Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day
Words that I do not know
Pronounced: huh-BIH-luh-muhnts, noun
Notes: This words looks familiar, but I could not define it
The word philocynic means, as a noun, “a dog lover”. As an adjective, is means “fond of dogs”
Our word came into English in the mid-1800s
You probably recognized the Greek word philo- (loving) part of the word. The other part came from the Greek word kyon (dog). So, nothing to do with cynics.
Pronounced: fil-oh-SIN-ick, noun/adj
Notes: I thought our word meant someone who either was fond of being a cynic or else enjoyed the company of cynics
The word risorgimento is
Our word came into English in the late 1800s
Our word came straight into English from the Italian word risorgimento (rising again), which is the word for the “Unification of Italy” movement that occurred in the mid-1800s. Our English word also has the more general usage of the second definition above.
Pronounced: ree-ZAHR-jih-MEN-toe, noun
Notes: Another new word to me (note that this word may be capitalized)
The word dobber means
Our word came into English in the mid-1800s
Our word has different origins; the first two definitions come from the word dob (to inform; to put down; to throw). The third definition above comes from the Dutch word dobber (float; cork) — I am used to hearing such a thing called a “bobber”, which would seem to a corruption of dobber, but “bobber” also does describe what the dobber does. The fourth definition above comes from the word dob, which is a variant of dab (lump).
Pronounced: DOB-uhr, noun
Notes: A new word for me, as far as I can remember
The word duckboard is “a boardwalk or slatted flooring laid on a wet, muddy, or cold surface” (usually used in the plural form)
Our word came into English in the 1910s
Our word comes from World War I to describe the boards or slats of wood laid down to provide safe footing for soldiers walking across wet or muddy ground in trenches or camps. This idea didn’t always work as desired; some soldiers walking on wet duckboards would slide off them much like water slides off a duck’s back; thus, duckboard. I myself have laid duckboards, but I didn’t know that is what they were called. There was a muddy area over which people needed to walk, so we got boards and put them down.
Pronounced: DUCK-board, noun
Notes: I think I’ve heard the word, but could not define it properly
The phrase Hawthorne effect means “an improvement in workers’ performance attributed to the special attention they received when singled out for a study”
Our phrase came into English in the 1950s
The origin of our phrase is interesting: in the 1920s, researchers were studying productivity. They noticed that, for example, if they tried to determine if workers were more productive under bright lights – they found that productivity increased with brighter lights. But then they tried dimmer lights — and found that productivity increased as well. They decided that the problem was that the workers were aware that their productivity was being measured, and this caused them to be more productive. This study was done at the Hawthorne Works of the Western Electric Company, and thus the phrase Hawthorne effect came about.
Pronounced: HAW-thorn ih-FEKT, noun
Notes: I had not heard of this word
The word threnody is “a song of lamentation for the dead; elegy”
Our word came into English in the early 1600s
I said yesterday that the word stirred a faint memory, but that I couldn’t remember where I’d come across it. Upon thinking more about it, it seems to be the kind of word I would have run across in the Nero Wolfe stories by Rex Stout, but I still cannot specifically remember the word. Our word came from the Greek word thrēnōidia, which came from thēnos (dirge) and ōidē (song).
Pronounced: THREH-nuh-dee, noun
Notes: This word seems vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t place it or define it
The word sough means, as a verb, “to make a moaning, sighing, whistling, murmuring, or rustling sound”
As a noun it means
Our word came into English a long time ago – before the mid 1000s, my reference says.
Our word came from the Old English word swogan (to rustle; to whistle; etc). I’m not sure how it came to refer to a rumor — maybe because a rumor can be as insubstantial as the sound.
Pronounced: suhf (alt: sau), verb/noun
Notes: Another word that seems simple, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard our word
The word ennead is “a group of nine”
Our word came into English in the mid-1600s
Apparently, since ancient times, certain groups considered nine to be a sacred – or even magical – number. Our word came from the the Greek word ennea (nine).
Pronounced: EH-nee-ad, noun
Notes: I don’t think I have ever run across this word
The word pooh-bah is
Our word came into English in the late 1800s
When I think of our word, the second definition above is the one that springs to mind. Our word comes from The Mikado, a Gilbert & Sullivan operetta that came out in 1885. The operetta has a character named Pooh-Bah, a government official that held all the high offices of the state – except Lord High Executioner. He as also known as “Lord High Everything Else”.
Pronounced: POO-bah, noun
Notes: You probably know this word, but do you know the origin?
The word pilgarlic means
Our word came into English in the early to mid-1500s
The first definition above is labeled “old-fashioned” in some places, and “obsolete” in others. The origin is interesting; it literally means “hair like a peeled garlic” – from the Latin word pilus (hair). In earlier English, our word was a phrase: “pyllyd garleke”.
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