Tag Archives: Etymology

Word of the month: Apt

08 Monday Feb 2016

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I am a self-confessed word nerd. I don’t use uncommon words in an attempt to sound smart. I enjoy the English language and the words that we have to choose from. I will admit, I’m apt to use words that will make the average Joe scratch their heard.

Evidently, I use big words even when they aren’t big. Picture this scenario if you will; someone send you an email and invites you to a vague event three weeks away. With our busy lives it’s often hard to know what we are doing tomorrow much less in the future.

This is the exchange that followed:

APT

 

 

Since in the reply, Sally (whose name has been changed) asked the right question, I didn’t bother to followup on the second part of her response.  I am happy to help you expand your vocabulary. If you don’t understand what I’m saying, I am happy to answer your questions. Very often others will ask about words or phrases native English speakers use that may not be familiar elsewhere.

In this age of technology, I am constantly looking up words when I’m reading. I have a running list of words that pique my interest so that I may write or explore them further.  I recently went to the movies and made note of a word that caught my attention so I could look it up once we got out of the theatre.  See, I really am a word nerd.

I digress.  Back to our word…

Latin in origin, aptus fitted, suited, appropriate, past participle of *apĕre to fasten, attach.  Apt dates back as far as 1398 meaning Suited, fitted, adapted (to (obs.) or for a purpose); having the requisite qualifications; fit.  A more modern (1677), but by no means a new meaning and the one I often use is inclined, disposed (in a single instance).

Apt is a word I am apt to use often.  I’d like to challenge you to use this week’s word in a story, poem, or blog post.  I can’t wait to see what you come up with!  Please let me know.

 

  • I have cross posted this in Blogger’s World Forum, sorry if you are getting bombarded with this 😉

Word of the Month: Epicure

07 Monday Dec 2015

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I am a foodie.  There’s no doubt about that.  At the moment, I’m a food snob in a barren wasteland of deep fried fat and white bread. I’ve been slow to find other foodies.  Of course, coming from a place where a modest food cart can hide a gourmet delicacy around any corner, I’ve been a little spoiled.  And that is a tremendous understatement.

How ever I look at it, I enjoy food.  I enjoy finding it.  I enjoy preparing it.  I enjoy serving it, and I especially enjoy eating it. Good food is a great pleasure.  I spend more money of my budget on food and beverage.  I am an epicure.

You may have a website of a similar name bookmarked for frequent recipe research as I do.  While the internet and databases are new,  the word epicure dates back to the 1540’s.

I found this etymology of Epicure at Online Etymology Dictionary:

late 14c., “follower of Epicurus,” from Latinized form of Greek Epicouros (341-270 B.C.E.), Athenian philosopher who taught that pleasure is the highest good and identified virtue as the greatest pleasure; the first lesson recalled, the second forgotten, and the name used pejoratively for “one who gives himself up to sensual pleasure” (1560s), especially “glutton, sybarite” (1774). Epicurus’s school was opposed by the stoics, who first gave his name a reproachful sense. Non-pejorative meaning “one who cultivates refined taste in food and drink” is from 1580s.

Merriam-Webster always distills it down to the simplest form:

  • archaic :  one devoted to sensual pleasure
  • one with sensitive and discriminating tastes especially in food or wine

I’m not going to give you the history again, but thought the Oxford English Dictionary gave the best current sense: One who cultivates a refined taste for the pleasures of the table; one who is choice and dainty in eating and drinking.

We see the more modern, and current version of the word begin showing up in the 1700’s.  Of the OED examples, my favorite, and the one I most relate to, is: 1814   Scott Waverley II. vi. 111   As an Epicure protracts, by sipping slowly, the enjoyment of a delicious beverage.

While I’ve been typing, I have been bouncing around websites, sipping my glass of wine, savoring a few pieces of chocolate, and planning the latkes I will be making for dinner.  I can honestly tell you some of the most memorable food experiences I have had are the ones where I’ve been able to sit and savor, and experience the pleasure of dining.  Do you have a favorite food memory like this?  Are you an epicure?

 

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As requested, by both dinner guests and my blogging group, here is the recipe that I followed.  Wouldn’t you know, it is from that website I mentioned earlier.  The changes I made were so small, it was a waste of space to retype the whole thing here.  I’ll just say, I didn’t use matzoh meal, but AP flour.  This was really, the best latke I have ever made.  You have to have good hot oil so they don’t get greasy.  Doing them in cast iron was perfect.

And as always, thank you Eric for the great E.  Please check out his work, it’s so fun and full of love.

So to all a good night and a Happy Hanukkah!

Word of the month: Doppelgänger

09 Monday Nov 2015

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They always says things like we look like our cars, our pets, or our spouses. Do we look like these things because we spend so much time with them or are we drawn to the things that are most like ourselves?

I have met a couple of nice, normal fellas from the dating site. Two of these meetings have been a dog walk. I told J that Coe has black fur with gray.  That well, we both do. When I tell people Coe’s age, I really want to lie. I don’t have this vanity about myself, but I do for my dog. When I tell people her age, I always quickly follow it with “but she doesn’t know it.” In our move, we found a new vet. The doctor said her favorite comment in Coe’s chart was “she’s aging gracefully.”  I’d like to say the same for myself.

As a kid, my parents were older than my friend’s parents and my siblings are so much older than I am.  I think this is why I’ve always been a terrible judge of age. I remember mothers when I was a kid, and they were old. People tell me I don’t look my age. I certainly try not to act my age.  Neither Coe nor I act our age. She may look her age a little more than I do. 

I think Coe may be my doppelgänger. Lula Harp certainly is.

 

Merriam-Webster defines Doppelgänger as

: a ghostly counterpart of a living person
: double
: alter ego

 

Oxford English Dictionary gives us this:

Etymology: German doppelgänger or Dutch dubbelganger double-goer.

The apparition of a living person; a double, a wraith.

1830   Scott Lett. Demonol. & Witchcraft 178 (note) ,   He..may probably find it to be his own fetch or wraith or double-ganger.

 

This is the first time I feel like the OED isn’t really complete. This is the original definition, while the more modern use doesn’t have the negative or evil connotation. MW touches on the more modern use of the alter ego or double, as does the Urban Dictionary.  I found the Urban Dictionary the most entertaining definition.

Someone that looks the exact same as another person. yet not a twin. ghost identical to living person: an apparition in the form of a double of a living person

yo i saw someone that looked just like u…could have been your doppelganger

 

When I was trying to come up with this month’s word, I asked a couple people what it should be. My physical therapist suggested this word. This topic had been rolling around in the back of my mind for awhile, not necessarily this word. Eric had sent the art a week before and I thought David’s suggestion was just right.

Do you have a doppelgänger?

the Bitter truth

21 Monday Sep 2015

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BI hate to confess, but this month’s B word is not what I wanted it to be.  But it is what it is…  I have had four of the most fun filled days and while I have spent weeks pondering, deliberating, and discussing what my B word should be this month, it just came to me.  I am feeling rather blasé about “B”.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, blasé is exhausted by enjoyment.  It is interesting to note that while the OED gives some etymology, that the origin is French; the past participle of blaser to exhaust by enjoyment, this is a modern word of unknown etymology.

First appearing in 1819, the word had the connotation of  exhausted by enjoyment, weary and disgusted with it; or used up.  After my weekend of merriment, I myself am exhausted by enjoyment.  Or as Merriam- Webster puts it:  apathetic to pleasure or excitement as a result of excessive indulgence or enjoyment.  There was plenty of excessive indulgence this weekend.

More recent uses (1930’s to current) of the word  blasé mean bored or unimpressed through over-familiarity; insensitive, supercilious, or unconcerned.

So I am going to Bed and Blissfully dream about Bacon, Bees, Bicycles, and knit Bombing.  When I wake, I will Boldly Bound into my new day with a Breezy devil-may-care.

Be Well and enjoy the Beauty your day Brings.

 

The Beautiful B above was done my dear friend Eric Richey.  See more of his incredible work here.

 

Also, another reminder, remember I need your help…

Word of the Month… A

31 Monday Aug 2015

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One of the things I love about weekends are sitting on my patio, drinking my coffee, and watching the birds that bounce around the trees. Much to my horror, I came home one evening recently to find the four trees closest to my patio were gone. Evidently the storm that hit earlier in the day split one of them in half and they were concerned about the others. Whatever the reason, my mornings on the patio have been much quieter and Ginger kitty has had less live entertainment.

Quieter mornings aren’t bad. I read blogs, think about my day and week ahead, what I want to write about, and think how auspicious it is I have found the blogging community and friends in Memphis that have been such a great support to me.

Since I don’t have the trees directly outside my window anymore, the birds are coming up to the patio directly. As I sat reading the other morning, a hummingbird flew right up to me, hovered for just a moment, then flew off. In Ancient Rome, they would watch birds in flight to foretell the future and divine omens. The Aborigines believe that birds carry stories. Maybe the trees coming down were auspicious as well.

Merriam Webster defines auspicious as kindly patronage and guidance, and a favorable sign. It is derived from the Latin auspicium, from auspic-, auspex diviner by birds, from avis bird + specere to look.

I recently did the WordPress Blogging 101 workshop as a way for me to jump-start myself back into regular writing.  I find I’m not so great when I have an “assignment” and have to write on command.  But that just makes me stretch my wings a little more and grow.  A great result of the workshop, a group of us have stuck together to offer support and feedback.  After my post about ennui, I was invited to contribute to the word of the week to the alumni group.  I’m offering a slightly modified version of that post here today.

When I told a friend about this “assignment” for the weekly word etymology, she suggested the first word that popped into her head. I’d been trying for almost a week to find the right word, and it immediately came to her, not knowing our little band of bloggers at all. I am a firm believer that the universe will speak to us, we just have to be open to receiving the message.  My fellow 101’ers provide guidance to those who need it, and it is most favorable that we have all come together.

A- 1

An assignment from the workshop was to come up with a recurring feature.  I was stymied.  I ramble, weave, and bob my way around the posts I write.  I’ve written about a few recurring themes, but not with any regularity.  Again, the universe spoke to me and being the word nerd I am, I’m going to do a regular series on words, starting with A and working my way through the alphabet.

Any ideas and suggestions for the letter B…