Word of the Week: Sardonic

by Naomi L. | July 27, 2015 | Blog, Word of the Week | 0 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

In this ever-growing world of cynicism and acerbic commentary, one can never know too many words for dark humor. I’m sure we all know someone whose sense of humor is somewhat bitter or sharp, so this week’s vocabulary entry is for those of you who need a word to define the behavior of those scornful jokers in your life and in your fiction. Enjoy!

A “sardonic” act is one that is cynical or mocking in a grim way. The word arose in the mid 17th century and comes from the French adjective sardonique, which in turn can be traced back to the Greek adjective sardónios, meaning “of Sardinia”. This adjective is an alteration of the adjective sardánios, a word Homer used to describe laughter as “bitter or scornful”.

There isn’t much I can say about the word “sardonic”, except that I definitely know a few people who fit the description. With all the witty people in my family, I’ve been on the receiving end of quite a few “sardonic” actions, and I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t at least considered doing some of them myself. Cynicism is a common part of life, and while I wouldn’t recommend pursuing it as a lifestyle, I will admit that it helps makes fiction interesting and relatable. If your characters tend to be cynical or bitter in their sense of humor, feel free to add some “sardonic” acts or comments to your stories! Have fun!

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

Word of the Week: Effigy

by Naomi L. | July 20, 2015 | Blog, Word of the Week | 0 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

There’s a funny story to how today’s Word of the Week made it onto my vocabulary list. I actually learned the word “effigy” a long time ago from studying vocabulary flashcards, but I had forgotten it until recently when it came up in a conversation I had with my best friend. We were talking about the distant future, and he said that if aliens ever uncover his Minecraft Creeper plush toy, they might think it was an “effigy” of something humans believed was a divine being. It does, after all, look uncannily extraterrestrial.

An “effigy” is a likeness of someone in the form of a model or sculpture. The word comes from the Latin noun effigies, which stems from the verb effingere, meaning “to fashion artistically”. This verb is comprised of the preposition ex “out” and the verb fingere “to shape”.

Note that a common use for an “effigy” is as “a roughly made model of a particular person, made in order to be damaged or destroyed as a protest or expression of anger”. In this case, it’s normal to refer to the person whose likeness is being destroyed as being “burned in effigy”. There also seem to be certain restrictions for how to use the word “effigy”: for example, the term usually applies to lying statues for funerary art, but not necessarily standing statues or religious figures. If your stories contain any three-dimensional models made in the likeness of your characters, you may have a few “effigies” scattered throughout your fiction, though whether or not they should be labeled as such is up to you! Good luck!

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

Word of the Week: Licentious

by Naomi L. | July 13, 2015 | Blog, Word of the Week | 0 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Beata Maria, you know I’m so much purer than
The common, vulgar, weak, licentious crowd.
– “Hellfire” (The Hunchback of Notre Dame, 1996)

Oh yes, Disney worked the word “licentious” into a children’s movie. The first time I ever heard this word was when I was a kid and watched the 1996 animated film The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The term “licentious” comes up about halfway through the movie in the song “Hellfire“: while conflicted between his religious virtues and his desire for the gypsy Esmeralda, Judge Claude Frollo tries to justify to himself that he is somehow above the sins committed by the “promiscuous” common people he hates (when in fact that hatred is exactly what makes him far worse than any of them).

A “licentious” person is someone who lacks principles in sexual matters. It also once referred to a disregard for rules and conventions. The word comes from the Latin adjective licentiosus “unrestrained”, which stems from the noun licentia, meaning “freedom”.

Because “licentious” has an archaic definition, it’s possible that its use in the medieval setting of a Disney movie was intended to have the tamer meaning of a general disrespect for society’s rules. Then again, given the context of the song and the second definition’s emphasis on writing techniques, it’s more likely the word was being used in its primary meaning of sexual depravity. Either way, this is a good adjective for describing people without moral principles. If your characters tend to be unscrupulous in their actions, you too may have a “licentious” crowd in your stories!

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Word of the Week: Commandeer

by Naomi L. | July 6, 2015 | Blog, Word of the Week | 0 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Will Turner: We’re going to steal a ship? That ship?

Jack Sparrow: Commandeer. We’re going to commandeer that ship. Nautical term.

– Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

Let’s have some fun with another word I picked up from Pirates of the Caribbean. The word “commandeer” comes up quite a few times in the first film of Disney’s popular Pirates series, where it’s (logically) always used by Captain Jack Sparrow. A notable example is when he and Will are planning to take one of the military’s prized ships on their mission to rescue the kidnapped Elizabeth, in which case Jack replaces Will’s blunt choice of words with a “nautical term” that frankly makes little difference except for being easier on the ears (and the conscience).

To “commandeer” something is to take control of it by force, either officially for military purposes or without authority. The word has an interesting history to it, tracing back from the early 19th century through the Afrikaans verb kommandeer and the Dutch verb commanderen to the French verb commander, meaning “to command”. This verb is derived from the Latin verb commendare, which is comprised of two roots: the preposition com (denoting intensive force) and the verb mandare (“to commit” or “to command”).

I suppose the word “commandeer” is similar to the word “usurp“, at least in its second sense. Interestingly, the word can also apply to people, as a sub-definition of it is “enlist someone to help in a task, typically against the person’s will”. So take note: if your characters make a habit of engaging in official or unauthorized business, they may find the need to “commandeer” something (or someone) once in a while! Good luck!

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Word of the Week: Soporific

by Naomi L. | June 29, 2015 | Blog, Word of the Week | 0 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Have you ever been doing or experiencing something and suddenly started to feel drowsy because of it? Well, that activity had a “soporific” effect on you. We’ve all encountered something at one time or another that made us sleepy: medicine, a long plane ride, a boring movie. And if we’re going to subject our characters to the same kind of experiences, why not have an uncommon word handy to define whatever is putting them to sleep?

Something that’s “soporific” has a tendency to include sleepiness or drowsiness in people. The word arose in the mid 17th century and can be traced back to the French adjective soporifique. This adjective in turn is derived from the Latin noun sopor, meaning “deep sleep”.

Aside from its primary definition, “soporific” can also be used to describe a person who is feeling sleepy or drowsy. Another sub-definition of the word is “tediously boring or monotonous”, and in some cases it functions as a noun to refer to “a drug or other agent that induces sleep”. Whatever the context, “soporific” is a good word to keep in mind for anything in your stories that puts your characters to sleep. Just try to make sure your writing isn’t “soporific” to your readers! Good luck!

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