Wednesday, July 27, 2011

MANQUE

TileHead’s Word of the Day for 27 July 2011

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MANQUE  (adj.)

Definition(s):(adj.)
  1. frustrated in the fulfillment of one’s aspirations or potential; failing to achieve a desired status through circumstances or some flaw
  2. (adj.) defective; missing; lacking

Useful information for game players:
  • Front hooks: (none)
  • Back hooks: (none)
  • Anagrams: (none)
  • Longer extensions: (none)
  • Wraparounds: (none)
  • Other Spellings: (none)
  • Related Forms: (none)

Epilogue:
This word packs a lot of meaning into one word, and it is usually used POSTPOSITIVELY — that is, after the word that it modifies.  Thus, you could refer to an “artist manque” or a “hero manque.”  It passed into English in the 1700s from the French verb manquer, “to lack.” 

Other English words often used pospositively include EMERITUS, ERRANT, EXTRAORDINAIRE, GALORE, IMMEMORIAL, INCARNATE, LAUREATE, REDIVIVUS (“brought back to life”), REDUX (“brought back”), REGNANT (“reigning”), and several culinary terms such as CARBONARA, FLAMBE, PARMESAN, PICCATA, and PRIMAVERA.  Most of these come from French or Italian, in which adjectives usually follow nouns, though it is something of a mystery why these words have retained this word order in English while thousands of others from these languages do not.  It seems the English language has quirks and exceptions APLENTY.

This week’s theme: Words starting with the letter M

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