Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Here’s another word pulled from the list of 100 most beautiful words in English. This one’s a little closer to home, since I could easily use it to describe myself. Anyone who knows me in person can testify to the fact that I’m extremely shy and reserved, so if you’re like me (or know a woman like me), then “demure” is a good word for you to know too!

A “demure” woman is modest and reserved in her behavior. The word arose in late Middle English in the sense “sober” or “serious”, and can be traced back to the Old French adjective meur, meaning “mature”. This adjective stems from the Latin adjective maturus, which means “mature” or “ripe”.

It’s worth noting that “demure” can also be used to describe clothing that lends a modest appearance to its wearer. Despite having the same etymological origin, it shouldn’t be confused with the verb “demur”, which means “raise doubts or objections or show reluctance”. According to Oxford Dictionaries, “demure” refers to the behavior of a woman, though I suppose it’s up to a writer’s discretion whether or not to use it as a gender-neutral adjective. If you draw inspiration from people who are modest and shy, you may have some “demure” characters in your stories!

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

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Today’s Word of the Week is featured thanks to my mother, who recently sent me a list of the 100 most beautiful words in English. There were plenty of excellent words to choose from, some of which will appear later in this segment, but I chose “eloquence” first because: (a) it’s one of my favorite writing-related words; and (b) it’s fitting of the woman who showed me the list. My mother has always had a way of charming people with her words!

“Eloquence” refers to a person’s ability to speak or write in a fluent and/or persuasive manner. The word arose in late Middle English and comes from the Latin noun eloquentia, which in turn is derived from the verb eloqui, meaning “to speak out”. This verb is composed of the preposition ex “out” and the verb loqui “to speak”.

Truth be told, I’ve always loved the word “eloquence”, so when I saw it had made the list of most beautiful English words, I had to jump at the chance to feature it in my vocabulary segment. I see it as one of those words that apply equally to fiction and to real life, for to be “eloquent” is a goal that every writer should strive to achieve. Being able to captivate your audience using only your words is key to your success as a writer. Whether it’s a description of the skill your characters have to persuade their peers or a reminder of the standard to which you should hold your stories, “eloquence” is an excellent word to keep on your vocabulary list! Good luck!

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

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

I’m a little embarrassed to admit that today’s Word of the Week made it into my vocabulary list because I only recently discovered that I had been pronouncing it wrong since the first time I read it. Yes, for the longest time, I assumed this word was pronounced exactly the way it’s spelled: “HY-pər-bohl”. It wasn’t until after I downloaded the Elevate – Brain Training app to my iPad and started playing the Pronunciation game that I learned it’s actually pronounced “hy-PƏR-bə-lee”, and while I did feel a tad foolish for getting that wrong, the feeling was overshadowed by my fascination with the sound of the word. So I looked it up, and sure enough, it turned out to be a rather fitting word for my stories. They do contain their fair share of wildly ridiculous statements!

“Hyperbole” refers to claims or statements that are exaggerated and thus shouldn’t be taken literally. The word arose in late Middle English and comes from the Greek noun huperbolē, meaning “excess” or “exaggeration”. This word is composed of the preposition hupér “above” and the verb bállō “to throw” (literally “I throw”).

Regardless of pronunciation, “hyperbole” is often a good word to describe grand statements made in fiction and in real life alike. We’re all guilty of exaggerating our claims from time to time, such as when we refer to a major failure as a “train wreck” or to a huge game loss as a “massacre”. I’m sure we all know at least a few people who constantly exaggerate their stories, those people whose accounts we can rarely trust but who often make great inspiration for the blowhards in our fiction. If your characters make a habit of stretching the truth for dramatic effect or as a rhetoric device, you may have plenty of “hyperbole” floating around in your stories! Have fun!

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

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Now here’s a word that comes up a lot in the lab. Whenever I need to prepare an experiment, I usually have to set aside smaller portions of the reagents I’m going to use so as not to risk contaminating the stock. This practice is known as preparing “aliquots”, and it’s a habit that every laboratory researcher should pick up. Lab materials don’t usually come cheap, so compromising only small portions at a time saves us a bundle in the long run!

An “aliquot” is a part of a larger whole, usually for chemical analyses or treatments. The word arose in the late 16th century and traces back through the French noun aliquote to the Latin adjective aliquot, meaning “some”. This adjective is composed of the adjective alius “other” and the adjective quot “how many”.

Despite being a common word in laboratory vocabulary, I believe “aliquot” also has its uses outside of scientific contexts. In mathematics, the word refers to “a quantity that can be divided into another a whole number of times” (also known as an “aliquot part” or “aliquot portion”), and it can also function as a verb to mean “divide a whole into aliquots” or “take aliquots from a whole”. So if your characters ever need to divide large wholes into smaller portions (especially chemicals), you may want to consider writing an “aliquot” or two into your stories. Your readers may not all be scientists, but I’m sure they’ll appreciate learning a new academic word! Have fun!

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

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Here’s another word for the ordinary stuff in our lives. Sometimes we encounter work that is so unoriginal it comes off as predictable and, consequently, boring. Today’s vocabulary post features one good word to describe such things, a word any serious artist would dread to hear being used to describe their own work. With all the effort we put into making our art original and interesting, it would certainly sting to have it criticized as “banal”, wouldn’t you think?

Something considered “banal” is boring and predictable due to lack of originality. The word arose in the mid 18th century as a reference to feudal service and was used in the sense “common to all”. Originally French, the adjective is ultimately of Germanic origin and is related to the Old English verb bannan, meaning “to summon”.

Used to define things that are ordinary and dull, “banal” stands among other similar adjectives I’ve featured in this segment before, such as “pedestrian“, “prosaic“, and “vapid“. In a way, you could say it’s ironic that there are so many unusual and interesting ways to say “common” and “boring”. So whenever you need a word to describe something boringly plain, feel free to use “banal” or any of its uncommon synonyms. The things in your stories may lack originality, but that doesn’t mean your writing has to! Good luck!

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

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Robin: Oh, cute dog!

Arthur: No! Tugboat, my other dog, that was a cute dog. This little disappointment is nothing but a cheap facsimile.

– How I Met Your Mother (Season 6, Episode 23 – Landmarks)

How about another unusual word for your list? This week’s vocabulary word is one that I remember hearing only twice in my whole life: once in the indie sci-fi game Transistor and once in the above scene from How I Met Your Mother. I probably should have been familiar with it long ago, though; as I only just learned, I used to hear the abbreviated form of the word all the time: “fax”! To be honest, I feel a little silly for not realizing “fax” was an abbreviation all along, but at least knowing that now should make the full word easier to remember!

A “facsimile” is an exact or highly similar copy of something, usually a written or printed work. Originally spelled fac simile, the word arose in the late 16th century and referred to the making of an exact copy of a written work. This noun is of modern Latin origin and is comprised of the interjection fac (from the verb facere “to make”) and the adjective simile “like”.

Like the shortened form “fax”, “facsimile” can also function as a verb meaning “make a copy of”. The word generally refers to the copying of written materials such as books and manuscripts, though it really applies to anything that can be duplicated. In some contexts, it refers to the reproduction of items of historical value that are as close as possible to the original. So if your characters make a habit of copying things, take note: you may have quite a few good “facsimiles” in your stories!

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

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Continuing from last week’s theme of advanced forms of common words, today’s vocabulary post features another word that you’re much less likely to see than its everyday counterpart. After all, when was the last time you heard someone refer to a lacking amount of something as a “paucity” as opposed to a “scarcity”? It’s another word that came up in a presentation at the scientific conference I attended, but I have yet to see it much in fiction!

A “paucity” of something is a small or insufficient amount or quantity of it. The word arose in late Middle English and can be traced back through the Old French noun paucite to the Latin noun paucitas, meaning “a small number”. This noun comes from the adjective paucus, which means “few”.

Coincidentally, “paucity” is a word that I’ve used very few times myself, if ever. I read it occasionally in academic writing (such as in papers that describe a “paucity” of a particular species in a region), but in the right contexts, I believe it works just as well in fiction. If your characters often encounter lacking quantities or amounts of the things they need (and you’ve already overused more common words like “scarcity”), you may want to consider writing about the “paucity” of their necessities in your stories! Good luck!

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

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Next up on my advanced vocabulary list, here’s another word with dual concrete/abstract meanings. “Inundate” is a word I’ve come across several times, equally in the sense of literal floods of liquid and of metaphorical floods of responsibilities. Of course, being a grad student who studies aquatic ecosystems, it’s no wonder I’m well familiar with this particular uncommon word!

To “inundate” someone is to overwhelm them with people or things to deal with, while to “inundate” a place is to flood it. The word arose in the late 16th century and comes from the Latin verb inundare, meaning “to flood”. This verb is composed of the preposition in “into” and the verb undare “to flow”, the latter of which is derived from the noun unda “wave”.

Because “inundate” is basically an advanced form of the verb “flood”, it may often come off as unnecessarily complex in its literal definition. For fiction, I would recommend using it mostly in the abstract sense of overwhelming someone with obligations, though you needn’t hesitate to use its concrete meaning for a scene involving an actual water flood. If your stories frequently involve floods of liquid, things, or people, “inundate” is a good word to add to your list! Good luck!

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

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Continuing on the theme of scientific vocabulary, today’s word is one that comes up a lot in academic writing. When proving a hypothesis correct, researchers need to provide evidence that strongly supports their conclusions. Hence, it’s common to read statements in the results/discussion section of research papers claiming that Findings X “corroborate” Hypothesis Y. Because why use a general verb like “support” when you know a more specific term for research?

To “corroborate” a theory or statement is to provide evidence that supports or confirms it. The word arose in the mid 16th century in the sense “to make physically stronger” and comes from the Latin verb corroborare, meaning “to strengthen”. This verb stems from two roots: the adverb com “together” and the noun robur “strength”.

I haven’t encountered the word “corroborate” much outside of scientific contexts, but I still think it could work in fiction. A good example might be when one character needs to “corroborate” another’s story with an additional eyewitness account of events. If your characters often find themselves needing to prove a statement or theory true, you may want to write some evidence into your stories to “corroborate” their claims! Good luck!

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

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

So I recently attended a scientific conference, and as you can imagine, I came back with quite a few advanced words for my vocabulary list. Since I love words that can apply to both academic and artistic writing, I decided to share some of them in my Word of the Week segment. To start off, here’s a relatively common one that came up in a few of the presentations: “paradigm”. This isn’t surprising, of course; standard models are a necessary foundation for the progression of research!

A “paradigm” is a typical model, example, or pattern of something. The word comes from the Greek noun parádeigma “pattern”, which in turn comes from the verb paradeíknunai, meaning “to compare”. This verb is composed of the preposition pará “beside” and the verb deíknunai “to show”.

Although typically a technical term, “paradigm” can also be used to indicate patterns in everyday life, such as social etiquette. In linguistics, it refers to “a set of linguistic items that form mutually exclusive choices in particular syntactic roles”, while in science it’s “a worldview underlying the theories and methodology of a particular scientific subject”. Being an academic, I’ve read this word most often in scientific texts, but I believe it works equally well in fiction. If you want to draw attention to typical patterns or models in the action of your stories, “paradigm” is a good word to keep in mind! Good luck!

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