Druthers \DRUTH-erz\ , noun;
1. One's own way, choice, or preference
I love this word! If I had my druthers, I'd figure out a way of sticking this into my speech every day...
It's first attested in 1895, though a word like this is likely much older in spoken language. It's a jocular formation based on I'd ruther, which is an American English dialectal form of I'd rather.
Today's word and the first definition were both taken from Dictionary.com's 'Word of the Day' for Tbursday, October 6
Etymologies come from the Oxford English Dictionary and/or Etymonline.com
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Posset
Posset \POS-it\ , noun;
1. A drink made of hot milk curdled with ale, wine, or the like, often sweetened or spiced
I don't know about you, but this sounds disgusting. The word dates to the mid-15th century and is of unknown origin. Posca has been suggested as a related word, but the Oxford English dictionary dismisses it on both semantic and formal grounds. Connections with Middle French possette and Irish posoid have also been suggested, but it seems that those words were probably borrowed from English, not the other way around.
After some Googling, it appears that posset is now a kind of dessert, sort of like a pudding. I also see that eggnog is considered a related item, so maybe calling it 'disgusting' was preemptive. Then again, there's no curdled milk in eggnog...
1. A drink made of hot milk curdled with ale, wine, or the like, often sweetened or spiced
I don't know about you, but this sounds disgusting. The word dates to the mid-15th century and is of unknown origin. Posca has been suggested as a related word, but the Oxford English dictionary dismisses it on both semantic and formal grounds. Connections with Middle French possette and Irish posoid have also been suggested, but it seems that those words were probably borrowed from English, not the other way around.
After some Googling, it appears that posset is now a kind of dessert, sort of like a pudding. I also see that eggnog is considered a related item, so maybe calling it 'disgusting' was preemptive. Then again, there's no curdled milk in eggnog...
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Apple
Apple \AP-uhl\ , noun;
1. The usually round, red or yellow, edible fruit of a small tree, Malus sylvestrius, of the rose family
2. The tree that produces such fruit
The origin of apple is Old English æppel ("apple, any kind of fruit; fruit in general") from Proto-Germanic *ap(a)laz, which derives from Proto-Indo-European (PIE) *ab(e)l ("apple").
There are two words in Indo-European languages that originated as generic words for fruit. One is PIE *ab(e)l and the other is Greek melon (based on PIE mahla-, meaning "grapevine, branch"). Both of which contribute to the modern belief that the forbidden fruit Adam and Eve ate in Eden was an apple. This is highly unlikely, though, because apples did not exist in the area where Eden is believed to have been during biblical times.
Fun fact: Calling women's breasts melons goes all the way back to ancient Greek.
1. The usually round, red or yellow, edible fruit of a small tree, Malus sylvestrius, of the rose family
2. The tree that produces such fruit
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There are two words in Indo-European languages that originated as generic words for fruit. One is PIE *ab(e)l and the other is Greek melon (based on PIE mahla-, meaning "grapevine, branch"). Both of which contribute to the modern belief that the forbidden fruit Adam and Eve ate in Eden was an apple. This is highly unlikely, though, because apples did not exist in the area where Eden is believed to have been during biblical times.
Fun fact: Calling women's breasts melons goes all the way back to ancient Greek.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Lego
Lego \LE-go\ , noun;
Lego is first attested in 1957 from Danish Lego, which is a respelling of leg godt ("play well"), based on lege ("to play"). The attestation may be a bit late, as the company website says the Lego Group was founded in 1932 and the word is their coinage. The discrepancy is probably because the company was originally a small carpenter's workshop, and the iconic colorful bricks didn't come along until 1958 - which coincides with the Oxford English Dictionary's first recorded attestation.
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Saturday, October 1, 2011
Wordmonger
Wordmonger \WURD-muhng-ger\ or \WURD-mong-ger\ , noun;
1. A writer or speaker who uses words pretentiously or with careless disregard for meaning
2. A person skilled in the use of words
Well, this is interesting. The online dictionaries seem to agree on the first definition, while the Oxford English Dictionary claims that as the original definition, but now it can also mean the second. Is it just me, or are they opposites? What do you think of when you hear wordmonger?
The word is a combination of word + monger, which dates to 1590. Monger comes from Old English mangere, from Proto-Germanic mangojan, which derives from Latin mango ("dealer, trader"). The Latin word is a noun derivative of Greek manganon ("contrivance, means of enchantment"), which derives from the Proto-Indo-European base *mang- ("to embellish, dress, trim"). Using it in combination form in English (like wordmonger, fishmonger, whoremonger, etc.) dates to at least the 12th century, though the negative connotation of that type of compound didn't happen until the 16th century. There was a verb form of monger in Old English, but it was lost and regained from the noun version in the early 1900's.
1. A writer or speaker who uses words pretentiously or with careless disregard for meaning
2. A person skilled in the use of words
Well, this is interesting. The online dictionaries seem to agree on the first definition, while the Oxford English Dictionary claims that as the original definition, but now it can also mean the second. Is it just me, or are they opposites? What do you think of when you hear wordmonger?
The word is a combination of word + monger, which dates to 1590. Monger comes from Old English mangere, from Proto-Germanic mangojan, which derives from Latin mango ("dealer, trader"). The Latin word is a noun derivative of Greek manganon ("contrivance, means of enchantment"), which derives from the Proto-Indo-European base *mang- ("to embellish, dress, trim"). Using it in combination form in English (like wordmonger, fishmonger, whoremonger, etc.) dates to at least the 12th century, though the negative connotation of that type of compound didn't happen until the 16th century. There was a verb form of monger in Old English, but it was lost and regained from the noun version in the early 1900's.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Votary
Votary \VOH-tuh-ree\ , noun;
1. One who is devoted, given, or addicted to some particular pursuit, subject, study, or way of life
2. A devoted admirer
3. A devoted adherent of a religion or cult
4. A dedicated believer or advocate
This word dates to the 1540's as "one consecrated by a vow" from Latin votum, which derives from the Proto-Indo-European base *ewegwh- ("to speak solemnly, vow"). Originally it referred to a monk or a nun, but by the 1590's it had taken on a more general sense of "ardent devotee of some aim or pursuit." Shakespeare used it in reference to love.
1. One who is devoted, given, or addicted to some particular pursuit, subject, study, or way of life
2. A devoted admirer
3. A devoted adherent of a religion or cult
4. A dedicated believer or advocate
This word dates to the 1540's as "one consecrated by a vow" from Latin votum, which derives from the Proto-Indo-European base *ewegwh- ("to speak solemnly, vow"). Originally it referred to a monk or a nun, but by the 1590's it had taken on a more general sense of "ardent devotee of some aim or pursuit." Shakespeare used it in reference to love.
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