Friday, October 14, 2011

UXORIAL

TileHead’s Word of the Day for 14 October 2011

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UXORIAL  (adj.)

Definition(s):
  1. (adj.) pertaining to or characteristic of a wife

Useful information for game players:
  • Front hooks: (none)
  • Back hooks: -S
  • Anagrams: (none)
  • Longer extensions: uxorialLY
  • Wraparounds: (none)
  • Other Spellings: (none)
  • Related Forms: UXORIOUS (adj.), UXORIOUSLY (adv.), UXORIOUSNESS (n.), UXORICIDE (n.)

Epilogue:
The Latin maritus (“husband”) is a part of many familiar words, such as MARRY, MARITAL, and MARRIAGE.  Less well known is uxor (Latin for “wife”), which is a part of UXORIAL as well as UXORICIDE, which means “the killing of one’s wife,” and UXORIOUS, which has developed the fascinatingly-specific meaning of “displaying great or excessive fondness for one’s wife.”  The logical counterparts, mariticide and maritorious, failed to catch on as common English words.  Equal opportunity has never been a strong suit of the English language — nor has consistency.


Recapping this week’s words: ULTIMO, USUFRUCT, UNTOWARD, ULEMA, and UXORIAL

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