Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day
Words that I do not know
Pronounced: prih-SIP-ih-tuss, adj
Notes: I know one of definitions
The word gravamen is “the material or significant part of a grievance or complaint”
Our word came into English in the very late 1500s (maybe very early 1600s).
Our word came from the Latin verb gravare (to burden), which came from the adjective gravis (heavy). I don’t think I’ve run across our word; I usually use the phrase “the main complaint” instead of our word.
Pronounced: gruh-VAY-muhn, noun
Notes: A new word to me
The word fructuous means “productive; fruitful; fertile”
Our word came into English in the late 1300s
I think our word confuses me because it looks like “fructose”. It came from the Latin word fructus (fruit), which itself came from frui (to enjoy).
Pronounced: FRUHK-choo-us (alt: FROOK-choo-us), adj
Notes: It’s been multiple years since I ran across this word, but I remembered it
The word epigram is
Our word has a couple of entrances into English; one in the 1400s, and a second in the late 1700s (see below)
As I said yesterday, this was a borderline case; I kind of knew the meaning (I was a little off), but after reading the history of the word, I decided to include it. When our word first came into English, it referred to a poem and dealt concisely, pointedly, and satirically with a single idea or event. But by the second date above, our word came to be used for terse, witty sayings and not poetry. It’s not clear if the word was in usage throughout the 300-plus years, and the meaning just changed, or if the word was re-introduced. In any event, it is like having a double entrance into English. Our word came from the ancient Roman word epigramma, which came from the Greek word epigraphein (to write on), which is composed of epi- (upon) and graphein (to write). Both the Greeks and the Romans used the word to refer to short, witty, and (usually) satirical verse. There was a Roman poet named Martial who was a master of epigrams and published eleven books of epigrams between 86 and 98 AD.
Pronounced: EH-puh-gram, noun
Notes: This was a borderline case for me (more tomorrow)
The word prolegomenon is “a critical, introductory discussion, especially an introduction to a text”.
Our word came into English around 1600
I don’t know if I have ever read a prolegomenon. It seems a bit specialized to drop into everyday speech. Anyway, our word came from the Greek word prolegómenon, which came from prolegein (to say beforehand), which is made up of pro- (before) and legein (to say).
Pronounced: proh-lih-GOM-uh-non (alt: proh-lih-GOM-uh-nuhn), noun
Notes: Quite a mouthful of a word!
The word deke means “to fake an opponent out of position (as in ice hockey)”
Our word came into English in the 1950s
Our word is a shortened form of decoy. It was used as a noun by Ernest Hemingway (in Across the River and into the Trees) to refer to hunting decoys. It then began to show up in Canadian writings with the meaning given above, and has spread in usage to other sports. I don’t recall hearing it used in college football, which is about the only sport I watch.
Pronounced: DEEK, verb
Notes: Not a word I’ve heard of
The word livelong means “whole” or “entire”
Our word came into English in the mid-1400s
One might think the word refers to someone who lives a long time. However, as a child, I heard the song I’ve Been Working on the Railroad, which includes the line “… all the livelong day”. From the context, it is clear that it means “entire” or “whole”. Our word came from the Old English words loef (dear – used as an intensifier) and lang (long).
Pronounced: LIHV-long, adj
Notes: This is one of those words that you either know or don’t know
The word brachiate means “to progress by swinging from hold to hold by the arms”
Our word came into English in the mid-1800s
I am not sure if Tarzan, swinging from vine to vine counts as an example of our word – technically, what he does fits the description. The example given is of the gibbon, which swings from branch to branch with his arms. Other ape types, such as chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans have bodies that are too heavy to propel that way, except for short distances. Our word comes from the Latin word bracchium (arm).
Pronounced: BRAY-key-ate, verb
Notes: I didn’t know this word, but after seeing the definition, I can understand it
The word bespoke means
Our word came into English in the mid-1700s
I didn’t know our word when I first saw it, but then I started watching a UK show that uses our word. It happened often enough that I know the word now. I don’t think I’ve heard it used in the US, so it may be more common in the UK. It is a shortening of bespoken, which is the past participle of bespeak (to speak for; to arrange), which came from the Old English word besprecan (to speak about).
Pronounced: bih-SPOKE, adj
Notes: When I first ran across this word, I didn’t know it, but now I know it
The word petard means
Our word came into English in the late 1500s
I know the word from the strategy game “Age of Empires II”; in that game, a petard is a unit that carries explosives to be used against structures. Our word is also well-known from the phrase “hoist with one’s own petard” (meaning victimized or hurt by one’s own scheme). This phrase made me think of some kind of pulley arrangement raising something in which the person raising the thing gets caught in the mechanism. However, that is wrong; the phrase came from Shakespeare’s play Hamlet (“For ’tis sport to have the enginer/ Hoist with his own petar”). Hamlet uses this phrase to refers to an engineer that sets an explosive device, and inadvertently blows himself up into the air. Our word came from the Middle French word peter (to break wind), which traced back to the Latin verb pēdere (to break wind).
Pronounced: puh-TAR(d), noun
Notes: I don’t think this word is well known; I happen to know it
The word accidence means
Our word came into English in the mid-1400s
I thought that our word was related to an accident. Our word came from the Latin word accidentia, which came from accidere (to happen), which is composed of ad- (toward) and cadere (to fall).
Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day