New Game: What's the Word?

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word? - GULLAH

pronunciation: [GUH-luh]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: American English, unknown

 

Meaning: 

1. A member of a black cultural community living on the coast of South Carolina and nearby islands.

2. The Creole language of the Gullah, having an English base with elements from various West African languages. It has about 125,000 speakers.

 

Example:

"Jess was lucky enough to be able to visit Gullah heritage sites on her visit to the Carolinas."

"I am interested in studying all Creole languages, but I am most interested in Gullah."

 

About Gullah

This word is thought to have originated from a shortening of Angola, a group of people originally from Sierra Leone and Liberia. By Angola possibly being shorted to "Gola," the word Gullah might have slowly developed over time.

 

Did You Know?

The Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, officially designated by the U.S. Congress in 2006, is a National Heritage Area celebrating the cultures and lives of the Gullah people of Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas. Visitors can learn more about the rich African heritage of the Gullah people, sample delicious foods, and participate in a multitude of cultural events, including historical tours, arts and crafts, and music.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word? - ACCOUCHEMENT

pronunciation: [ə-KOOSH-mənt]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: French, late 18th century

 

Meaning: 

1. The process of giving birth to a baby.

 

Example:

"It took the entire zoo team to assist the elephant during her accouchement."

"Every mother has a different method to make accouchement bearable."

 

About Accouchement

Accouchement originated as the French word "accoucher," which means "to act like a midwife." This word, in turn, developed from the Latin words "a" (to) + "coucher" (put to bed).

 

Did You Know?

While accouchement seems like a solitary effort, women rarely go through this process alone. A person in labor is often accompanied by their obstetrician, doula, or midwife throughout the process of childbirth — along with a team of supportive nurses.

 

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word? - CHARIVARI

pronunciation: [shee-və-REE]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: French, mid 17th century

 

Meaning: 

1. (historical) A noisy mock serenade performed by a group of people to celebrate a marriage or mock an unpopular person.

2. A series of discordant noises.

 

Example:

"The groomsmen broke out into a spontaneous charivari as the reception was ending."

"The orchestra's warmup was a loud charivari."

 

About Charivari

While we know that the current form of charivari developed in French, the word's origins are unknown. Some lexicographers speculate that it came from the Greek word "karēbaría" (headache), working on the idea that a mock serenade would leave onlookers' heads throbbing.

 

Did You Know?

Charivari (the mock serenade) has an interesting history. While neighbors parading through the streets banging pots and pans and making a racket might be to celebrate a happy occasion like a wedding, a mock serenade might also be directed towards an unpopular person. The name of this procession varies depending on area, and is sometimes spelled "shivaree" or "chivaree."

 

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word? - PERIPETEIA

pronunciation: [per-ə-pə-TEE-yə]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Greek, late 16th century

 

Meaning: 

1. A sudden reversal of fortune or change in circumstances, especially in reference to fictional narrative.

 

Example:

"The Prince and the Pauper is a classic tale of peripeteia."

"The audience was relieved to find that Charles’ peripeteia did not result in the loss of his family fortune."

 

About Peripeteia

This word developed from Greek, specifically from the combination of the words “peri” (around) + “piptein” (to fall), which together created “peripeteia” (sudden change).

 

Did You Know?

Studies have shown that human beings are psychologically attuned to root for the underdog — even perceiving the underdog as being more attractive, warmer, and more desirable. This might explain why we are so thrilled when the underdog experiences peripeteia, whether that moment is winning a big game or receiving a promotion after hardship.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word? - LOGGIA

pronunciation: [LOH-djə]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Italian, mid 18th century

 

Meaning: 

1. A gallery or room with one or more open sides, especially one that forms part of a house and has one side open to the garden.

2. An open-sided extension to a house.

 

Example:

"Many modern houses feature a loggia that leads to the backyard and garden."

"Kevin loved to spend mornings on his loggia, drinking coffee and reading the paper."

 

About Loggia

Loggia developed from the Italian word “lodge” (a small house).

 

Did You Know?

People most commonly encounter a loggia in a museum, palace, or another grand, important building. Loggia in public spaces are characterized by large arches and natural lighting — they can be found in warmer environments that allow open-air spaces.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word? - NONAGE

pronunciation: [NAHN-ij]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Late Middle English, unknown

 

Meaning: 

1. The period of immaturity or youth.

 

Example:

"The summer I spent working at the park marked my transition from nonage to adulthood."

"Monkeys are far more developed during nonage than human adolescents are."

 

About Nonage

While this word developed in Late Middle English, its roots are found in the Old French word “nonage,” from the combination of “non” (non) + “age” (age).

 

Did You Know?

While nonage describes a period of immaturity or youth, you do not have to be physically young to retain a youthful outlook on life. Some ways to retain a fresh spin on life include continually learning, making new friends, and enjoying the little pleasures that come your way.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word? - EPEXEGESIS

pronunciation: [ep-eks-ə-JEE-sis]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Greek, late 16th century

 

Meaning: 

1. The addition of words to clarify meaning.

2. Words added for the purpose of clarifying meaning.

 

Example:

"Seeing that the audience was confused, Alan quickly added an epexegesis to the end of his speech."

"The publisher encouraged the author to explain the ending with an epexegesis."

 

About Epexegesis

Epexegesis evolved from the Greek word epexēgēsis, a combination of “epi” (addition) + “exēgēsis” (explanation) — an “additional explanation.”

 

Did You Know?

An epexegesis can appear in multiple formats — such as the making of footage for films, postscripts on letters, and annotations in journal articles. If it is text that seeks to clarify the meaning of something, then it is an epexegesis.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word? - INELUCTABLE

pronunciation: [in-ə-LEK-tə-bəl]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Latin, early 17th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Unable to be resisted or avoided; inescapable.

 

Example:

"We need to acknowledge that change is ineluctable."

"The logs were caught in the ineluctable flow of the river."

 

About Ineluctable

This adjective originated from the Latin word “ineluctabilis,” which comes from a combination of the words “in” (not) and “eluctari” (struggle out).

 

Did You Know?

Ancient Greek mythology believed that destiny was ineluctable, and the outcomes were left up to three women — the Fates. Each woman was responsible for a different aspect of a person’s lifetime: one spun the thread of life, another measured it to determine the length of that human's life, and the last cut the thread at the end of life.

 

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word? - MOPPET

pronunciation: [MAH-pət]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Unknown, early 20th century

 

Meaning: 

1. A small endearingly sweet child.

 

Example:

"Carl is the father of three adorable moppets."

"My brother is six feet tall now, but he used to be such a moppet."

 

About Moppet

Moppet is an English word through and through. The noun first evolved from the now-obsolete word “moppe,” which means “baby” or “rag doll.”

 

Did You Know?

There’s a very big difference between referring to someone as a “muppet” and as a “moppet.” A moppet is a small, endearing child, while a muppet is a term for a combination puppet and marionette as coined by puppeteer Jim Henson. Still cute, but muppets tend to be shaggier.

 

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word? - EMPYREAN

pronunciation: [em-PIR-ee-ən]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Greek, mid 17th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Relating to heaven or the sky.

 

Example:

"The astronauts were awed by the empyrean domain outside their window."

"While the planetarium couldn’t fully replicate the empyrean wonder of the night sky, it came very close."

 

About Empyrean

While this word evolved in Late Middle English, it first originated from medieval Latin and Greek — specifically the word “empurios,” from “en” (in) and “pur” (fire).

 

Did You Know?

While empyrean functions here as a verb, it can also be used as a noun. The noun empyrean also relates to the skies and the heavens, but specifically describes the highest part of the heavens. In medieval times, the highest heavens were believed to possess their own fire — which is where one of the roots of this word (“pur,” or fire) probably comes from.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word? - KVELL

pronunciation: [k(ə)vel]

 

Part of speech: verb

Origin: Yiddish, 1960s

 

Meaning: 

1. Feel happy and proud.

 

Example:

"The best part of award shows is seeing recipients’ families kvelling over their success."

"Even as conversations quieted, the winning team continued to kvell over their success."

 

About Kvell

Kvell comes from the Yiddish word “kveln,” a word that developed from the Middle High German term “quellen” (to well up).

 

Did You Know?

Yiddish has given us a wealth of words that we use in our everyday lives. Besides kvell, we also have the word “schtick” (a comedic routine), klutz (a clumsy person), and bupkis (nothing), among many others.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word? - NOBBY

pronunciation: [NAH-bee]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Unknown, late 17th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Describing a person of wealth or high social position.

 

Example:

"When he wasn’t saving lives as Batman, Bruce Wayne lived a nobby lifestyle as a socialite."

"It doesn’t matter if the rental car is a nobby convertible or a family minivan — I’ll be happy either way."

 

About Nobby

The closest guess is that “nobby” developed by way of the Scottish word “knab” (a person of importance) as slang for high society.

 

Did You Know?

Don’t mix these homophones up. Knobby is an adjective that describes something that has a lot of knobs — such as a pilot’s switchboard or an old branch. Nobby is an adjective that specifically describes a wealthy person or one who has a high social position. Both are adjectives, but possess different meanings.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word? - ETHOS

pronunciation: [EE-thas]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Latin, mid 19th century

 

Meaning: 

1. The characteristic spirit of a culture, era, or community as manifested in its beliefs and aspirations.

 

Example:

"The party wholeheartedly embraced the ethos of the 1970s, from bell bottoms to disco."

"The academy was founded on an ethos of self-improvement and hard work."

 

About Ethos

While ethos is Latin, its roots are in the Greek word “ēthos,” which means “nature, disposition.”

 

Did You Know?

Ethos, Logos, and Pathos are practical methods of persuasion, aka rhetorical appeals, originally taught by Aristotle. In this context, Ethos refers to credibility, Pathos means emotion, and Logos means logic. These are all things that can be used to make speech more persuasive.

 

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word? - LIMN

pronunciation: [lim]

 

Part of speech: verb

Origin: Late Middle English, unknown

 

Meaning: 

1. Depict or describe in painting or words.

2. Suffuse or highlight (something) with a bright color or light.

 

Example:

"One of her greatest talents as a writer is limning difficult emotions into clear, concise sentences."

"After class, Terese made sure to limn each important topic with a bright yellow highlighter."

 

About Limn

This word originally developed from the Latin word “luminare” and the French word “luminer,” which both mean “make light.” It also found roots in Middle English from the obsolete word “lumine” (illuminate) as a means to describe the art of illumination.

 

Did You Know?

Illuminated manuscripts are artistic pages where text is supplemented with borders, gilding, and illustrations. In the ancient world, monks and other scholars would carefully limn pages with illustrations that either complemented or explained the text in some way.

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word? - CYNOSURE

pronunciation: [SY-nə-shur]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: French, late 16th century

 

Meaning: 

1. A person or thing that is the center of attention or admiration.

 

Example:

"The prince was the cynosure of the coronation."

"The song “Dancing Queen” describes a teenager who is the cynosure of the dancefloor."

 

About Cynosure

This word developed from a combination of French, Latin, and Greek words — specifically the Latin word “cynosura” and the Greek word “kunosoura,” or “dog’s tail,” as taken from the words “kun” (dog) and “oura” (tail).

 

Did You Know?

Cynosure was originally used to describe the center of attention in the sky — the constellation Ursa Major (aka the Big Dipper). The pole star in this constellation was used as a guide by navigators on land and at sea, allowing them to both explore and return safely home.

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word? - PICTOGRAPH

pronunciation: [PIK-tə-graf]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Latin, mid 19th century

 

Meaning: 

1. A pictorial symbol for a word or phrase. Pictographs were used as the earliest known form of writing, with examples discovered in Egypt and Mesopotamia from before 3000 BC.

2. A pictorial representation of statistics on a chart, graph, or computer screen.

 

Example:

"Claribel referenced the pictograph on the box to assemble her furniture."

"New archaeological discoveries have allowed the team insight into the pictographs."

 

About Pictograph

Pictograph originated from a combination of the Latin word “pict” (painting) + “graph” (a Greek word that means something drawn or written).

 

Did You Know?

While most modern languages use an alphabet of letters to assemble words, ancient cultures used pictographs to represent written language. Some notable examples include Nordic runes, Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, and Mesopotamian cuneiforms, which all use carved characters and pictures to represent a word, idea, or phrase.

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word? - CHINOOK

pronunciation: [tshə-NOOK]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Salish, Unknown

 

Meaning: 

1. A warm dry wind which blows down the east side of the Rocky Mountains at the end of winter.

2. A large North Pacific salmon that is an important commercial food fish.

 

Example:

"Alan paused his hike to appreciate the warm chinook flowing down towards him."

"Chinook salmon spend most of their adult lives in the ocean, but return to rivers and streams to lay their eggs."

 

About Chinook

The word chinook originated during the 19th century, and was originally used to describe regional specific items, such as animals and wind movement. It is thought to have developed from the languages of Salish and Chinook Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest.

 

Did You Know?

The word chinook is a type of wind, or a certain breed of salmon, but it originally described an Indigenous tribe. The Chinook people are widespread throughout the Pacific Northwest — not to be confused with the Salish Indigenous people, who originate from the same area and first used this word to describe another tribe.

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word? - NOTIONAL

pronunciation: [NO-shə-nel]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Late Middle English, late 16th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Existing only in theory or as a suggestion or idea.

2. Existing only in the imagination.

 

Example:

"The contractor estimates the house will be finished by the end of the year, but all plans are notional at this point."

"The artist’s practice was to create notional concepts before putting brush to canvas."

 

About Notional

While notional evolved in Late Middle English, it finds its roots in medieval Latin — specifically the word “notionalis” (relating to an idea), which originated from “notion” (idea).

 

Did You Know?

Some notional actions can be harnessed for your benefit. Visualization, or purposefully imagining a specific action or outcome, has been linked to greater athletic performance and academic achievement. It can also help change habits — imagining completing an action successfully and doing the same thing in real life helps reinforce positive choices.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word? - PANDOWDY

pronunciation: [pan-DOW-dee]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: North American English, mid 19th century

 

Meaning: 

1. A kind of spiced apple pie baked in a deep dish.

 

Example:

"Aunt Grace always brings a pandowdy to our annual family reunions."

"Hector preferred a pandowdy to a traditional apple pie."

 

About Pandowdy

It’s believed this word originated in the 19th century, but its exact origins are unknown. Classified as an “Americanism,” or an English slang word developed in the U.S., it is possible that this word developed from the word “pan” (referring to the custard-like dessert) or as a reference to the pan that pies are prepared in. Whatever its origins, be sure to pick up a pie to enjoy on March 14th, Pi Day.

 

Did You Know?

While nothing is as American as a well-baked pandowdy, apple pies were not actually invented in America. Apple pies were created in Europe during the pie-making craze of the 13th and 14th centuries, and, due to a sugar shortage, didn’t even have crusts. The modern apple pie was created by Dutch bakers, who introduced the iconic lattice-style crusts that are recognizable to bakers today.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word? - HOROLOGY

pronunciation: [hə-RAH-lə-jee]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Greek, early 19th century

 

Meaning: 

1. The study and measurement of time.

2. The art of making clocks and watches.

 

Example:

"Modern technologies, such as atomic clocks, have increased the precision of horology."

"The museum had an entire exhibit dedicated to the craft of horology."

 

About Horology

This word originates from a combination of the Greek words “hōra” (which means “time”) and “ology” (a subject of study or interest).

 

Did You Know?

Horology, or the art of making clocks and watches, is a skilled process. All components of the clock must work together in harmony to properly deliver the time, but there is an artistic element as well. Cuckoo clocks, for example, include mechanisms that allow a toy to pop out and announce a new hour. Gedackt pipes produce the distinctive “cuckoo” sound these clocks are known for.