Word of the Week: Apocryphal

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

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

And we’re back to the flashcards. I’m sure I’ve heard or read the word “apocryphal” elsewhere before, but when I think about it, the only place I can clearly remember seeing it is on a standardized test prep flashcard. Perhaps if I had made a note of it back then, I could have used it in some of my stories. It does, after all, have a lot to do with fiction.

An “apocryphal” story or statement is one that isn’t confirmed to be true, despite being widely considered as such. The word is the adjective form of the noun “apocrypha”, which means “writings or reports not considered genuine”. This noun is originally Latin and comes from the adjective apocryphus “secret writings”, which in turn is derived from the Greek adjective apókruphos, meaning “hidden” or “secret”.

I almost want to say that there was a time when I thought the word “apocryphal” had something to do with the Apocalypse. Despite the mistake, the relation to the Bible wasn’t such a wrong conclusion, since the Apocrypha refers to “biblical or related writings not forming part of the accepted canon of Scripture”. In its common sense, I suppose “apocryphal” could be a fancy way of referring to rumors, so if your characters like to gossip, this may be a good word to describe their unauthenticated stories! Good luck!

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

Word of the Week: Circuitous

by Naomi L. | April 20, 2015 | Blog, Word of the Week | 2 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Today’s Word of the Week was suggested by the mother-daughter writing team Inion N. Mathair, who discovered it while writing their novel Nightwalkers: The Secret of Jessup. Although the word did sound vaguely familiar when Inion requested I feature it here, I confess I had to look it up to remember what it meant. I have to say, these lovely ladies have good taste in vocabulary, because as soon as I read the definition, I realized I could have used this word in some of my own stories already! I have written a few characters who like to take the long way around. Thanks for the suggestion, ladies!

A “circuitous” route or journey is one that’s longer than the most direct possible path. The word comes from the Latin adjective circuitosus, which in turn stems from the noun circuitus, meaning “a way around”. This noun is derived from the verb circumire “to go around”, which is comprised of the adverb circum “around” and the verb ire “to go”.

When I think of the word “circuitous”, the first image to come to mind is a literal road that goes around the straightest way, but I assume it works equally well in the metaphorical sense of a journey that takes longer than the most direct route to a goal. If your characters often tend to avoid the short way to a destination, you can no doubt work a few “circuitous” paths into your stories! Good luck!

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

Word of the Week: Abysmal

by Naomi L. | April 13, 2015 | Blog, Word of the Week | 2 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Man, this is bad. And I’ve had my share of bad reviews. I still remember my first good one, though. “Everything else in this production of Our Town was simply terrible. Joey Tribbiani was abysmal.”

– Joey Tribbiani, Friends (Season 8, Episode 21 – The One With The Cooking Class)

While we’re on the subject of vocabulary used on Friends, why not take the opportunity to learn another word from Joey? Interestingly, the first time I remember hearing the word “abysmal” was in a case where it was being used incorrectly. While everyone is reading a terrible review of Monica’s restaurant in the newspaper, Joey comments that among all the negative reviews he’s ever received on his acting, he distinctly remembers his first positive one. However, he quickly makes it clear that he has no idea what the critic meant by “abysmal”, for the comment he thinks is that his performance was the best thing in the play is actually that it was the worst.

Anything considered “abysmal” is awful or of extremely poor quality. This informal word dates back to the early 19th century as the adjective form of the noun “abysm”, a literary term for “abyss”. The latter word comes from the Latin noun abyssus “bottomless pit”, which in turn is derived from the Greek adjective abussos, meaning “bottomless” or “without depth”.

Aside from its common meaning, “abysmal” can also be used as a literary term for “very deep”. This definition is relatively rare in modern use, though, so you may not see it much in this sense except in very specific contexts, such as in poetry about the sea. In any case, it’s safe to assume that whatever is described as “abysmal” is being portrayed in a negative light, so be sure to keep that in mind the next time you need to define something horrible in your stories. The important thing is that your readers don’t consider your work itself “abysmal”! Good luck!

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

Word of the Week: Negate

by Naomi L. | April 6, 2015 | Blog, Word of the Week | 2 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Monica: (on Richard’s answering machine) “Hi, it’s Monica. I’m just checking in ’cause I got this message from you and I didn’t know if it was old or new or what. So, I’m just checkin’. So let me know. Or don’t, whatever. I’m breezy.”

Joey: Hey, you can’t say you’re breezy! That totally negates the breezy!

– Friends (Season 3, Episode 2 – The One Where No One’s Ready)

Here’s an interesting verb that I’ve heard on my favorite TV series, Friends. After replying to a phone message from Richard, a nervous Monica accesses his answering machine and plays back her message for her friends to see what they think. Unfortunately, they make it clear to her that her message is not nearly as casual as she’d hoped; as Joey points out, by saying she’s breezy, she’s actually cancelled out the breeziness she was hoping to convey to her ex-boyfriend.

To “negate” something is to cancel it out, rendering it null and void. The word comes from the Latin verb negare, meaning “to deny” or “to refuse”. This verb is derived from the adverb nec “not” and the verb aiere “to say”.

Aside from its primary definition, “negate” can also mean “to deny the existence of something”. If you want to get into the technical part of language and grammar, the word also has the sub-definition “to make a clause, sentence or proposition negative in meaning”. I’m most accustomed to its first sense, though, so I would use it in my stories to indicate things that nullify each other. If you often find yourself writing an action that neutralizes the effects of another, “negate” is a good word to remember for your stories! Good luck!

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