by Naomi L. | October 7, 2013 | Blog, Word of the Week |
Word: opalescent
Pronunciation: oh-pə-LE-sənt
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition:
- showing varying colors as an opal does
- showing many small points of shifting color against a pale or dark ground
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
I love colors. Anyone who knows me well can vouch for my nerdy knowledge of colors names, from vermilion to chartreuse to aubergine. I’ve been called out for describing things as “turquoise” or “cerulean” when “blue” would have sufficed, and I probably recognize enough shades of green to write an epic poem about a tree in midsummer. So when I find a word that covers several different colors at once, I almost instantly fall in love with it. “Prismatic”, “harlequin”, “kaleidoscopic”, all are great adjectives for defining different things that are multicolored. But of this list of synonyms, my favorite is probably “opalescent”.
Anything “opalescent” shows a variety of shifting colors. Naturally, it’s easy to recognize the root noun “opal” in this adjective, a reference to the semitransparent gemstone most notable for its varying colors. The very word “opal” can be traced back to different languages like the French noun opale or the Latin noun opalus. Interestingly, these Latin-based words probably originated from the Sanskrit noun upala “precious stone”, as the first samples of these gemstones came from India.
Why do I consider “opalescent” my favorite “multicolored” word? Honestly, I think it has a lot to do with the fact that the opal is my birthstone (for anyone keeping track, its month is October). Maybe it’s for this reason that I’ve always had a fondness for this stone, or maybe it’s simply for its beautiful array of colors that seem to outshine almost every other type of gem. The opal is my favorite precious stone, and for that, I feel that only the loveliest displays of varying color deserve to be described as “opalescent”.
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
by Naomi L. | October 7, 2013 | Blog, Journal |
Guess who just received her second blogging award? OK, it was actually given to me a couple of months ago, but I’ve really been looking forward to saying that. This one comes from Emily Morgan of Mama Going Solo and Emily Morgan Writes, who nominated me for the Liebster Award! Thank you so much, Emily! It’s really an honor!
The rules for this award are as follows:
- answer 11 questions set by your nominee,
- share 11 facts about yourself
- write 11 new questions of your own, and
- pass the award onto (up to) 11 other bloggers to answer your questions
So to start off, here are Emily’s questions for me:
1) What is your favorite thing to serve up a good friend for morning tea/afternoon tea?
Umm… cookies? I wouldn’t know; it’s never really come up.
2) If I gave you a $50,000 travel voucher and three weeks to spend it in, what would you do?
First, I would give you a big hug and thank you for the amazing gift! Then I would probably take that dream vacation I’ve always wanted across Europe with someone special.
3) If you could live someone else’s life for 24 hours, who would you choose?
Maybe one of my sisters. Sometimes their lives seem so much more exciting than mine!
4) If you could put someone else in your shoes for a day, who would you choose?
Probably my mom or dad, just because their lives are so much busier than mine, and they deserve a break.
5) What are you reading now, what have you just read and what are you going to read next (got three in one there!!)?
Well, that all depends on what counts…
Just read (again): Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare
Just read (for the first time): The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Am reading (fiction): The Time Paradox (Artemis Fowl, Book 6) by Eoin Colfer
Am reading (non-fiction): Ecology: From Individuals to Ecosystems (4th ed.) by Michael Begon, Colin R. Townsend and John L. Harper
Going to read next: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
6) What is your favorite period of history and why?
I love the ancient periods, but Ancient Egypt is my favorite! The civilization was incredibly advanced for its time, and so rich in culture. I couldn’t get enough of learning about the ancient egyptians in school! Of course, I find Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome fascinating as well, also for the culture.
7) What profession would you never want to attempt (I’m channelling Inside the Actor’s Studio for this one!)?
I’ve always told myself that the last career path I would ever want to pursue is Law. A good lawyer is usually cunning, manipulative and indifferent to people’s opinions. I am none of these things, which is why I’m sure I would hate having that job. I’d take being a “starving artist” over being a rich lawyer any day!
8) Which would you rather do: travel to space with Virgin Galactic, or climb Mount Everest?
Travel to space with Virgin Galactic! I love space; there was even a time in my childhood when I wanted to be an astronaut! Plus, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t make it halfway up Mount Everest.
9) Which reality TV show would you participate in?
Do documentary-style shows count? If so, then probably Mythbusters or some BBC nature documentary. Or Top Gear (UK version, of course). I don’t care how much of that show is scripted; I love those three presenters! Besides, it might be fun to be a Star in a Reasonably Priced Car.
Sorry, but I wouldn’t do actual reality shows.
10) What name would you give to a pet but never a kid?
I assume you mean besides the obvious pet names like Fluffy or Mittens. Well, off the top of my head, Sebastian. Good name for a cat (or a singing crab with a Jamaican accent), but I can’t see my (possible future) son pulling it off.
Oh, and Wolfgang. Too archaic for a person, but it might work for a dog. I could call him Wolf.
11) If you could go back and study any subject at all with no homework or exams, what would you study?
Japanese! I loved taking Japanese lessons in college, but I was only able to take the course for a year. I would have loved to stick with it long enough to become really proficient at it. Visiting Japan is one of my dreams; it would be great if I could understand enough of the language to get by!
Now for 11 facts about myself:
1) I’m very close with my family. I had the happiest childhood ever, and it’s been a major influence on my stories, which usually have well-rounded characters and happy endings.
2) I was once an avid fanfiction writer. I used to publish stories on FanFiction.Net, all of which were set in the worlds of video games. They were very well received, and some of my readers even suggested I pursue writing as a career. Naturally, I was way ahead of them…
3) I’m a total nerd, and proud of it. I’ve never been into fashion, I don’t care very much for the color pink, I’d rather spend a quiet evening at home than go out partying, and I was always into things that were considered “uncool” for people my age. As I like to say, I’d choose fantasy over reality any day.
4) I love mythology. My favorite mythical creatures are the phoenix and the dragon, though I’m also interested in legends of mermaids and any creature with the body of a horse.
5) Bugs fascinate me. While most people prefer to kill large insects and spiders in their home, I like to catch them and stare at them for a while before I release them outside. Sometimes I even take pictures before letting them go.
6) I’m one of those people who believes real beauty is on the inside. In fact, one of the reasons I became a writer was so people could get to know my mind before they could get to know my face. I don’t really care what people look like or what they wear as much as I care about personality. So you can be fat, skinny, tall, short, curvy or flat; if I think you’re a good person, you will be beautiful to me.
7) I love love. Romance is one of my favorite genres, love stories melt my heart, and my biggest guilty pleasure is that I can’t get enough of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. I believe it’s a reflection of the love I grew up seeing every day; my parents are the living embodiment of “happily ever after”.
8) I’ve never had a boyfriend who wasn’t my friend first. I’ve also never had a boyfriend with whom I didn’t fall in love.
9) I love my brown eyes and dark hair, and I wouldn’t dream of trading them for any other colored features. I have nothing against light eyes and brighter hair colors, of course. I just think it’s sad when people wish they were born with different looks. That’s another reason my favorite Disney princess as a kid was Belle (after her love of reading); she showed girls that brown hair and brown eyes can be beautiful too!
10) Most of my favorite movies are animated. I’m a big fan of Pixar films, and I love watching movies from the Disney Renaissance – The Little Mermaid (1989) to Tarzan (1999) – just because they take me back to my childhood. I also watch How to Train Your Dragon every time I see it’s on TV.
11) I have “mixed blood”: half European, a quarter Asian, and a quarter South American. At the same time, I like to consider myself 100% American.
Next, here are my questions for my nominees:
1) What would you say first inspired you to become a writer?
2) If you could meet your idol face to face, what would you say to her/him?
3) If you could only watch one movie over and over during the course of a year, which movie would you choose and why?
4) What are your favorite genres to read and write in?
5) Did you ever have a crazy dream job as a kid?
6) With which character(s) in all the books you’ve read can you most identify?
7) What animal would you consider your animal spirit and why?
8) If someone at a party randomly handed you a microphone and told you to sing any song you wanted, what song would you choose?
9) Are there any books you would say changed your life, and if so, which one(s)?
10) What was your favorite subject in school?
11) If you could have three wishes granted – one for you, one for your family and one for the world – what would you wish for?
And finally, here is my list of nominees:
Jennifer M Zeiger
Vanessa Writes
Lilica’s Place
Writer B is me
Writers Challenge 2013
Inion N. Mathair
Thanks so much for inspiring, friends! And thanks again to Emily for the nomination! You’re all amazing!
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