Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Here’s another poetry-related word that I appreciate for its dramatic applications. It’s not uncommon for characters in stories to find themselves alone with their thoughts, so it stands to reason that they would express those solitary thoughts aloud now and then. And where there’s theatrical drama, you know there’s a poetic word to define exactly what’s happening in a given scene. In this case, that word is “soliloquy”.

A “soliloquy” is a speech one gives in solitude or regardless of anyone listening. It’s a type of monologue typically spoken by a character in a play. The word comes from the Latin noun soliloquium, which is comprised of two roots: the adjective solus “alone” and the verb loqui “to speak”.

An excellent example of a “soliloquy”, as well as my personal favorite, is Juliet’s balcony speech from Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. In Act II, Scene II of the play, there is a brief passage between the moment Romeo arrives in the Capulet orchard and the moment he begins proclaiming his love to her when Juliet confesses her true feelings for him without knowing he’s hiding below and listening. Generally being a kind of speech, I suppose a “soliloquy” can be considered talking to yourself taken to the next level. If you write characters who make a habit of talking to themselves, you’ll no doubt be able to work a “soliloquy” or two into your stories! Have fun!

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

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

It’s the beginning of March, and what better way to start off St. Patrick’s month than with a word related to good fortune? “Fortuitous” is a word I see and hear pop up every once in a while, so it would definitely make an interesting addition to this vocabulary segment. In my opinion, one can never know too many words for “good luck”!

A “fortuitous” event is one that happens by chance, generally a lucky one. The word comes from the Latin adjective fortuitus “happening by chance”, which stems from the adverb forte, meaning “by chance”. This word is derived from the noun fors, which means “chance” or “luck”.

Although “fortuitous” is listed as having two similar meanings, modern uses tend to favor the latter, which is more or less synonymous to “lucky” or “fortunate”. Note, however, that Oxford Dictionaries emphasize this definition as being a strictly informal use of the word, and one that should thus be avoided except in contexts of this sort. Of course, it all comes down to a writer’s discretion when deciding how best to work it into a story, so feel free to use “fortuitous” however you see fit, and may the best fortune find you in your writing endeavors anyway. Good luck (pun absolutely intended)!

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Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Continuing from last week’s post on the word “leviathan“, here’s a complementary word for another type of giant monster. If there’s a name for a titanic water-dwelling beast, it stands to reason that there should also be a name for a colossal land-based creature. Once again, mythology provides us with one such name: the great “Behemoth”.

A “behemoth” is basically a creature of monstrous proportion. The word comes from the Hebrew noun bĕhēmōṯ, the intensive plural form of bĕhēmāh, which means “beast”. It has a notable reference in the Bible as a massive creature God shows to Job to prove the point that His might is unmatched by anything mortal (Job 40:15-24).

While the official dictionary entry for “Behemoth” doesn’t specify its habitat as terrestrial, some legends identify it as the male earth-dwelling complement to the female sea monster “Leviathan”. In the same way the latter most likely represented a whale or crocodile, the former may have been equated to such creatures as an elephant, a hippopotamus, a rhinoceros, or even (according to certain theories) a dinosaur. Also similar to “leviathan”, in modern language, “behemoth” can be used as a metaphor for anything enormous and powerful, especially a company or organization. If you tend to write plenty of titanic entities into your stories, “behemoth” may be the word you’re looking for! Good luck!

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

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Here’s a less common word for all you fantasy and mythology enthusiasts, especially those fond of the ocean. Legends of the sea are hardly complete without a colossal sea monster to stir up some fear, so it stands to reason that such creatures deserve a name of their own. Fortunately, mythology has provided one such title: the mighty “Leviathan”.

A “leviathan” is basically an enormous water-dwelling creature. The term is especially notable in biblical use, where it refers to a giant sea monster generally equated to a whale or crocodile (e.g. Job 41, Psalms 74). This word is the English translation of the Hebrew noun liwyāṯān, which also means “whale”.

I absolutely love stories about the ocean, so I’m actually surprised I haven’t made more use of the word “leviathan” myself. A great sea monster would be an indispensable addition to a tale about the mythical beasts of the sea. Of course, the word’s uses aren’t limited to fantasy, as it can also refer to something very large and powerful (usually a ship). If you ever find yourself in need of a description for those aquatic titans in your stories, “leviathan” is the word for you! Good luck!

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

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Valentine’s Day is this Saturday, so here’s a more romantic word for this week’s vocabulary post. For those of us who enjoy writing romance, sometimes we need just the right word to convey the passion between our characters. And let’s just say that for spicier interactions, “amorous” is on my favorites list.

An “amorous” action is one relating to love or sexual desire. The word can be traced back through the Old French adjective amoros (“in love”) to the medieval Latin adjective amorosus. These in turn stem from the Latin noun amor, which means “love”.

The last time I used the word “amorous” in a story was to describe a kiss between a couple of teenage characters who were desperately in love. I needed an adjective that would accurately define their level of passion without being too explicit, as most of my readers were relatively young and innocent. For that particular purpose, I believe this word worked perfectly well to convey my characters’ love and desire for each other. If you too enjoy romance with plenty of passion, I’m sure you’ll have no trouble writing some “amorous” scenes into your stories! Good luck!

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Source: Oxford Dictionaries

“Zealous” is another one of those words that I would see or hear often but always forget what it meant. I’m sure it’s come up a few times in my vocabulary test prep material, though to really memorize it, I suppose I’d have to make a habit of incorporating it in my own writing. It wouldn’t be too hard either; I have written quite a few characters who were passionate about a particular cause.

A “zealous” person is someone who demonstrates great enthusiasm for a chosen goal. Derived from the noun “zeal”, the word traces back through the Latin noun zelus to the Ancient Greek noun zêlos, both of which mean “zeal” or “jealousy”. The latter noun comes from the verb zēlóō, meaning “to emulate” or “to be jealous”.

With such similar spellings, I’m sure I must have confused the word “zealous” with the word “jealous” at least once before. Interestingly enough, despite having different meanings, they have the same etymological origin, so that may serve as a reminder for writers seeking words to describe passion in their characters. If you tend to write characters who show great emotion for a given objective, then “zealous” is a good word to keep on your shortlist. Write with passion, and your readers will see how “zealous” you are about your craft!

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

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Bet you’re not familiar with this word (at least in its first sense). Since it fits the theme of today’s post, though, I’ll let you in on a secret: I almost used “assignation” in a story once. I say “almost” because it was cut during the editing process when I realized it didn’t quite flow with the rest of my text. Similar to another word I’ve featured here before, the sound of the word “assignation” seems to contradict its definition, as in this case I was using it to indicate a secret encounter between lovers.

An “assignation” is an appointment between two people to meet in secret, said people typically being lovers. It can also refer to a distribution or attribution of something. The word arose in late Middle English and originally meant “command” or “allotment of revenue”. It can be traced back through Old French to the Latin verb assignare (“assign” or “distribute”), which consists of the preposition ad “to” and the verb signare “to sign”.

It definitely makes sense that “assignation” would be the act of assigning certain things to someone or something. However, I confess that I find the former definition much more interesting. It’s always helpful to know as many words as possible that could work in romantic stories (or business ventures, in the case of the latter definition), though I may never be able to find a good place for it in my own writing. If you think “assignation” defines exactly what’s going on among your characters, then perhaps you’ll have better luck than me on that front! Good luck!

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

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Here’s a word that every writer should know, and most prolific ones probably do. I come across the word “eponymous” almost exclusively when reading Wikipedia articles, as I often read about stories titled after a person’s name. Interestingly, whether its definition is active or passive depends on if it’s used to describe a person or a thing, so be sure to pay close attention to that detail!

An “eponymous” person is someone whose name has been given to something. An “eponymous” thing, in contrast, is something named after a specific person. This word is the adjective form of “eponym”, meaning “a person after whom a discovery, invention, place, etc., is named or thought to be named”. This noun comes from the Greek adjective epōnumos “given as a name”, which is comprised of the preposition epi “upon” and the noun onuma “name”.

“Eponymous” is what I consider to be one of those “specialist” words: limited to a particular use, but highly useful when the need for it arises. Therefore, as I said, it’s a word that’s especially important for writers; if not to use directly, then at least to understand. If you make a habit of naming the things in your stories after people, then “eponymous” is definitely the word for you! Have fun getting creative with your names!

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Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Barney: Suits are full of joy. They’re the sartorial equivalent of a baby’s smile.

Ted: “Sartorial”?

Barney: “Of or pertaining to tailors or their trade.”

– How I Met Your Mother (Season 2, Episode 14 – Monday Night Football)

Here’s another word I’ve heard exclusively on How I Met Your Mother. Every fan of this series is well familiar with Barney Stinson’s love of suits. His popular catchphrase “Suit up!” pretty much says it all. It makes perfect sense, therefore, that a character like Barney would know exactly what the word “sartorial” means while the rest of his friends remained clueless.

“Sartorial” refers to anything related to clothing and/or tailoring. The word arose in the early 19th century and comes from the Latin noun sartor (“tailor” or “patcher”). This noun is derived from the verb sarcire, meaning “to patch” or “to restore”.

Despite having learned this word fairly recently, I can already imagine a few contexts in which it could work well, such as when a character demonstrates “sartorial” elegance. Writers who are particularly fond of elaborating on details of clothing may find it especially useful. If you often draw attention to your characters’ clothes to help define their personalities, I’m sure you’ll have no problem finding a good place for this word somewhere in your writing. And if you don’t, I strongly encourage you to experiment with the “sartorial” details of your stories, as they can reveal much about a person’s character! Have fun!

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Source: Oxford Dictionaries

BRAAAM!

Sorry, I couldn’t resist. You know you were thinking it too. After all, Mike Zarin’s iconic sound from the Inception trailers has been an Internet meme for years. But today’s post is not about the 2010 blockbuster film; it’s about the title word and what it represents. This one’s been sitting in my vocabulary list for a while, and since it’s the start of a new year, I figured now would be the best time to write about it.

The “inception” of an activity or institution is its beginning or point of origin. The word arose in late Middle English and comes from the Latin noun inceptio, meaning “beginning” or “undertaking”. This noun in turn is derived from the verb incipere, which means “to begin”.

Though I’m sure I must have heard the word “inception” at least a few times before the famous trailers started popping up, I never really thought about what it meant until after I watched the movie. Obviously, it couldn’t literally be the implantation of an idea in a person’s mind through shared dreams; otherwise the word would only ever come up in science fiction. “Inception” is still an appropriate title for this story, however, as it centers on the concept of initiating the growth of an idea that can change a person’s entire life. You’ll likely never use it in such a specific context (especially since it’s clearly been done already), but “inception” is still a good word to remember for whenever your characters embark on a new enterprise. So on that note, let’s celebrate the “inception” of what will hopefully be a year full of promising new endeavors! Cheers, and Happy 2015!

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