Word of the Week: Vitriolic

by Naomi L. | November 28, 2016 | Blog, Word of the Week | 2 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

There are many words out there to define the bitter, the critical, and the downright mean. As a writer, you may often find yourself in need of a variety of these words to keep your descriptions of villains and conflicts fresh and vivid. Today’s vocabulary post features one such word that I feel adds a poetic touch to otherwise coarse writing. Why call certain acts “sour” or “cruel” when you can call them “vitriolic”?

To be “vitriolic” is to be filled with bitter malice or criticism. The word is the adjective form of the noun “vitriol“, meaning “cruel and bitter criticism”. This noun arose in late Middle English as a reference to the sulfate of various metals and comes from the Latin noun vitriolum “sulphuric acid”, which in turn stems from the Latin noun vitrum “glass”.

As noted above, “vitriolic” derives from a word that was once a chemistry term for “sulfuric acid” but has since become dated in this sense. Today, the noun “vitriol” mostly refers to abusive language, so by extension, the adjective “vitriolic” also refers primarily to caustic and malicious speech. However, I’ve also seen it used to describe violent actions, so I assume it’s up to a writer’s discretion how best to use it. If your characters often engage in harsh and spiteful speech or actions, “vitriolic” may be a good word to add to your vocabulary!

What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?

Word of the Week: Beholden

by Naomi L. | November 21, 2016 | Blog, Word of the Week | 0 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Thanksgiving is this week, so I thought it would be fun to share a vocabulary word that fits the occasion. I researched synonyms for “thankful”, but most of the words that came up were pretty common, such as “grateful”, “appreciative”, and “obliged”. However, I did manage to find a word that I wasn’t yet familiar with, and though it may not qualify as an exact synonym of “thankful”, it’s at least related enough to have made it into the latter’s thesaurus entry. Still, I can see why this word isn’t as common; while it’s good to be “grateful” for what you have, you don’t necessarily want to be “beholden” to others for it!

To be “beholden” is to owe thanks or have a duty to someone in return for help or a service. The word arose in late Middle English and is the former past participle of an otherwise unrecorded definition of the verb “behold”, in the sense “bound”. This verb stems from the Old English verb bihaldan “to retain”, which comprises the prefix bi- “throughout” and the verb haldan “to hold”.

While “beholden” is listed as a word related to “thankful”, it’s really more of a synonym for “obliged”, which means to “make someone legally or morally bound to an action or course of action”. Of course, to “be obliged” also means to “be indebted or grateful”, so “beholden” could probably be used politely in this sense as well. At the very least, being an uncommon word, I would recommend it for historical or even technical writing. If your characters often feel indebted to each other for help or services exchanged, “beholden” may be a good word to add to your list!

What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?

Word of the Week: Prescient

by Naomi L. | November 14, 2016 | Blog, Word of the Week | 0 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

So it’s been almost a week since the next American president was elected, and honestly, I was… shocked, to say the least. Though a part of me is glad this election is finally over because I’m tired of hearing about politics, I couldn’t resist picking up one more vocabulary word from the articles flooding my news feed over the past several weeks. The irony is that it doesn’t really fit the theme of this election season, as relatively few national polls correctly predicted the outcome. The people who saw this result coming from a long way off must be a “prescient” bunch indeed!

To be “prescient” is to show or have knowledge of events before they happen. The word arose in the early 17th century and comes from the Latin verb praescire, meaning “to know in advance”. This verb comprises the preposition prae “before” and the verb scire “to know”.

While the word “prescient” may appear to be related to “clairvoyant“, it seems to apply more to knowledge and educated guessing than to supernatural psychic abilities. Those who prove themselves “prescient” tend to have a greater understanding of facts and make correct predictions based on past events. Also noteworthy is the noun form of this adjective, “prescience”, meaning “the fact of knowing something before it takes place”. If the people in your stories are good at predicting the outcomes of events, you’re certainly writing some “prescient” characters!

What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?

Word of the Week: Detente

by Naomi L. | November 7, 2016 | Blog, Word of the Week | 0 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

It’s been a great month for French and political vocabulary words, hasn’t it? Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the past several months, you know that tomorrow is the day that one of the most highly contentious American presidential races in history finally draws to a close. Regardless of which candidate you support (or even if you never cared), I’m sure there’s one thing we can all agree on: it’ll be nice when the tension from this election season finally dissipates! Granted, that likely won’t happen until well after Election Day, but we can still dream of some sort of near-future “detente”, right?

“Detente” (also spelled “détente”) refers to the easing of strained relations or hostility, especially between nations. The word arose in English in the early 20th century and is originally a French noun, literally meaning “loosening” or “relaxation”. This noun stems from the Latin verb detendere, which means “to loosen” or “to relax”.

Naturally, the word “detente” first came to my attention recently while reading yet another political article, in this case about the annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner that takes place in New York on the third Thursday of October and which U.S. presidential candidates have traditionally attended since 1960. Being a typical stop for the candidates during “debate season”, it makes sense that this event, treated as a roast, would serve as an outlet for easing some of the tension in the race. Note that “detente” is normally used in a political context, though I suppose it could be used in any reference to an alleviation of strained relationships. If you write political fiction heavy with tension between nations or parties, it may be worth throwing the occasional “detente” into your stories!

What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?

Word of the Week: Macabre

by Naomi L. | October 31, 2016 | Blog, Word of the Week | 0 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Ah, the bat. Ambassador of darkness, flitting out of his cave like a winged messenger, sightless specter of the macabre.

– San Diego Zoo Janitor, Friends (Season 2, Episode 12 – The One After The Superbowl)

It’s Halloween, and what better day of the year for horror writers to add a sinister new word to their vocabulary? In the above scene from Friends, Ross is talking to a janitor in the nocturnal house at the San Diego Zoo about Marcel, the monkey he donated the year before and who he was told by the zoo administrator had passed away. The creepy janitor, who’s supposed to be explaining that Marcel is still alive and was actually stolen, instead keeps getting distracted by the nocturnal animals around him, such as the bat he regards as a spirit of death. Horror writers and gothic poets would probably agree with this description; historically feared and misunderstood, bats do have a reputation as “macabre” creatures!

Anything described as “macabre” is horrifying and disturbing due to its depiction of or involvement with injury or death. The word arose in English in the late 19th century and is originally a French adjective, as in Danse Macabre (“Dance of Death”). This adjective possibly derives from the biblical name Macabé “Maccabees”, a reference to a miracle play depicting the slaughter of the Maccabees.

Though I don’t use it much myself because I don’t particularly care for the horror genre, I admit that I find the word “macabre” fascinating. Muck like the word “oeuvre“, it appeals to me for its French pronunciation and origin as well as for its poetic tone. After all, doesn’t a medieval artistic genre about the universality of death sound much more poetic when referred to as “Danse Macabre” than “Dance of Death”? If you like reading gruesome scenes or descriptions that involve death in any way, you may enjoy writing some “macabre” details into your own stories! Good luck, and Happy Halloween!

What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?