Words

Language

Philology is an underrated study. Tolkien was a diehard - that alone should tell you something. He invented something over 20 languages in his lifetime. I’ve always been horrible with foreign languages, which is perhaps amusing given that I write code for a living. Code is something different though, more a grammar and a syntax than actual language. But it has the same abilities in articulating dense thought.

Anyway, I’ve been keeping a list for several years of words I come across while reading that are interesting. Many I’d never heard before. Some just sound interesting, or in some other way provide a revelatory glance into their meaning without just simply looking up the definition. I began jotting them down as a reference, so here they are..

• sycophant - self-seeking flatterer
• antediluvian - a long time ago
• allegorical - speak figuratively
• obsequious - compliancy, subserviant
• hoary- gray or white with age
• palpable - easily perceptible
• mellifluous - having a smooth rich flow
• syncopated - a temporary displacement of the regular musical rhythm by stressing the weak beat
• subsume - to include or place within something larger or more comprehensive
• proselytize - to induce or recruit someone to convert to one’s faith
• zeitgeist - the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era
• orthogonal - intersecting or lying at right angles
• antithetical - being in direct and unequivocal opposition
• morose - having a sullen and gloomy disposition
• asseveration - positive affirmation, solemn declaration.
• dowager - a dignified elderly woman
• polymath - someone with great and varied abilities
• denizen - inhabitant
• loquacious - given to excessive talk
• bayou - any of various usually marshy or sluggish bodies of water
• quotidian - commonplace, ordinary, occuring every day
• maleficent - working evil
• acervation - A heaping up; accumulation.
• architrave - The lowermost part of an entablature in classical architecture that rests directly on top of a column. Also called epistyle. The molding around a door or window.
• perambulation - To walk through. To inspect (an area) on foot.
• accoutrements - An accessory item of equipment or dress. Often used in the plural.
• cornice - A horizontal molded projection that crowns or completes a building or wall. The uppermost part of an entablature. The molding at the top of the walls of a room, between the walls and ceiling. An ornamental horizontal molding or frame used to conceal rods, picture hooks, or other devices.
• escutcheon - A shield or shield-shaped emblem bearing a coat of arms. An ornamental or protective plate, as for a keyhole.
• embrasure - An opening in a thick wall for a door or window, especially one with sides angled so that the opening is larger on the inside of the wall than on the outside.
• frisson - A moment of intense excitement; a shudder:
• plinth - A block or slab on which a pedestal, column, or statue is placed.
• armature - Iron bars or framing employed for the consolidation of a building, as in sustaining slender columns, holding up canopies, etc
• armature - Armor; whatever is worn or used for the protection and defense of the body, esp. the protective outfit of some animals and plants.
• diffident - Lacking or marked by a lack of self-confidence; shy and timid.
• cupola - A vaulted roof or ceiling. A small dome set on a circular or polygonal base or resting on pillars. A domelike structure surmounting a roof or dome, often used as a lookout or to admit light and air.
• august - Inspiring awe or admiration; majestic. Venerable for reasons of age or high rank.
• functionary - One who holds an office or a trust or performs a particular function; an official.
• trapping - Articles of dress or adornment, especially accessories. Characteristic or symbolic signs: all the trappings of power.
• ingenue - A naive, innocent girl or young woman.
• vexatious - Full of annoyance or distress; harassed.
• misapprehend - To take in a wrong sense; to misunderstand
• sordid - Filthy or dirty; foul.
• sinecure - A position or office that requires little or no work but provides a salary.
• dolcemente - Softly; sweetly; with soft, smooth, and delicate execution.
• superannuate - To allow to retire on a pension because of age or infirmity. To set aside or discard as old-fashioned or obsolete.
• manifold - Many and varied; of many kinds; multiple
• arcanum - A deep secret; a mystery. A secret essence or remedy; an elixir.
• foment - To promote the growth of; incite.
• velour - A closely napped fabric resembling velvet
• consummate - having or revealing supreme mastery or skill; “a consummate artist”; “consummate skill”;
• diaphanous - Of such fine texture as to be transparent or translucent. Characterized by delicacy of form. Vague or insubstantial
• torpid - Deprived of the power of motion or feeling; benumbed. Dormant; hibernating. Lethargic; apathetic.
• disingenuous - Not straightforward or candid; insincere or calculating.
• convalescence - Gradual return to health and strength after illness.
• dissemble - To disguise or conceal behind a false appearance.
• greensward - Ground that is green with grass; turf.
• panegyric - A formal eulogistic composition intended as a public compliment. Elaborate praise or laudation; an encomium.
• abattoir - A slaughterhouse.
• vaunt - To speak boastfully of; brag about.
• misanthrope - One who hates or mistrusts humankind.
• incarnadine - Of a fleshy pink color. Blood-red.
• decrepitude - The quality or condition of being weakened, worn out, impaired, or broken down by old age, illness, or hard use.
• festoon - A string or garland, as of leaves or flowers, suspended in a loop or curve between two points
• gentrification - The restoration and upgrading of deteriorated urban property by middle-class or affluent people, often resulting in displacement of lower-income people.
• corpulence - The condition of being excessively fat; obesity.
• attenuate - To reduce in force, value, amount, or degree; weaken
• Mephistophelean - showing the cunning or ingenuity or wickedness typical of a devil; “devilish schemes”.
• appurtenance - Something added to another, more important thing; an appendage.
• schadenfreude - Pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others.
• voluble - Marked by a ready flow of speech; fluent.
• apotheosis - a model of excellence or perfection of a kind.
• fructuous - fruitful; productive.
• nonpareil - having no equal.
• senescence - the state of being or growing old.
• foofaraw - excessive or flashy ornamentation; also, a fuss over a trivial matter.
• congeries - a collection; an aggregation.
• supernal - being on high; celestial.
• aerie - a nest or dwelling built in a lofty place.
• aegis - a shield; protection.
• puckish - whimsical; mischievous; impish.
• mountebank - a quack; also, a charlatan
• lucubration - nocturnal study.
• verisimilitude - the quality of seeming to be true.
• insuperable - incapable of being passed over, surmounted, or overcome.
• penury - extreme poverty; also, insufficiency.
• effete - infertile; also, worn out; also, decadent, effeminate.
• termagant - a scolding, nagging, bad-tempered woman.
• phantasmagoria - a shifting series or succession of things seen or imagined.
• rueful - Inspiring pity or compassion.
• sangfroid - Coolness and composure, especially in trying circumstances
• diener - a laboratory helper especially in a medical school
• suppuration - The formation or discharge of pus.
• pedantic - Characterized by a narrow, often ostentatious concern for book learning and formal rules
• descry - To catch sight of something difficult to discern. To discover by careful observation or scrutiny
• crenellated - Having battlements
• effervescence - To show high spirits or animation.
• redolent - Having or emitting fragrance; aromatic. Suggestive; reminiscent:
• officious - Marked by excessive eagerness in offering unwanted services or advice to others
• pugnacious - Combative in nature; belligerent
• consternation - A state of paralyzing dismay
• nonplussed - A state of perplexity, confusion, or bewilderment. To be put at a loss as to what to think, say, or do
• ineffable - Incapable of being expressed; indescribable or unutterable
• acumen - Quickness, accuracy, and keenness of judgment or insight.
• hauteur - Haughtiness in bearing and attitude; arrogance.
• couloir - A deep mountainside gorge or gully
• expectorate - To eject from the mouth; spit
• macadam - Pavement made of layers of compacted broken stone, now usually bound with tar or asphalt.
• pusillanimous - Lacking courage; cowardly
• acrimonious - Bitter and sharp in language or tone; rancorous
• garrulous - Given to excessive and often trivial or rambling talk; tiresomely talkative
• tumescent - Becoming swollen; swelling
• ebullience - Zestful enthusiasm.
• peregrination - To journey or travel from place to place, especially on foot.
• adumbrate - To give a sketchy outline of. To prefigure indistinctly; foreshadow.
• faience - A moderate to strong greenish blue.
• sepulcher - A burial vault. A receptacle for sacred relics, especially in an altar.
• sybaritic - Devoted to or marked by pleasure and luxury.
• rubric - A class or category: “This mission is sometimes discussed under the rubric of ‘horizontal escalation’… from conventional to nuclear war” (Jack Beatty). A title; a name.
• inculcate - To impress (something) upon the mind of another by frequent instruction or repetition; instill: inculcating sound principles.
• intransigence - Refusing to moderate a position, especially an extreme position; uncompromising.
• obstreperous - Noisily and stubbornly defiant. Aggressively boisterous
• catafalque - A decorated platform or framework on which a coffin rests in state during a funeral
• insouciant - Marked by blithe unconcern; nonchalant
• saccharine - Having a cloyingly sweet attitude, tone, or character: a saccharine smile. Excessively sentimental
• panoply - A splendid or striking array.. ceremonial attire with all accessories.. something that covers and protects.. the complete arms and armor of a warrior
• antecedent - Going before; preceding.
• abstruse - Difficult to understand; recondite
• recondite - Not easily understood; abstruse
• immanence - Existing or remaining within; inherent
• amanuensis - One who is employed to take dictation or to copy manuscript
• accede - To give one’s consent, often at the insistence of another; concede
• renascence - A new birth or life; a rebirth. A cultural revival; a renaissance.
• lucubrations - scholarly writings
• frenetic - wild, frenzied
• succor - Assistance in time of distress; relief
• concomitant - Occurring or existing concurrently; attendant
• fustian - Pretentious speech or writing; pompous language.
• ablution - A washing or cleansing of the body, especially as part of a religious rite.
• etiolated - To cause to appear pale and sickly: a face that was etiolated from years in prison.
• denouement - The outcome of a sequence of events; the end result
• perspicacious - Having or showing penetrating mental discernment; clear-sighted.
• fecundity - The quality or power of producing abundantly; fruitfulness or fertility.
• pander - To cater to the lower tastes and desires of others or exploit their weaknesses
• sanguine - Of the color of blood; red. Cheerfully confident; optimistic
• nadir - low point
• apotheosis - An exalted or glorified example
• gauche - Lacking social polish; tactless
• physiognomy - Estimation of one’s character and mental qualities by a study of the face and general bodily carriage.
• irascible - Prone to outbursts of temper; easily angered
• otiose - Lazy; indolent
• staid - Characterized by sedate dignity and often a strait-laced sense of propriety; sober
• cogent - Appealing to the intellect or powers of reasoning; convincing
• irrupt - To break or burst in
• ebullient - Zestfully enthusiastic
• philatelist - The collection and study of postage stamps, postmarks, and related materials; stamp collecting
• eremitic - reclusive, monastic
• sententious - Terse and energetic in expression; pithy. or Abounding in pompous moralizing
• churlish - Having a bad disposition; surly
• puerile - Belonging to childhood; juvenile
• penury - Extreme want or poverty; destitution
• hebetate - To make obtuse or dull.
• prescind - To separate or divide in thought; consider individually.
• oblative - from the greek.. “ascending”
• ablution - A washing or cleansing of the body, especially as part of a religious rite
• avuncular - Of or having to do with an uncle. Regarded as characteristic of an uncle, especially in benevolence or tolerance.
• ergodic - positive recurrent aperiodic state of stochastic systems; tending in probability to a limiting form that is independent of the initial conditions
• apothegm - A terse, witty, instructive saying
• indurate - To make hard; harden
• insolvent - Unable to meet debts or discharge liabilities; bankrupt
• praxis - Practical application or exercise of a branch of learning. Habitual or established practice; custom.
• crepuscular - Of or like twilight; dim:
• pellucid - Admitting the passage of light; transparent or translucent. Transparently clear in style or meaning: pellucid prose.
• lambent - Flickering lightly over or on a surface
• miasma - A noxious atmosphere or influence
• aspersion - An unfavorable or damaging remark; slander. The act of defaming or slandering. A sprinkling, especially with holy water.
• lassitude - A state or feeling of weariness, diminished energy, or listlessness
• salubrious - Conducive or favorable to health or well-being.
• effulge - To cause to shine with abundance of light; to radiate; to beam
• endemic - natural to or characteristic of a specific people or place; native; indigenous
• tenable - capable of being held, maintained, or defended, as against attack or dispute
• irrefragable - not to be disputed or contested.
• ornery - ugly and unpleasant in disposition or temper. stubborn.
• pecuniary - of or pertaining to money
• redolent - having a pleasant odor; fragrant
• risible - causing or capable of causing laughter; laughable; ludicrous
• ossified - converted into or caused to harden like bone.
• jejune - without interest or significance; dull; insipid
• susurrus - a soft murmuring or rustling sound; whisper.
• ablation - the removal, esp. of organs, abnormal growths, or harmful substances, from the body by mechanical means, as by surgery.
• delectation - delight; enjoyment.
• affectation - an effort to appear to have a quality not really or fully possessed
• sibilant - hissing sound
• prolix - extended to great, unnecessary, or tedious length; long and wordy.
• miscegenation - marriage or cohabitation between a man and woman of different races.
• requiescat - a wish or prayer for the repose of the dead.
• argosy - a large merchant ship, esp. one with a rich cargo. a fleet of such ships.
• vermillion - A vivid red to reddish orange
• raiment - clothing; apparel; attire.
• nepotist - a powerful person who shows favoritism to relatives or close friends
• soporific - pertaining to or characterized by sleep or sleepiness; sleepy; drowsy
• anodyne - anything that relieves distress or pain
• celerity - swiftness; speed.
• misfeasance - the wrongful performance of a normally lawful act; the wrongful and injurious exercise of lawful authority
• desiderata - highly needed and wanted things (plural)
• brogue - any strong regional accent
• lacuna - a gap or missing part, as in a manuscript, series, or logical argument; hiatus
• quinine - used in medicine chiefly in the treatment of resistant forms of malaria
• jape - to jest; joke; gibe
• surfeit - excess; an excessive amount
• perfidy - deliberate breach of faith or trust; faithlessness; treachery
• uxorious - doting upon, foolishly fond of, or affectionately submissive toward one’s wife
• mollify - to soften in feeling or temper, as a person; pacify; appease
• deleterious - injurious to health; harmful
• idyll - a poem or prose composition, usually describing pastoral scenes or events or any charmingly simple episode, appealing incident, or the like
• skerry - a small, rocky island
• heresiarch - a leader in heresy; the leader of a heretical sect
• suborn - to bribe or induce (someone) unlawfully or secretly to perform some misdeed or to commit a crime
• colloquy - a conversational exchange; dialogue
• insouciance - lack of care or concern; indifference
• depauperate - poorly or imperfectly developed
• stygian - of or pertaining to the river Styx or to Hades, dark or gloomy, infernal; hellish
• postprandial - after dinner
• liminal - Relating to a threshold
• catarrh - inflammation of a mucous membrane, accompanied by excessive secretions
• castellan - the governor of a castle
• extant - in existence; still existing; not destroyed or lost
• prolegomenon - a preliminary discussion; introductory essay, as prefatory matter in a book; a prologue
• obduracy - the state or quality of being intractable or hardened
• protean - readily assuming different forms or characters; extremely variable
• bucolic - of, pertaining to, or suggesting an idyllic rural life
• trenchant - incisive or keen, as language or a person; caustic; cutting
• numismatic - of, pertaining to, or consisting of coins, medals, paper money
• excoriate - to denounce or berate severely; flay verbally
• interregnum - an interval of time between the close of a sovereign’s reign and the accession of his or her normal or legitimate successor. any period of freedom from the usual authority
• soubriquet - an affectionate or humorous nickname
• amaranthine - unfading; everlasting; of purplish-red color
• basilect - The variety of speech that is most remote from the prestige variety, especially in an area where a creole is spoken. For example, in Jamaica, Jamaican Creole is the basilect whereas Standard Jamaican English is the acrolect or prestige language
• adroitness - expert or nimble in the use of the hands or body
• indigent - lacking food, clothing, and other necessities of life because of poverty; needy; poor; impoverished
• enthymeme - a syllogism or other argument in which a premise or the conclusion is unexpressed
• shibboleth - a slogan; catchword
• pleochroic - The property possessed by some crystals of exhibiting different colors, especially three different colors, when viewed along different axes
• Boustrophedon - an ancient method of writing in which the lines run alternately from right to left and from left to right
• acrostic - a series of lines or verses in which the first, last, or other particular letters when taken in order spell out a word, phrase, etc
• escritoire - secretary or writing table
• piquant - agreeably pungent or sharp in taste or flavor; pleasantly biting or tart
• vertiginous - whirling; spinning; rotary
• febrile - pertaining to or marked by fever; feverish
• pedant - a person who makes an excessive or inappropriate display of learning
• obscurantist - opposition to the increase and spread of knowledge
• oeuvre - the works of a writer, painter, or the like, taken as a whole
• thurible - a censer used in certain ecclesiastical ceremonies or liturgies
• atavistic - reverting to or suggesting the characteristics of a remote ancestor or primitive type
• vellicate - to pluck; twitch; to nip, pinch, or the like
• sotto voce - in a low, soft voice so as not to be overheard
• velleity - a mere wish, unaccompanied by an effort to obtain it
• solipsist - the theory that only the self exists, or can be proved to exist
• coeval - of the same age, date, or duration; equally old
• encomium - a formal expression of high praise; eulogy
• antimacassar - a small covering, usually ornamental, placed on the backs and arms of upholstered furniture to prevent wear or soiling; a tidy
• cretonne - a heavy cotton material in colorfully printed designs, used esp. for drapery and slipcovers
• prestidigitation - sleight of hand; legerdemain
• commingled - to mix or mingle together; combine
• osseous - composed of, containing, or resembling bone; bony
• beau geste - a fine or noble gesture, often futile or only for effect
• quiescent - being at rest; quiet; still; inactive or motionless
• quiddity - the quality that makes a thing what it is; the essential nature of a thing
• legerdemain - sleight of hand; any artful trick
• palimpsest - a parchment or the like from which writing has been partially or completely erased to make room for another text
• nascence - a coming into being; birth
• sesquipedalian - given to using long words
• deipnosophist - a person who is an adept conversationalist at table
• esplanade - a flat open stretch of pavement or grass, especially one designed as a promenade along a shore
• agglutinate - to unite or cause to adhere, as with glue
• argent - like silver; silvery white
• aposiopesis - a sudden breaking off in the midst of a sentence, as if from inability or unwillingness to proceed
• tatterdemalion - a person in tattered clothing; a shabby person; ragged
• syzygy - an alignment of three celestial objects, as the sun, the earth, and either the moon or a planet
• occidental - denoting or characteristic of countries of Europe and the Western Hemisphere
• synecdoche - substituting a more inclusive term for a less inclusive one
• lagniappe - a small gift (especially one given by a merchant to a customer who makes a purchase)
• simulacrum - a slight, unreal, or superficial likeness or semblance
• aspic - a savory jelly usually made with meat or fish stock and gelatin, chilled and used as a garnish and coating for meats, seafoods, eggs, etc.
• epaulets - an ornamental shoulder piece worn on uniforms, chiefly by military officers
• ostinato - a constantly recurring melodic fragment
• indigent - lacking food, clothing, and other necessities of life because of poverty; needy; poor; impoverished
• jamais vu - a disorder of memory characterized by the illusion that the familiar is being encountered for the first time
• chamois - a soft, pliable leather from any of various skins dressed with oil
• demitasses - a small cup for serving strong black coffee after dinner
• divagating - to wander; stray
• probity - integrity and uprightness; honesty
• cudgel - a short, thick stick used as a weapon; club
• quelle plaisir - what a pleasure
• accrete - to grow together; adhere
• quincunx - an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle
• imprecation
• ecce signum - behold the sign (or proof)
• adipocere - a waxy substance produced by the decomposition of dead animal bodies in moist burial places or under water
• raconteur - a person who is skilled in relating stories and anecdotes interestingly
• mensch - a person of integrity and honor
• arachibutyrophobia
• litotes
• muliebrity
• aposiopesis
• myoclonic jerk
• velleity
• ugsome
• periphrasis
• fictile
• glabrous
• tacit
• brobdingnagian
• sternutation
• quinquennial
• orthology
• incipient
• inchoate
• pentimentos
• seneschal
• leal
• valonqar
• nonce
• solecism
• gaucherie
• creosote
• recrudescence
• unprepossessing
• damascene
• prate
• tuile
• descant
• sotte voce
• quire
• chanteuse
• ubriacant
• bibulous
• cognominate
• serried
• vitrine
• ridibund
• recrudescence
• periphrasis
• liminal
• empyreal
• echolalia
• baize
• abatis
• patois
• debouch
• glaive
• bardiches
• shestopyor
• harquebus
• dipsomania
• febrile
• lunette
• slimsy
• adduce
• maquette
• inveigh
• glossolalia
• fissiparous
• postpositive
• acerbic
• excoriate
• gaudium de stilo
• panglossian
• superbity
• eructation
• jamoke
• amonie
• peroration
• lachrymose
• tendentious
• banlieue
• abnegation
• pithilias
• atelier
• arriviste
• quaquaversal
• mundungus
• mulatsag