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!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
Remember that word from Rango that I shared a while back? Well, today’s vocabulary entry features the other uncommon word from the name of his theater group! We’ve already learned from the context of this scene that a “thespian” is an actor, though its name also implies that said group of actors has another talent. It seems in a show put on by a group called “Madam Lupone’s Terpsichorean Troupe of Traveling Thespians”, the Inbred Rodents could have expected to see some dancing too!
Anything described as “terpsichorean” relates to dancing, while a “terpsichorean” is a dancer. The word arose in the early 19th century and derives from the name of the Greek and Roman goddess Terpsichore, the Muse of lyric poetry and dance. The name Terpsichore is originally Greek and literally means “delighting in dancing”.
Same as with the word “thespian”, “terpsichorean” takes its name from a figure in Greek lore, though in this case she was a goddess and a Muse as opposed to a poet. Notably, the name Terpsichore was used in the 18th century to denote a female dancer, and since the 19th century has evolved into a word referring to all dancers or the art of dance in general. Also similarly to “thespian”, “terpsichorean” is classified by Oxford Dictionaries as a “formal or humorous” word, possibly making it a good choice for satirical writing. If your characters often engage in the art of dancing, “terpsichorean” is an excellent word to keep on your list!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
You come down here to console me. That is charming of you. You find me consoled, and you are furious. How like a sympathetic person! You remind me of a story Harry told me about a certain philanthropist who spent twenty years of his life in trying to get some grievance redressed, or some unjust law altered – I forget exactly what it was. Finally he succeeded, and nothing could exceed his disappointment. He had absolutely nothing to do, almost died of ennui, and became a confirmed misanthrope.
Yes, I’m aware I’ve been going through an E-word streak this month, and no, I never thought I’d find a connection between a gothic novel and a cartoon based on a video game franchise. In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Basil Hallward confronts Dorian about his indifference over the death of his fiancé, to which Dorian calls him out on his “selfishness” using Lord Henry’s philosophy on the underlying hypocrisies of sympathy that have driven others to boredom and depression. Meanwhile, in Sonic Boom, Dr. Eggman is disappointed to find that capturing one of Sonic’s best friends didn’t have quite the effect he was hoping for, including Sonic’s despair over failing to keep all his friends safe. Ironically, while pointing out the lack of dissatisfaction in their listeners, both Dorian Gray and Dr. Eggman seem to be exhibiting “ennui” themselves!
“Ennui” is a feeling of dissatisfaction and listlessness that comes from a lack of excitement or occupation. The word arose in the mid 18th century and is originally French, having derived from the Latin phrase mihi in odio, meaning “it is hateful to me”. This word shares its origins with the English verb “annoy”, which also stems from the Latin phrase in odio “hated”.
The meaning of “ennui” seems to differ slightly depending on context. Sometimes the word appears to be synonymous with boredom, though in truth it primarily refers to a state of depression brought on by a sense of boredom (such as in Dorian Gray’s story of the philanthropist turned misanthrope by melancholy tedium) or uselessness (such as in Dr. Eggman’s plan to upset Sonic by making him feel incompetent as a hero). From my understanding, “ennui” works well as a middle ground between boredom and depression, though I suppose it fits anywhere on that spectrum. If your characters ever find themselves feeling bored or useless to the point of becoming listless or discontented, “ennui” may be the perfect word to define their state of mind!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
As promised, here are some new “What If?” Writing Prompts for you to enjoy! This week’s theme features another set of prompts in the paranormal genre. What sorts of bizarre tales can you spin from these ideas? Have fun!
What if… every time you had a dream about someone you knew, it meant that person had one week left to live?
What if… the ghost of a relative haunted your family’s home, but only you could see and hear them?
What if… the planchette of your friend’s ouija board started moving on its own whenever you went to visit?
What if… you suspected someone you knew of being possessed by a spirit?
What if… you saw a will-o’-the-wisp while you were out camping with your friends?
Good luck writing more stories of the paranormal!
If you have any “What If?” writing prompt suggestions (for any theme), please feel free to share them in the comments below. Ideas I like may be featured in future “What If?” posts, with full credit and a link to your blog (if you have one)! Also, if you’ve written a piece based on an idea you’ve found here, be sure to link back to the respective “What If?” post. I would love to see what you’ve done with the prompt! Thank you!
Oh yes, it’s time for some more current events in my Word of the Week segment! The United Kingdom made waves around the world last week with the news that the majority of its population voted “Leave” in the EU referendum that took place on June 23. If you’ve been following the news before and after this event, you may recall seeing a certain portmanteau floating around the headlines. Of course, having such a huge impact on the UK and the entire world, it’s kind of hard not to hear any talk about the “Brexit” right now!
“Brexit” (originally “Brixit”) is a term for the (once hypothetical but now very real) departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union. The word was coined in 2012 as a blend of the words “British” (or “Britain”) and “exit”. This term probably followed the same pattern as the term “Grexit” (“Greek”/”Greece” + “exit”), which was coined earlier in the same year.
Before the referendum, you may have only started hearing about “Brexit” if you’re into financial news, as the vote to “Leave” would have an especially significant impact on both the UK’s and the global economy. Since it just happened a few days ago (and I’m really terrible about keeping up with political news), there isn’t much else I can contribute to this topic myself, so for your information and entertainment, I refer you instead to John Oliver’s “Brexit” video. On a final note, if you happen to write fiction about up-to-the-minute current events, then I’m sure you can find a good place for the “Brexit” in your stories!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
So I’ve been reading Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, and I have to admit that the novel has me utterly fascinated. Considering it was written at the end of the 19th century, it obviously contains a handful of words uncommon to modern vocabulary that I could pick out for this segment, so I randomly chose one of the words that had me reaching for the dictionary (read: built-in dictionary widget) the moment I read it. The above excerpt, taken from the chapter detailing the various fleeting pleasures in which Dorian indulges himself throughout his life, mentions his passion for clothing and other items related to the Church. Being one to readily succumb to temptation and sin, one can only imagine where Mr. Gray’s “ecclesiastical” obsession came from!
Anything “ecclesiastical” is related to the Church and/or its clergy. The word is the adjective form of the noun “ecclesiastic” (“a priest or member of the clergy”), which arose in late Middle English and traces back through the French adjective ecclésiastique and the Latin adjective ecclesiasticus to the Greek noun ekklēsia, meaning “assembly” or “church”. This noun stems from the adjective ékklētos, which means “summoned”.
While “ecclesiastical” is apparently limited to contexts referencing the Church and its clergy, I admit I like the sound of the word enough to consider writing a scene in a religious setting just for the excuse to use it. It may be worth noting that the noun form “ecclesiastic” can also function as an adjective with the same meaning as “ecclesiastical”, though this usage is considerably less common in modern English. If your stories tend to include religious characters or settings, you could make great use of some “ecclesiastical” details!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
J.C. Wolfe is a fiction writer, biologist, and aspiring novelist of science fantasy and romance. A natural-born American and graduate in Marine Ecology from a university in Brazil, J.C. now writes for a living in California while spending free time blogging and penning stories and poetry.
J.C. Wolfe is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
What if… every time you had a dream about someone you knew, it meant that person had one week left to live?
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