Category Archives: word

Pronounced: ah-fort-tee-OR-ee (alt: ay-for-shee-OR-eye), adv Notes: Not a phrase I recognize Yesterday’s word The word erne means “eagle; especially a long-winged sea eagle witha short white wedge-shaped tail (Häliaetus albicilla)” First usage Our word came into English before 1000 Background / Comments Our word came from the Middle English word ern/arn, which came from theContinue reading “a fortiori”

Pronounced: urn, noun Notes: A nice simple word, but I didn’t know it Yesterday’s word The word vouchsafe means First usage Our word came into English in the early 1300s Background / Comments I think I was lead astray by the first part of our word (“vouch”), so I thought that our word meant somethingContinue reading “erne”

Pronounced: vouch-SAFE, verb Notes: This word doesn’t mean what I thought it meant Yesterday’s word The word empyreal means First usage Our word came into English in the late 1400s Background / Comments When our word first came into English, it referred to things related to the “empyrean” – the highest heaven or outermost heavenlyContinue reading “vouchsafe”

Pronounced: em-pie-REE-uhl, adj Notes: The pronunciation reminds me of sidereal Yesterday’s word The word disaffect means “to alienate the support of loyalty of someone” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments As I noted, I was exactly on the fence as to whether or not to use ourContinue reading “empyreal”

Pronounced: dis-uh-FEKT, verb Notes: This word was exactly on the border Yesterday’s word The word aperçu is First usage Our word came into English in the early 1800s Background / Comments Our word was borrowed in its entirety from French – in French, the word aperçu is the past participle of the verb apercevoir (toContinue reading “disaffect”

Pronounced: a-per-SUE, noun Notes: I thought I’d previously used this word, but apparently not Yesterday’s word The word loblolly means First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments A pretty bewildering set of definitions, isn’t it? As strange as it may seem, they are all related to the origin,Continue reading “aperçu”

Pronounced: LOB-lol-ee, noun Notes: I didn’t know any of the meanings of this word Yesterday’s word The word vatic means “prophetic; oracular” First usage Our word came into English around 1600 Background / Comments Our word came from the Latin word vātēs (seer; prophet)

Pronounced: VAH-tik, adj Notes: A new word for me Yesterday’s word The word plutomania is “an obsession with money or wealth” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comment Our word comes from the Greek word pluto- (wealth) combined with the word -mania (excessive enthusiasm; craze).

Pronounced: ploo-tuh-MAY-nee-uh, noun Notes: I was on the right track for this word, but had the wrong meaning Yesterday’s word The word chiliad is First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments I am used to the term millennium for a 1,000-year period; however, chiliad is the older termContinue reading “plutomania”

Pronounced: KIH-lee-ad, noun Notes: I know a different word Yesterday’s word The word luftmensch is “an impractical dreamer” First usage Our word came into English in the 1900s (1900-1909) Background / Comments Our word came from the Yiddish words luft (air) and mensch (man; person).