poutine

Pronounced: POO-teen, noun

Notes: Some people may know this word

Yesterday’s word

The word Sancho is “a companion or sidekick, especially one who joins another in an adventure”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

If you have are familiar with Don Quixote, you’ll know our word. Don Quixote was by Miguel de Cervantes, and it was publish in two parts in the early 1600s. Our word comes from the name of the squire (Sancho Panza) of the title character. Don Quixote is an idealist, and Sancho’s common sense makes a good balance to this. I did not know Sancho’s surname, nor was I aware of how early Don Quixote was published.

Sancho

Pronounced: SAN-choh, noun

Notes: You may know this word

Yesterday’s word

The word blowdown is

  • an instance of trees being blown down by the wind
  • a tree blown down; an area of such trees
First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1800s

Background / Comments

After seeing the definition, I felt a little silly because it is rather obvious. Our word is merely a noun created from the verb phrase “blow down”. The word can refer to the wind that blows trees down. Sometimes, the word is used figuratively for blowing off steam.

blowdown

Pronounced: BLOW-down, noun

Notes: I haven’t heard the word, but I probably should have known this word

Yesterday’s word

The word holophrasm means

  • a one-word sentence (such as “Leave.”)
  • A complex idea conveyed in a single word (as an example, “Howdy” to “How do you do?”)
First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

Our word comes from two Greek words: holos (whole) and phrasis (speech).

holophrasm

Pronounced: HOL-uh-fraz-um, noun

Notes: An interesting word (new to me)

Yesterday’s word

The word junket means

  • a festive social affair
  • a trip made by an official at public expense
  • a promotional trip made at another’s expense
First usage

Our word came into English in the mid- to late 1300s

Background / Comments

Our word has had an interesting journey. It was originally used to refer to various types of food, but then expanded to mean “banquet”. Finally, the word came to refer to pleasure outings or trips (regardless of whether food was involved or not). Its most common meaning these days are the second and third meanings above; the first one is new to me. Our word comes from the Middle English word jonket, which came from the Old French word jonquette (a reed basket), which came from the Latin word juncus (reed).

junket

Pronounced: JUNG-kuht, noun

Notes: I knew one meaning, but not the other

Yesterday’s word

The word pochismo means

  • an English word borrowed into Spanish, often given a Spanish form or spelling (for example, using “mopear” [to mop] instead of “limpiar” or “trapear”)
  • American customs, attitudes, etc, adopted by a Hispanic in the US and perceived pejoratively by his compatriots
First usage

Our word came into English in the 1940s

Background / Comments

Our word comes from the Spanish word pocho (discolored; faded).

pochismo

Pronounced: poe-CHEESE-moh, noun

Notes: I have not run across this word

Yesterday’s phrase

The phrase dead hand means

  • an inalienable possession of property by a church or corporation
  • the oppressive influence of the past
First usage

Our phrase came into English in the 1300s

Background / Comments

Our phrase came from the Middle English phrase dede hond, which is a translation of the Old French word mortemain. In fact, a synonym of our phrase is the word “mortmain”. Our phrase (and the word “mortmain”) are used in law to describe property that is left to a church or company in perpetuity.

dead hand

Pronounced: [as it looks], noun

Notes: Not the meaning I thought

Yesterday’s word

The word kenning is “a figurative, usually compound, expression used to describe something. As an example, the use of “whale road” to mean an ocean.

First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1300s

Background / Comments

Our word comes from the Old Norse word kenna (to know). Kennings were used quite a bit in poetry written in Old Norse and Old English.

kenning

Pronounced: KEN-ing, noun

Notes: This word is not what I thought it was

Yesterday’s word

The word withy means

  • willow; especially one whose pliable twigs are used for furniture or basketry
  • a flexible slender twig or branch
First usage

Our word came into English before the year 1000

Background / Comments

In read the definition of our word, I learned a new word – that word is “osier”, and it refers to a certain type of willow, used for wickerwork. Our word came from the Old English word wīthig, which came from the Old Norse word vīthir, which came from Old High German wīda, which comes from Greek ītéa (willow), which comes from the Latin word vītis (vine).

withy

Pronounced: WIH-thee, noun

Notes: Another word I’ve never run across

Yesterday’s word

The capriole means

  • a playful leap; caper
  • a leap made by a trained horse involving a backward kick of the hind legs at the top of the leap
First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1500s

Background / Comments

Our word came either from the Middle French word capriole (caper) or the Italian word capriola (leap). They came from the Latin word capreolus (goat), which is a diminutive of caper (goat).

capriole

Pronounced: CAP-ree-ol, noun

Notes: I did not know this word

Yesterday’s word

The word contumely is “harsh language or treatment arising from haughtiness and contempt”

First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1300s

Background / Comments

If you know Shakespeare well, you may have known our word. It occurs in the famous “To be or not to be” speech of Hamlet. It also occurs in the Canterbury Tales (The Parson’s Tale). Our word was at first spelled contumelie; it came from Middle French, which came from the Latin word contumelia.