New Game: What's the Word?

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: RURITANIAN

pronunciation: [rə-rə-TAY-nyən]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Latin, late 1890s

 

Meaning:

1. Relating to or characteristic of the imaginary kingdom of Ruritania from the novels of Anthony Hope, especially with reference to romantic adventure and intrigue.

 

Examples:

"David planned a Ruritanian trip to several exotic locales."

"My daydreams can become quite Ruritanian."

About Ruritanian

“Ruritanian” hails from the Latin “rus,” meaning "rural," and the Latinate ending “-itania.” British author Anthony Hope helped create the term in one of his novels.

 

Did you Know?

British author Anthony Hope published his mythical novel, “The Prisoner of Zenda,” in 1894. It quickly grew in popularity, capturing readers’ imaginations with its sense of adventure, courtly romances, heroes, and sword fights. Shortly after the book’s release, George Bernard Shaw used the story’s fictional locale, Ruritania, as an adjective: “Our common sense … must immediately put a summary stop to the somewhat silly Ruritanian gambols of our imagination.” It's an obscure term for fanciful places and attitudes, but perhaps it deserves to be brought back?

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: TONIC

pronunciation: [TAH-nik]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: French, mid-17th century

 

Meaning:

1. Something with an invigorating effect.

2. The first note in a scale which, in conventional harmony, provides the keynote of a piece of music.

 

Examples:

"Layla knew she needed to drink the tonic even though it tasted bitter."

"The tonic in his original composition was a very high note."

About Tonic

This word comes from the French “tonique” by way of the Greek “tonikos,” meaning “of or for stretching.”

 

Did you Know?

“Tonic” is commonly used as a noun but can also be used as an adjective in several different ways. In phonetics, a tonic is “denoting or relating to the syllable within a tone group that has greatest prominence, because it carries the main change of pitch.” And in physiology, it means “relating to, denoting, or producing continuous muscular contraction.”