Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Okay, so this is a little embarrassing to admit, but I learned today’s Word of the Week from a minor mistake I made in an early draft of my thesis. While citing references for cases of transatlantic larval dispersal in reef fish, I included a species that had only been speculated – but not confirmed – to display this trait. I didn’t notice the mistake until my professor told me to double-check the reference, at which point I realized that I had missed the single word that changed the entire meaning of the sentence. Lesson learned: there’s a world of difference between a confirmed quality and a “putative” quality!

A “putative” person, place, thing, or idea is reputed or generally considered to be said person, place, thing, or idea. The word arose in late Middle English and comes from the Old French adjective putatif, which in turn derives from the Latin adjective putativus, meaning “thought” or “supposed”. This adjective stems from the verb putare, which means “to think”.

As the above example demonstrates, the word “putative” is useful for defining what is generally thought to be something without any hard proof to support the claim. I assume it works best in the context of an idea that at least can easily be accepted as truth based on evidence, though this might not always be the case. If your stories include details that aren’t confirmed to be true (at least by your characters), “putative” may be a good word to keep on your list!

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Source: Oxford Dictionaries

While I’m on the subject of words I keep forgetting to add to my vocabulary list, here’s another Word of the Week that somehow kept getting pushed back in my memory before I finally dug it up last month. If I really tried, I could probably recall at least half a dozen instances when I heard or read this word somewhere and thought, “Oh yeah, I should make a note to blog about it,” only to forget again within the hour. Funny how words sometimes grow into their own definitions; it’s almost as if this secretive term is being purposely “clandestine” in my memory!

A “clandestine” act is one that’s done in secret, usually due to being illicit. The word arose in the mid 16th century and comes from the French adjective clandestin, which in turn derives from the Latin adjective clandestinus, meaning “secret” or “concealed”. This adjective stems from the adverb clam, which means “secretly”.

Sure enough, as its definition suggests, most instances in which I’ve read or heard the word “clandestine” were in the context of an illicit action (such as a meeting between parties who shouldn’t be seen together in public), though I’m fairly certain that needn’t always be the case. For those interested in a more obscure meaning, the word is also a freemasonry term for someone who isn’t recognized as a regular member. If your characters tend to engage in secretive and even illegitimate acts, you may have fun writing about the “clandestine” events in your stories!

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Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Today’s Word of the Week is one that I’ve actually been familiar with for a long time, but that for some reason keeps slipping in and out of my memory. I read it most recently in a blog post about pen names, and it suddenly occurred to me that even though I had already read this word several times before in articles and flashcards, I always kept forgetting to add it to my vocabulary list. Given this word’s definition, I suppose you could consider this a humorous coincidence. Isn’t it funny how a word that means “to make obscure” has been repeatedly “obfuscated” in my memory?

To “obfuscate” something is to render it unclear, unintelligible, or obscure. The word arose in late Middle English and comes from the Latin verb obfuscare, meaning “to darken”. This verb stems from the adjective fuscus, which means “dark”.

Perhaps it’s silly that I need to keep looking up the word “obfuscate”, since I realize that a good way to remember what it means is noticing that it contains almost all the letters of the word “obscure”. Note that aside from its main definition, which applies to objects and ideas, “obfuscate” can also be used in relation to people to mean “bewilder”. If you write mystery fiction or characters who tend to hide things, you may have fun trying to “obfuscate” some of the details in your stories!

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Source: Oxford Dictionaries

If you find much of your creative inspiration in nature, then today’s Word of the Week is for you. I’ve most often come across this word while reading poetic descriptions of the countryside or stories that take place in rustic settings, and I admit that while I didn’t really care for it at first, it’s been growing on me the more I’ve read and heard it. You could say it’s one of those adjectives that says it all; whenever a writer mentions the “bucolic” scenery in their work, you know to envision lovely images of country life!

Anything described as “bucolic” refers to the pleasant aspects of country life and the countryside. The word arose in the early 16th century and traces back through the Latin adjective bucolicus to the Greek adjective boukolikós, both of which mean “pastoral”. The latter adjective stems from the noun boukólos “herdsman”, which in turn derives from the noun bous, meaning “ox” or “cow”.

Interestingly, the original use of “bucolic” was as a poetic term to refer to a pastoral poem, and can still be used as a noun today in the same sense. “Bucolic” as a type of poetry is also another word for “eclogue”; the Eclogues of the Latin poet Virgil, for example, are also known as the Bucolics. Note that the adjective’s definition specifically mentions pleasant aspects of the countryside, so I would recommend using this word exclusively with a positive connotation. For those of you who write stories or scenes set in more rural areas, “bucolic” is a perfect word to describe the beauty found in the country!

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Source: Oxford Dictionaries

But you wouldn’t clap yet. Because making something disappear isn’t enough; you have to bring it back. That’s why every magic trick has a third act, the hardest part, the part we call “The Prestige”.

– Cutter, The Prestige (2006)

Since I covered magic in last week’s vocabulary post, why not continue on that theme with a related word this week? The above excerpt may seem like an odd choice of example for the given definition of today’s Word of the Week, but I promise there is a connection. The Prestige, a 2006 mystery/thriller film about a dangerous rivalry between two magicians, takes its title from the original usage of the word, which was not so much about reputation as it was about illusion. So perhaps it does make sense that this archaic meaning morphed into the definition we know today; it is, after all, only our perceptions (and in some cases, delusions) of quality that give others their “prestige”!

“Prestige” is admiration and respect felt for something or someone based on a perception of their quality or achievements. The word arose in the mid 17th century in the sense “illusion” or “conjuring trick” and is originally a French noun, also meaning “illusion” or “enchantment”. This noun may stem from the Latin noun praestigium (“a delusion”, “an illusion”) or the verb praestringere (“to blind(fold)”, “to dazzle”).

As hinted above, the word “prestige” has undergone an interesting transformation. What started out as a word for magic tricks and illusions eventually underwent a transference of meaning through the sense “dazzling influence” or “glamour” to become the term for respect and admiration that we know today. The original definition has since become obsolete (read: appropriate for historical writing), while the modern definition seems to appear most often in the adjective form “prestigious”. It’s worth noting that despite their similarities in meaning and phonetics, “prestige” actually has a different root than “prestidigitation”, though at least you could use the latter to remember the old definition for the former. If your characters are revered for their (supposed) merits or are simply masters of illusion, there may be room for plenty of “prestige” in your stories!

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Source: Oxford Dictionaries

I know what you’re probably thinking: I gave you quite the tongue-twister for today’s Word of the Week. Though it does seem more like a spelling bee challenge than an actual practical term, I admit that I love this word just for how ridiculously purple it sounds. I happen to love stage magic (who doesn’t, right?), and yet I still had to look this word up when I first read it, because for all the times I’ve heard about “magic tricks” and “sleight of hand”, I have yet to hear anyone call this field of entertainment “prestidigitation”!

“Prestidigitation” is a formal term for magic as a form of entertainment, especially performed with the hands. The word arose in the mid 19th century and is originally a French noun, also meaning “conjuring tricks” or “sleight of hand”. This noun stems from the French adjective preste “nimble” coupled with the Latin noun digitus “finger”.

Although it certainly sounds interesting, I assume the word “prestidigitation” would most commonly be used today in an ironic sense (or as an advanced word in the aforementioned spelling bees). In fact, the last time I even came across this word was a few years ago in the title of an episode of The Big Bang Theory, notably the same episode from which I learned the word “axiomatic“. Still, nothing should stop you from using it seriously if it fits the context of your writing. If you want to take it a step further, you can also use the noun “prestidigitator” in place of “magician”, and if you need a tip to help you remember these words’ connection with magic, just associate them with the exclamation “Presto!” If you ever write characters who are magicians, you can certainly have fun detailing the “prestidigitation” in your stories!

Bonus: for those of you who’d prefer a visual example of “prestidigitation”, please enjoy this adorable and hilarious short film by Pixar!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB1Pukr0nFQ

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Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Like many other writers who seek to better understand the various devices used in fiction (and/or are total nerds who enjoy getting lost in an endless vortex of information now and then), I spend much of my time browsing TV Tropes. Recently, while researching a video game I had just finished, I came across a trope known as the Eldritch Abomination, defined as a type of creature that disregards the natural laws of the universe and usually manifests as some grotesque monstrosity. Given that the creature being referred to is probably one of the most horrific and ghastly things I’ve ever seen in a video game, I’d say “eldritch” is a pretty accurate description!

Anything described as “eldritch” is weird, sinister, or ghostly. The origin of the word is uncertain; it possibly consists of the Old English root el- (“foreign” or “strange”) and the noun rīce (“realm” or “kingdom”). Another possibility is that the word is a variant of the Scottish adjective elphrish and derives from the Old English noun aelf, meaning “elf”.

When I first read about the Eldritch Abomination on TV Tropes, I actually assumed that “eldritch” was a name. I had never seen this word being used to describe something before, so I thought the trope might have been named after some character in a creepy story that I would never read or watch because I’m not a fan of horror. Having learned what the word really means, I’d now consider using it in some poetic verse or suspenseful science fiction story to describe a creature so ominous or otherworldly as to be beyond comprehension. If you like to write about beings, objects, or ideas that are strange and sinister in nature, you may have fun spinning stories around your “eldritch” creations!

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Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Flynn: Frankly, I’m too scared to ask about the frog.

Rapunzel: Chameleon.

Flynn: Nuance.

– Tangled (2010)

How about learning a word from a Disney movie this week? In the above scene from Tangled, Rapunzel and Flynn have just evaded the guards in the Snuggly Duckling pub and are making their way through a secret tunnel to escape. On the way, Flynn decides to ask Rapunzel about her story, though he first builds up to his question by mentioning the questions he won’t ask, including anything to do with Pascal. When Rapunzel corrects his mistake, pointing out that Pascal is a chameleon and not a frog, Flynn dismisses it as insignificant. Pascal might disagree, of course; the difference between a frog and a chameleon is much more than a “nuance”!

A “nuance” is a subtle shade of or difference in a meaning, expression, or sound. The word arose in the late 18th century and is originally a French noun meaning “shade” or “subtlety”. This noun stems from the verb nuer “to shade”, which in turn comes from the Latin noun nubes, meaning “cloud”.

In the above example from Tangled, Flynn uses the word “nuance” as a sort of synonym for the expression “same difference”, hinting at the word’s connection with the concept of subtlety. I’ve probably read the word most often in poetic contexts, where it usually refers to the various shades of a given image or slight differences in meaning for certain ideas. Note that “nuance” can also be used as a verb to mean “give nuances to”. If you like to include subtle differences in your scenery, actions, or ideas, you may want to consider mentioning such “nuances” in your stories!

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Source: Oxford Dictionaries

So I was doing vocabulary research on Oxford Dictionaries‘ website last week when I noticed that one of the top five trending words in the world was “plagiarism”, and I laughed to myself because I knew exactly why. Anyone following American political news right now has almost definitely heard about a rather embarrassing incident that happened last Monday night involving a speech delivered at the Republican National Convention, which apparently contained several lines lifted from a speech delivered at the Democratic National Convention eight years ago. There’s a lot of controversy surrounding this incident at the time of writing this post, which is to be expected: no one would want to be accused of “plagiarism” in the middle of a political campaign!

“Plagiarism” is the act of stealing someone else’s work or ideas to pass off as one’s own. The word arose in the early 17th century and comes from the Latin noun plagiarius, meaning “kidnapper”. This noun stems from the noun plagium “kidnapping”, which likely derives from the Greek noun plagion, also meaning “a kidnapping”.

Truth be told, the word “plagiarism” has been sitting in my vocabulary list for quite a while. Being a writer and a biologist, I’ve long been familiar with this term; it’s a practice that artists and scientists alike are heavily discouraged from exercising, and that we’re advised to be on the lookout for when our work is widely circulated. Also noteworthy is the verb form of the word: to “plagiarize” is to “take (the work or an idea of someone else) and pass it off as one’s own”. If your characters tend to steal work from others to claim as their own, feel free to write about the “plagiarism” going on in your stories, as long as you don’t practice it yourself!

Bonus: if you found this particular news story entertaining, you may get a kick out of this video from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert! Enjoy!

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Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Fear not, the inspiration for today’s Word of the Week did not come from a personal crisis or anything of the sort. I actually came across the adjective form of this word while reading a character description from one of my favorite video games (the very mention of which would make this post a spoiler for said game). The character in question, according to speculation among players, was once quite dedicated to scientific work, but since becoming aware that he exists within a repeating timeline, gradually deteriorated into a lazy and skeptical shell of his former self. Believing that nothing he does matters as another reset of the timeline will undo it all, it’s easy to see how the poor guy has succumbed to such “nihilism”!

“Nihilism” is the rejection of all moral and religious principles, often resulting from the belief that life is meaningless. The word arose in the early 19th century as the German noun Nihilismus, a term coined/popularized by the German philosopher Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi. This noun stems from the Latin noun nihil, meaning “nothing”.

Aside from its primary meaning, “nihilism” also has a couple of sub-definitions in philosophy and history. Philosophically, it means “extreme skepticism maintaining that nothing in the world has a real existence”, while historically, “Nihilism” refers to “the doctrine of an extreme Russian revolutionary party c.1900, which found nothing to approve of in the established social order”. Also note the other forms of the word “nihilism”: the noun “nihilist” (“a person who believes that life is meaningless and rejects all religious and moral principles”) and the adjective “nihilistic” (“rejecting all religious and moral principles in the belief that life is meaningless”). Today, the word seems to be most commonly used as a synonym for “skepticism” and, in religious contexts, “atheism”. If you write characters who have completely given up on life and choose to abandon all principles, you may be touching on some “nihilism” in your stories!

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