The more you know, the easier it is to know more. Memory is like a spiderweb that catches new information. The more it catches, the bigger it grows. And the bigger it grows, the more it catches.
~ Joshua Foer, Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything
Sunday, October 23, 2011
"Memory is like a spiderweb..."
Quote of the Week:
Monday, October 17, 2011
Brief Hiatus and Future Plans
TileHead will be taking a break this week. Use the time to journey through the archives or to spend some time with your favorite wordbook — yesterday was Dictionary Day, after all!
The weekday word of the day feature will return next week — though, truth be told, there might be a few more breaks in the future and it is likely that some weeks will feature fewer than five words. I hope that you will still find the entries interesting and useful when they do appear, whatever the frequency or interval. Thanks for your continued support and readership.
The weekday word of the day feature will return next week — though, truth be told, there might be a few more breaks in the future and it is likely that some weeks will feature fewer than five words. I hope that you will still find the entries interesting and useful when they do appear, whatever the frequency or interval. Thanks for your continued support and readership.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Happy Dictionary Day
Logophiles rejoice: October 16th is Dictionary Day! The date commemorates the birthday of Noah Webster (1758-1843), a pioneer of American lexicography whose linguistic achievements include his famous Compendious Dictionary of the English Language as well as his American Spelling Book, which taught generations of Americans how to read and spell.
On a broader scale, the day celebrates the work of lexicographers, the power of dictionaries, and the beauty of words, wonderful words.
I am sometimes asked to name my favorite word, an almost impossible task, given the inexhaustible scope of the English language — and so the answer might be said to be whichever word I have most recently learned. However, I can more easily name a few of my favorite dictionaries, works that have been constant companions through the years:
On a broader scale, the day celebrates the work of lexicographers, the power of dictionaries, and the beauty of words, wonderful words.
I am sometimes asked to name my favorite word, an almost impossible task, given the inexhaustible scope of the English language — and so the answer might be said to be whichever word I have most recently learned. However, I can more easily name a few of my favorite dictionaries, works that have been constant companions through the years:
- American Heritage College Dictionary
- Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable
- Century Dictionary
- Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary
- Official Scrabble Players Dictionary (OSPD)
- Oxford English Dictionary (OED)
- Webster's Third New International Dictionary (W3)
Saturday, October 15, 2011
"the grandest triumph of the human intellect"
Quote of the Week:
Language... is not an abstract construction of the learned, or of dictionary makers, but is something arising out of the work, needs, ties, joys, affections, tastes, of long generations of humanity... It permeates all, the Past as well as the present, and is the grandest triumph of the human intellect.
~ Walt Whitman (1819-1892)
Friday, October 14, 2011
UXORIAL
TileHead’s Word of the Day for 14 October 2011
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UXORIAL (adj.)
Definition(s):
Useful information for game players:
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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UXORIAL (adj.)
Definition(s):
- (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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Thursday, October 13, 2011
ULEMA
TileHead’s Word of the Day for 13 October 2011
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ULEMA (n. pl. -S)
Definition(s):
Useful information for game players:
Epilogue:
Passing through Turkish and Persian forms, and deriving ultimately from Arabic ulama (“wise men” or “men of knowledge”), ULEMA (or ULAMA) was originally regarded as a plural construction referring to a body of Muslim scholars, such as those who interpret and judge SHARIA law (the religious law of Islam). Over time, it also came to refer to a single Muslim scholar or leader, leading to occasional references to ULEMAS or ULAMAS. (Similar changes have occurred with words such as AGENDA and MEDIA: they have gradually gained singular meanings, leading to the strange looking and etymologically confusing variants AGENDAS and MEDIAS.)
MULLAH (also spelled MULLA and MOLLAH), which tends to be used more frequently in the mainstream media, is another word for “a Muslim leader or teacher.” It also derives ultimately from an Arabic word, mawla, meaning “master” or “protector.”
This week’s theme: Words starting with the letter U
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ULEMA (n. pl. -S)
Definition(s):
- (pl. n.) the body of Muslim scholars trained in Islam and Islamic law
- (n.) a Muslim scholar or leader
Useful information for game players:
- Front hooks: (none)
- Back hooks: -S
- Anagrams: (none)
- Longer extensions: (none)
- Wraparounds: (none)
- Other Spellings: ULAMA (n.)
- Related Forms: (none)
Epilogue:
Passing through Turkish and Persian forms, and deriving ultimately from Arabic ulama (“wise men” or “men of knowledge”), ULEMA (or ULAMA) was originally regarded as a plural construction referring to a body of Muslim scholars, such as those who interpret and judge SHARIA law (the religious law of Islam). Over time, it also came to refer to a single Muslim scholar or leader, leading to occasional references to ULEMAS or ULAMAS. (Similar changes have occurred with words such as AGENDA and MEDIA: they have gradually gained singular meanings, leading to the strange looking and etymologically confusing variants AGENDAS and MEDIAS.)
MULLAH (also spelled MULLA and MOLLAH), which tends to be used more frequently in the mainstream media, is another word for “a Muslim leader or teacher.” It also derives ultimately from an Arabic word, mawla, meaning “master” or “protector.”
This week’s theme: Words starting with the letter U
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Wednesday, October 12, 2011
UNTOWARD
TileHead’s Word of the Day for 12 October 2011
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UNTOWARD (adj.)
Definition(s):
Useful information for game players:
Epilogue:
This word has nothing to do with the familiar meaning of TOWARD as “in the direction of.” TOWARD was once used and can still be used to mean “compliant” or “favorable” (which is why TOWARDLY and TOWARDLINESS are valid words too). Nowadays the negative form UNTOWARD (usually meaning “difficult, unfavorable, or improper”) is far more common. COUTH, FLAPPABLE, GAINLY, KEMPT, REQUITED, and WIELDY are a few other words that are rarely seen without their -un prefixes — except, perhaps, on the Scrabble board where the shorter forms are more likely to make an appearance.
This week’s theme: A ruly series of words starting with the letter U
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UNTOWARD (adj.)
Definition(s):
- (adj.) unruly; difficult to manage or work with
- (adj.) marked by misfortune or unhappiness
- (adj.) improper; unseemly
- (adj.) awkward; clumsy
Useful information for game players:
- Front hooks: (none)
- Back hooks: (none)
- Anagrams: OUTDRAWN
- Longer extensions: untowardLY, untowardNESS, untowardNESSES
- Wraparounds: (none)
- Other Spellings: (none)
- Related Forms: TOWARD (adj.), TOWARDLY (adj.), TOWARDLINESS (n.)
Epilogue:
This word has nothing to do with the familiar meaning of TOWARD as “in the direction of.” TOWARD was once used and can still be used to mean “compliant” or “favorable” (which is why TOWARDLY and TOWARDLINESS are valid words too). Nowadays the negative form UNTOWARD (usually meaning “difficult, unfavorable, or improper”) is far more common. COUTH, FLAPPABLE, GAINLY, KEMPT, REQUITED, and WIELDY are a few other words that are rarely seen without their -un prefixes — except, perhaps, on the Scrabble board where the shorter forms are more likely to make an appearance.
This week’s theme: A ruly series of words starting with the letter U
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Tuesday, October 11, 2011
USUFRUCT
TileHead’s Word of the Day for 11 October 2011
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USUFRUCT (n. pl. -S)
Definition(s):
Useful information for game players:
Epilogue:
Deriving from the Latin phrase usus et fructus (“use and enjoyment” or “use and fruit”), USUFRUCT is a legal principle with ancient roots that still applies to some modern day situations. For example, a power company may be given the right to use water from a river to generate electricity, or a landowner may allow a neighbor to grow and harvest crops on part of his property. The person or entity who enjoys the benefit is called a USUFRUCTUARY.
This week’s theme: Words starting with the letter U
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USUFRUCT (n. pl. -S)
Definition(s):
- (n.) the legal right to use and enjoy the fruits or profits of property belonging to another so long as it is not damaged
- (n.) the right to use, enjoy, or profit from something belonging to another
Useful information for game players:
- Front hooks: (none)
- Back hooks: -S
- Anagrams: (none)
- Longer extensions: usufructUARY, usufructUARIES
- Wraparounds: (none)
- Other Spellings: (none)
- Related Forms: (none)
Epilogue:
Deriving from the Latin phrase usus et fructus (“use and enjoyment” or “use and fruit”), USUFRUCT is a legal principle with ancient roots that still applies to some modern day situations. For example, a power company may be given the right to use water from a river to generate electricity, or a landowner may allow a neighbor to grow and harvest crops on part of his property. The person or entity who enjoys the benefit is called a USUFRUCTUARY.
This week’s theme: Words starting with the letter U
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Monday, October 10, 2011
ULTIMO
TileHead’s Word of the Day for 10 October 2011
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ULTIMO (adj.)
Definition(s):
Useful information for game players:
Epilogue:
For several centuries and up until a hundred years or so ago, nearly every educated English speaker would have been familiar with the use and meaning of the terms ULTIMO, PROXIMO, and INSTANT, as they were widely employed in letters, court proceedings, and other official correspondence:
The ULTIMATE parent of ULTIMO is the Latin ultimus (“last”), which makes an appearance in many other English words, including ULTIMOGENITURE: “a system of succession in which the right to inheritance rests with the youngest (lastborn) of a family.” (The contrasting term is PRIMOGENITURE, in which inheritance is the right of the firstborn, or eldest, child.)
This week’s theme: Words starting with the letter U
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ULTIMO (adj.)
Definition(s):
- (adj.) of or occurring in the previous month
Useful information for game players:
- Front hooks: (none)
- Back hooks: (none)
- Anagrams: (none)
- Longer extensions: ultimoGENITURE, ultimoGENITURES
- Wraparounds: MultimoDE, MultimoDAL, MultimoLECULAR
- Other Spellings: (none)
- Related Forms: (none)
Epilogue:
For several centuries and up until a hundred years or so ago, nearly every educated English speaker would have been familiar with the use and meaning of the terms ULTIMO, PROXIMO, and INSTANT, as they were widely employed in letters, court proceedings, and other official correspondence:
- ULTIMO means “in the preceding month,” as when George Washington wrote “I was very glad to receive your letter of the 31st ultimo...” (1792)
- PROXIMO means “in the next month,” as when Benjamin R. Cowen wrote in a letter to Ulysses S. Grant “I have the honor to tender my resignation of the position of Ass’t Sec’y of the Interior, to take effect on the 14th proximo...” (1876)
- INSTANT means “in the current month,” as when George Tichenor wrote in a letter “The Department is in receipt of a letter from Hon. J.R. Hawley, U.S. Senate, dated the 9th instant...” (1890)
The ULTIMATE parent of ULTIMO is the Latin ultimus (“last”), which makes an appearance in many other English words, including ULTIMOGENITURE: “a system of succession in which the right to inheritance rests with the youngest (lastborn) of a family.” (The contrasting term is PRIMOGENITURE, in which inheritance is the right of the firstborn, or eldest, child.)
This week’s theme: Words starting with the letter U
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Saturday, October 8, 2011
"I love smooth words..."
Quote of the Week:
I love smooth words, like gold-enameled fish
Which circle slowly with a silken swish
~ Elinor Hoyt Wylie (1885-1928), "Pretty Words"
Friday, October 7, 2011
TITIVATE
TileHead’s Word of the Day for 7 October 2011
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TITIVATE (v. -VATED, -VATING, -VATES)
Definition(s):
Useful information for game players:
Epilogue:
When this word first appeared in written English in the early 1800s, it was often spelled tidivate or tiddivate, suggesting that it was probably formed as a combination of TIDY and the Latin -ate ending found in words such as RENOVATE or CULTIVATE. Take care not to confuse it with TITILLATE, “to excite or stimulate agreeably,” an older word (derived from the Latin titillare “to tickle”) with a very different meaning.
Recapping this week’s words: TREPAN, TUPIK, TMESIS, TEOCALLI, and TITIVATE
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TITIVATE (v. -VATED, -VATING, -VATES)
Definition(s):
- (v.) to spruce up; to make neat (as one’s appearance)
- (v.) to touch up; to put the finishing touches on
Useful information for game players:
- Front hooks: (none)
- Back hooks: -D, -S
- Anagrams: (none)
- Longer extensions: (none)
- Wraparounds: (none)
- Other Spellings: TITTIVATE (v.)
- Related Forms: TITIVATION (n.)
Epilogue:
When this word first appeared in written English in the early 1800s, it was often spelled tidivate or tiddivate, suggesting that it was probably formed as a combination of TIDY and the Latin -ate ending found in words such as RENOVATE or CULTIVATE. Take care not to confuse it with TITILLATE, “to excite or stimulate agreeably,” an older word (derived from the Latin titillare “to tickle”) with a very different meaning.
Recapping this week’s words: TREPAN, TUPIK, TMESIS, TEOCALLI, and TITIVATE
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Thursday, October 6, 2011
TEOCALLI
TileHead’s Word of the Day for 6 October 2011
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TEOCALLI (n. pl. -S)
Definition(s):
Useful information for game players:
Epilogue:
Pyramidal structures have been built in many times and places around the world, such as the pyramids of Egypt, the ZIGGURATS of the Middle East, and the TEOCALLIS of Mesoamerica. The Aztec TEOCALLI was usually built in the shape of a squat, truncated pyramid and was often part of a larger complex called a TEOPAN: a walled enclosure containing a teocalli and other religious buildings.
Nahuatl was the language of the Aztecs, in which teotl means “god.” This lofty root is a part of both TEOCALLI (“god house”) and TEOPAN (“god place”), as well as TEOSINTE (“god dried maize”): a tall annual grass of Mexico and Central America that is closely related to corn. For more about Nahuatl contributions to English, see the HUIPIL entry.
This week’s theme: Words starting with the letter T
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TEOCALLI (n. pl. -S)
Definition(s):
- (n.) an ancient temple of Mexico or Central America, usually built on a pyramid or pyramidal mound
Useful information for game players:
- Front hooks: (none)
- Back hooks: -S
- Anagrams: LOCALITE
- Longer extensions: (none)
- Wraparounds: (none)
- Other Spellings: (none)
- Related Forms: TEOPAN (n.)
Epilogue:
Pyramidal structures have been built in many times and places around the world, such as the pyramids of Egypt, the ZIGGURATS of the Middle East, and the TEOCALLIS of Mesoamerica. The Aztec TEOCALLI was usually built in the shape of a squat, truncated pyramid and was often part of a larger complex called a TEOPAN: a walled enclosure containing a teocalli and other religious buildings.
Nahuatl was the language of the Aztecs, in which teotl means “god.” This lofty root is a part of both TEOCALLI (“god house”) and TEOPAN (“god place”), as well as TEOSINTE (“god dried maize”): a tall annual grass of Mexico and Central America that is closely related to corn. For more about Nahuatl contributions to English, see the HUIPIL entry.
This week’s theme: Words starting with the letter T
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Wednesday, October 5, 2011
TMESIS
TileHead’s Word of the Day for 5 October 2011
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TMESIS (n. pl. TMESES)
Definition(s):
Useful information for game players:
Epilogue:
The rhetorical device known as TMESIS was used in some forms of ancient poetry, and it still sees occasional use in modern speech and writing, usually for special emphasis or humorous effect. Some common examples include:
This week’s theme: Words guaran-damn-teed to start with T
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TMESIS (n. pl. TMESES)
Definition(s):
- (n.) the separation of parts of a word or phrase by an intervening word or words
Useful information for game players:
- Front hooks: (none)
- Back hooks: (none)
- Anagrams: MISSET, SMITES, STIMES
- Longer extensions: (none)
- Wraparounds: (none)
- Other Spellings: (none)
- Related Forms: (none)
Epilogue:
The rhetorical device known as TMESIS was used in some forms of ancient poetry, and it still sees occasional use in modern speech and writing, usually for special emphasis or humorous effect. Some common examples include:
- a whole nother (for another)
- abso-bloody-lutely, un-fuckin’-believable, la-dee-freakin’-da, and other expletives
- Ned Flanders, a character on the TV show The Simpsons, is a master of what might be termed tme-diddly-esis, as in phrases such as “Hi-diddly-ho,“ “am I that pre-diddly-ictable?”, and “I’m a mur-diddly-urderer!”
This week’s theme: Words guaran-damn-teed to start with T
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Tuesday, October 4, 2011
TUPIK
TileHead’s Word of the Day for 4 October 2011
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TUPIK (n. pl. -S)
Definition(s):
Useful information for game players:
Epilogue:
The TUPIK is roughly the summer equivalent of the IGLOO (or IGLU), being a temporary summer residence usually fashioned from seal or other animal skins. Both words come from the Eskimo-Aleut family of languages, where tupiq roughly meant “tent” and iglu meant “house.” The latter word can and has been used for dwellings of many different kinds, not just the domed snow houses of popular conception.
This week’s theme: Words starting with the letter T
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TUPIK (n. pl. -S)
Definition(s):
- (n.) a hut or tent of animal skins, traditionally used by some native peoples of Arctic regions as a temporary summer dwelling
Useful information for game players:
- Front hooks: (none)
- Back hooks: -S
- Anagrams: (none)
- Longer extensions: (none)
- Wraparounds: (none)
- Other Spellings: (none)
- Related Forms: (none)
Epilogue:
The TUPIK is roughly the summer equivalent of the IGLOO (or IGLU), being a temporary summer residence usually fashioned from seal or other animal skins. Both words come from the Eskimo-Aleut family of languages, where tupiq roughly meant “tent” and iglu meant “house.” The latter word can and has been used for dwellings of many different kinds, not just the domed snow houses of popular conception.
This week’s theme: Words starting with the letter T
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Monday, October 3, 2011
TREPAN
TileHead’s Word of the Day for 3 October 2011
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TREPAN (v. -PANNED, -PANNING, -PANS)
Definition(s):
Useful information for game players:
Epilogue:
This one should cause you to wake up and take notice on a Monday morning! TREPANATION (or TREPHINATION) is the practice of boring a hole in the skull, usually for the purpose of relieving pressure or for operating on the dura matter that surrounds the brain. Archaeological evidence suggests that the practice was used in several ancient cultures, and legitimate modern forms of trepanation are still practiced by neurosurgeons today.
The word TREPAN (or TRAPAN) arose in Middle English circa 1400, deriving from the Medieval Latin trepanum and ultimately from the Greek trypanon, “something that bores or perforates; a borer.” The word TREPHINE is often used synonymously, though technically speaking a trephine is a more modern form of the trepan. TREPHINE entered English in the seventeenth century, cleverly patterned by its inventor after both the earlier word and the Latin tres fines (“three ends”).
This week’s theme: Words starting with the letter T
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TREPAN (v. -PANNED, -PANNING, -PANS)
Definition(s):
- (v.) to use a trephine or other instrument to bore a hole into bone, as into a person’s skull to perform a medical procedure
- (v.) to bore a shaft of any kind
- (v.) to remove a disk or cylindrical core (as from metal)
- (n.) an instrument or tool used for boring holes
Useful information for game players:
- Front hooks: (none)
- Back hooks: -G, -S
- Anagrams: ARPENT, ENRAPT, ENTRAP, PARENT
- Longer extensions: -GS, -NED, -NER, -NERS, -NING, -ATION, - ATIONS
- Wraparounds: (none)
- Other Spellings: TRAPAN (v.)
- Related Forms: TREPANNER (n.), TREPANATION (n.), TREPHINE (v.), TREPHINATION (n.)
Epilogue:
This one should cause you to wake up and take notice on a Monday morning! TREPANATION (or TREPHINATION) is the practice of boring a hole in the skull, usually for the purpose of relieving pressure or for operating on the dura matter that surrounds the brain. Archaeological evidence suggests that the practice was used in several ancient cultures, and legitimate modern forms of trepanation are still practiced by neurosurgeons today.
The word TREPAN (or TRAPAN) arose in Middle English circa 1400, deriving from the Medieval Latin trepanum and ultimately from the Greek trypanon, “something that bores or perforates; a borer.” The word TREPHINE is often used synonymously, though technically speaking a trephine is a more modern form of the trepan. TREPHINE entered English in the seventeenth century, cleverly patterned by its inventor after both the earlier word and the Latin tres fines (“three ends”).
This week’s theme: Words starting with the letter T
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Sunday, October 2, 2011
"Language exerts hidden power..."
Quote of the Week:
Language exerts hidden power, like the moon on the tides.
~ Rita Mae Brown (1944- )
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