vocabularian: one who pays too much attention to words
kelly | 18 December 2008 - 11:36pm
been reading: Reading the OED by Ammon Shea
The book I've been reading is totally word nerdy. It's written by a guy who read the entire Oxford English Dictionary - every entry, all 20 volumes. In one year. My co-workers gave me weird looks when I told them about it, like I was some English major freak or something. Which I am. Also? They are rednecks.
In the book, there's a chapter devoted to each letter of the alphabet. At the beginning of each chapter, Shea shares some anecdotes related to reading the OED, and then for the rest of the chapter he lists the most interesting words for that letter.
I flagged every word that I loved. There were a lot.
I'll share some that I especially like or that seem of particular usefulness in every day life. (Definitions attributed to Shea.)
- accismus: an insincere refusal of a thing that is desired
- constult: to act stupidly together
- gound: the gunk that collects in the corners of the eyes
- jentacular: of or pertaining to breakfast
- maritality: excessive or undue affection on the part of a wife for her husband
- onomatomania: vexation at having difficulty in finding the right word
- pandiculation: the act of stretching and extending the limbs, in tiredness or waking
- ruffing: the stomping of feet as a form of applause
- velleity: a mere wish or desire for something without accompanying action or effort
- yepsen: the amount that can be held in two hands cupped together
- advesperate: to approach evening
- apricity: the warmth of the sun in winter
- impluvious: wet with rain
- petrichor: the pleasant loamy smell of rain on the ground
- psithurism: the whispering of leaves moved by the wind
I mean, who knew there was a specific word for eye gunk?! Or the annoying bleacher stomping at sporting events? Interestingly, there is a whole subset of delightful nature-related words that I never knew, but that I feel should be brought back into regular usage:
Keep in mind that most of these words were used long ago (and even then sometimes only rarely) and will garner only strange looks if you actually incorporate them into your conversations. But as Shea suggests, it's enough just to know they exist.
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Those words are awesome. I don't think I could make it through the whole book myself, so thanks for the "good parts" version. I especially love "constult".
Oooh, I love petrichor. I'm going to try and remember that one.
oooooooh! ::drool::
If only the other book club ladies were English majors, too.
I love all of those words!
I am normally accismus when I am offered M&M 's during a jentacular feast but I find myself accepting a yepsen of them.
I just made two of my co-workers stomp their feet in applause. I then said that they were "ruffing" it.
heh.
They looked at me strangely.
I usually get a couple of these looks a day, so I was not perturbed in the least.
LOVE the words!
If you and 10 of your closest friends start using the words, they will totally infiltrate the English language again. I say use away! If you use a word three times, it's yours.
And great stickies. And the rednecks comment made me laugh because it reminds me of home.
I am so going to get this book. I am a sucker for etymology - I like to stick pins through words and mount them on bristol board. And my daughter the English teacher has the same affection for words.
The other night we were driving out to do a show and for forty minutes we entertained one another with odd or unusual word origins. My favourite from that conversation: after the Great Fire of London in 1666, King William decreed that no citizen should be allowed to go to sleep with a fire burning. Ten o'clock was set as the time when all fires in all homes should be extinguished.
But of course, King William was not originally from England; he spoke only French. So he decreed that fires should be covered. In French: "couvre feu" (cover fire). And of course, that became "curfew".
Mmmmm. Etymology. A feast for word nerds. I wanna chow down on this book.
Shea is right! It is enough to know they exist. Awesome.
i love new words, i am the dork doing the Reader's digest quiz every month. Yet another book I need to read.
have a jubilant Jubilee* and a twinkling twelvemonth**!
(*merry Christmas and a **happy new year!)
I just came across the perfect way to practice your new vocabulary: http://www.freerice.com/index.php
It's a word game and they supposedly donate rice for every correct answer.