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Word of the Day:
FYLFOT (n. pl. -S)
Definition(s):
- (n.) a symbol or ornament in the form of a cross with arms bent at right angles in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction; a swastika
Useful info for word game players:
- Front hooks: (none)
- Back hooks: -S
- Anagrams: (none)
- Longer extensions: (none)
- Wraparounds: (none)
- Other Spellings: (none)
- Related Forms: SWASTIKA, SWASTICA, GAMMADION
Current theme:
Signs & Symbols
Epilogue:
This symbol (卍 or 卐) has been seen in various forms throughout history. As the OED puts it, the symbol “has been extensively used as a decoration (often, apparently, as a mystical symbol) in almost all known parts of the world from prehistoric times to the present day.” The three most common names for it in English are FYLFOT, SWASTIKA, and GAMMADION.
FYLFOT is the oldest of the words, dating to approximately 1500, when it first appeared in a medieval manuscript. The word in that manuscript was probably a form of the term “fill-foot” (a device that “fills the foot” of a painted window), but the term caught on and has remained in use ever since. Today, it is still employed in writings about flags, heraldry, and other fields where such symbols are relatively common.
Under the name SWASTIKA (or SWASTICA), the symbol is regarded as an emblem of Nazi Germany. That word derives from Sanskrit svastika, meaning “well-being” or “fortune,” because it was once regarded as a symbol of good luck. Because of the negative connotations surrounding this word, however, it is now used mainly to refer to the Nazi symbol.
The term GAMMADION (plural GAMMADIA) refers to the fact that each arm resembles the uppercase form of the Greek letter gamma (Γ). Nowadays it is used mostly to refer to “gammadion pendants” and other jewelry with a similar shape.
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