhnt, adj

Notes: This word describes something many of us have seen

Yesterday’s word

The word lotusland is

  • a place inducing contentment especially through an idyllic living situation
  • a state marked by contentment often achieved through self-indulgence
First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

Our word comes from the Odyssey (by Homer). One of the places Odysseus and his men visit is a land of lotus-eaters: when sailors ate the lotus, they forgot all about their homeland and just wanted to stay there in “lotusland”. Thus our word came about — it refers to an ideal place of perfection, but it has negative connotations of self-indulgence and laziness.

lotusland

Pronounced: LOW-tuhs-land, noun

Notes: I am not sure if I have run across this word before, but it has a literary background

Yesterday’s word

The word psychogenic means “originating in the mind”; that is, having a psychological cause instead of a physiological cause

First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1800s

Background / Comments

Our word came from the Greek words psycho- (mind; soul) and -genic (producing).

psychogenic

Pronounced: sigh-kuh-JEN-ick, adj

Notes: I don’t think I’ve run across this word anywhere, but you may be able to guess the meaning

Yesterday’s word

The word parvenu is “one that has recently or suddenly risen to an unaccustomed position of wealth or power and has not yet gained the prestige, dignity, or manner associated with it”

First usage

Our word came into English around 1800 (very late 1700s or very early 1800s)

Background / Comments

Our word came from the French word parvenu (upstart), which is a past participle of parvenir (to arrive; reach), which came from the Latin word pervenire, which is made up of per- (through; thoroughly; utterly) and venire (to come).

parvenu

Pronounced: PAR-vuh-new, noun

Notes: I think I’ve run across this word somewhere, but I cannot imagine it

Yesterday’s word

The word frum means “religious; observant of religious laws”

First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1800s

Background / Comments

Our word came from the Yiddish word frum, which came from the Middle High German word vrum (pious) — in Modern Gernam, it is fromm.

frum

Pronounced: froom (the “oo” as in “book”), adj

Notes: Not a word I know

Yesterday’s word

The word rectilinear means

  • moving in or forming a straight line
  • characterized by straight lines
First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

Our came from the Late Latin word recilineus, which is made up of the Latin words rectus (straight) and linea (line). There is a variant spelling of our word — “rectilineal” — but our word is much more common.

rectilinear

Pronounced: rek-tuh-LIH-nee-uhr, adj

Notes: This word makes me think of rectangles

Yesterday’s word

The word perlage is “the assemblage of bubbles, in a glass of champagne (for example)”

First usage

Our word came into English in the 1980s

Background / Comments

Our word came from the French word perle (pearl), with the suffix -age (state of condition). The tiny, fine bubbles in a glass of sparkling wine rise in a steady stream and resemble a string of pearls.

perlage

Pronounced: PUHR-lizh (alt: PURH-lazh), noun

Notes: Some may know the meaning of this word, but I didn’t

Yesterday’s word

The word lambent means

  • playing lightly on or over a surface; flickering
  • softly bright o radiant
  • marked by lightness or brilliance especially of expression
First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

In the Bible, there is a pretty well-known passage in which Elijah confronts the false prophets of Baal on mount Carmel; the prophets of Baal would build an altar and put a sacrifice upon it, and then pray to their god to burn the sacrifice. Elijah would do the same. To shorten the story, Elijah won: fire came down and burned up the sacrifice on the altar he had built. In the Authorized Version, the fire is described as “licking up” some of the material. I have read elsewhere about fire “licking up” paper or wood. All of this is relevant because our word came from the Latin word lambens, which is the present participle of the Latin verb lambere (to lick).

lambent

Pronounced: LAM-bunt, adj

Notes: I haven’t run across this word, and I’m a bit surprised

Yesterday’s word

The word plotz means “to faint, collapse, or flop down, as from excitement, frustration, surprise, exhaustion, etc”

First usage

Our word came into English in the 1920s

Background / Comments

Our word came from the Yiddish word platsn (to burst), which came from the German word platzen (to burst).

plotz

Pronounced: PLOTS, verb

Notes: Not a word I have run across

Yesterday’s word

The word lissome means

  • easily flexed
  • characterized by easy flexibility and grace; lithe
  • nimble
First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1700s

Background / Comments

Our word can also be spelled “lissom” – it is basically an altered form of “lithesome”. These days, our word is somewhat more used than “lithesome”. Our word came from the older English word lithe, which came from an Old English word meaning “gentle”.

lissome

Pronounced: LIH-sum, adj

Notes: I’ve run across this word, but I wasn’t sure of the meaning

Yesterday’s word

The word diversivolent means “desiring strife”

First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1600s

Background / Comments

There are some people who just seem to enjoy strife; perhaps you know some? Our word came from the Latin word diversus (diverse), which came from divertere (to turn aside), which is made up of di- (away; apart) and vertere (to turn). The other source word is the Latin word volens, the present participle of velle (to wish).