New Game: What's the Word?

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: ETHNOGRAPHY

pronunciation: [eth-NAH-ɡrə-fee]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: French, early 19th century

 

Meaning:

1. The scientific description of the customs of individual peoples and cultures.

 

Examples:

"The required reading touched on the ethnography of the country, not just the history."

"You can be a tourist, but you can also immerse yourself in a culture’s ethnography."

About Ethnography

The things you eat, the holidays you observe, the style in which you dress, the habits you perform — all are part of ethnography. Ethnography is some sort of scientific or written documentation of a way of life, either of an individual or a culture. A hundred years from now, the discovery of your Netflix queue might be a piece of your ethnography.

 

Did you Know?

You might be more familiar with ethnography’s close cousin, anthropology. Anthropology is the study of humans as a whole, but specific societies might be examined individually. Ethnography is concerned with how humans live and experience life, usually one culture at a time.

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: PERGOLA

pronunciation: [pər-ɡə-lə]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Italian, mid-17th century

 

Meaning:

1. An arched structure in a garden or park consisting of a framework covered with climbing or trailing plants.

 

Examples:

"The wedding took place under the pergola covered in ivy and white flowers."

"The only thing left in the garden was the wooden pergola."

About Ethnography

In the 17th century, "pergola" was borrowed from the Italians, but the word was originally Latin — "pergula" meant "projecting roof."

 

Did you Know?

You might know your landscaping as the bushes, trees, and flowers around your yard, but what about hardscaping? As we shared a few days ago, hardscape is a human-made feature used in landscape architecture, such as a path or a wall. You can also have structures, including pergolas, arbors, or gazebos.

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: DOCTRINE

pronunciation: [DAHK-trən]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Latin, 14th century

 

Meaning:

1. A belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a church, political party, or other group.

2. A stated principle of government policy, mainly in foreign or military affairs.

 

Examples:

"Some old-fashioned doctrines need to be updated for modern times."

"Presidents are often remembered for notable policies or actions, which can be called their doctrine."

About Doctrine

Today you go to the doctor for medical concerns, but in the original Latin, "doctor" meant "teacher." Drawing from that, "doctrina" meant "teaching." As the word moved from Old French into Middle English, "doctrine" turned into a set of beliefs stated by a church or political party.

 

Did you Know?

The Monroe Doctrine, announced by President Monroe during his 1823 address to Congress, was a cornerstone of American foreign policy for many decades. The basic premise of it was that the United States would not interfere with European affairs, nor accept European intervention in the Americas.

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: ÉLAN

pronunciation: [ey-LAN]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: French, mid-19th century

 

Meaning:

1. Energy, style, and enthusiasm.

 

Examples:

"She was a star employee, demonstrating skill and élan with her work."

"She showed élan with her coordinated accessories and sophisticated fashion."

About Élan

Élan comes directly from the French word of the same spelling, but where the English sense means "energy or style," the root in French is "élancer," meaning "to dart," with "lancer" meaning "to throw."

 

Did you Know?

The accent on the "e" might be a giveaway, but this word for enthusiasm and spirit comes from French. "Élan" is a noun that means "vigorous enthusiasm." Things are often described as "done with élan" or "showing élan." You can do something with élan, but something is not AN élan.

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: RIGORISM

pronunciation: [RIG-ə-riz-əm]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: English, 18th century

 

Meaning:

1. Extreme strictness in interpreting or enforcing a law, precept, or principle.

2. (In the Roman Catholic Church) Formerly, the doctrine that in doubtful cases of conscience the strict course is always to be followed.

 

Examples:

"The vice principal was known for her rigorism, and every student expected the full term of detention allowed after they were called to her office."

"Despite my father’s rigorism around instructing me on proper behavior at the dinner table, he was always sure to sneak me a treat before bedtime."

About Rigorism

“Rigorism” was formed in English by combining the existing word “rigor” (meaning “strictness”) with the suffix “-ism.”

 

Did you Know?

The term “rigorism” can describe any tendency to great strictness in interpreting rules, but it was originally associated with a particular doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church. In Catholicism, “rigorism” refers to the idea that in circumstances where it’s unclear which path is right and which is wrong, the safest path is to adhere to the response most closely associated with church teachings and rules. Another way of interpreting Catholic rigorism would be to say, “When in doubt about which choice is best, follow the rules to the letter.”