Word of the Week: Prescient

by Naomi L. | November 14, 2016 | Blog, Word of the Week | 0 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

So it’s been almost a week since the next American president was elected, and honestly, I was… shocked, to say the least. Though a part of me is glad this election is finally over because I’m tired of hearing about politics, I couldn’t resist picking up one more vocabulary word from the articles flooding my news feed over the past several weeks. The irony is that it doesn’t really fit the theme of this election season, as relatively few national polls correctly predicted the outcome. The people who saw this result coming from a long way off must be a “prescient” bunch indeed!

To be “prescient” is to show or have knowledge of events before they happen. The word arose in the early 17th century and comes from the Latin verb praescire, meaning “to know in advance”. This verb comprises the preposition prae “before” and the verb scire “to know”.

While the word “prescient” may appear to be related to “clairvoyant“, it seems to apply more to knowledge and educated guessing than to supernatural psychic abilities. Those who prove themselves “prescient” tend to have a greater understanding of facts and make correct predictions based on past events. Also noteworthy is the noun form of this adjective, “prescience”, meaning “the fact of knowing something before it takes place”. If the people in your stories are good at predicting the outcomes of events, you’re certainly writing some “prescient” characters!

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

Word of the Week: Detente

by Naomi L. | November 7, 2016 | Blog, Word of the Week | 0 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

It’s been a great month for French and political vocabulary words, hasn’t it? Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the past several months, you know that tomorrow is the day that one of the most highly contentious American presidential races in history finally draws to a close. Regardless of which candidate you support (or even if you never cared), I’m sure there’s one thing we can all agree on: it’ll be nice when the tension from this election season finally dissipates! Granted, that likely won’t happen until well after Election Day, but we can still dream of some sort of near-future “detente”, right?

“Detente” (also spelled “détente”) refers to the easing of strained relations or hostility, especially between nations. The word arose in English in the early 20th century and is originally a French noun, literally meaning “loosening” or “relaxation”. This noun stems from the Latin verb detendere, which means “to loosen” or “to relax”.

Naturally, the word “detente” first came to my attention recently while reading yet another political article, in this case about the annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner that takes place in New York on the third Thursday of October and which U.S. presidential candidates have traditionally attended since 1960. Being a typical stop for the candidates during “debate season”, it makes sense that this event, treated as a roast, would serve as an outlet for easing some of the tension in the race. Note that “detente” is normally used in a political context, though I suppose it could be used in any reference to an alleviation of strained relationships. If you write political fiction heavy with tension between nations or parties, it may be worth throwing the occasional “detente” into your stories!

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

Word of the Week: Macabre

by Naomi L. | October 31, 2016 | Blog, Word of the Week | 0 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Ah, the bat. Ambassador of darkness, flitting out of his cave like a winged messenger, sightless specter of the macabre.

– San Diego Zoo Janitor, Friends (Season 2, Episode 12 – The One After The Superbowl)

It’s Halloween, and what better day of the year for horror writers to add a sinister new word to their vocabulary? In the above scene from Friends, Ross is talking to a janitor in the nocturnal house at the San Diego Zoo about Marcel, the monkey he donated the year before and who he was told by the zoo administrator had passed away. The creepy janitor, who’s supposed to be explaining that Marcel is still alive and was actually stolen, instead keeps getting distracted by the nocturnal animals around him, such as the bat he regards as a spirit of death. Horror writers and gothic poets would probably agree with this description; historically feared and misunderstood, bats do have a reputation as “macabre” creatures!

Anything described as “macabre” is horrifying and disturbing due to its depiction of or involvement with injury or death. The word arose in English in the late 19th century and is originally a French adjective, as in Danse Macabre (“Dance of Death”). This adjective possibly derives from the biblical name Macabé “Maccabees”, a reference to a miracle play depicting the slaughter of the Maccabees.

Though I don’t use it much myself because I don’t particularly care for the horror genre, I admit that I find the word “macabre” fascinating. Muck like the word “oeuvre“, it appeals to me for its French pronunciation and origin as well as for its poetic tone. After all, doesn’t a medieval artistic genre about the universality of death sound much more poetic when referred to as “Danse Macabre” than “Dance of Death”? If you like reading gruesome scenes or descriptions that involve death in any way, you may enjoy writing some “macabre” details into your own stories! Good luck, and Happy Halloween!

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

Word of the Week: Paralipsis

by Naomi L. | October 24, 2016 | Blog, Word of the Week | 4 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Here’s another word I learned from reading political news articles. I’m sure we’ve all been guilty of using phrases like “not to mention…”, “I’m not saying that [X], but…”, and others along those lines. Such phrases are not uncommon to hear or even to say ourselves, as they make use of a popular rhetorical device, but it seems one of the current American presidential candidates in particular tends to use it in excess. It’s no wonder this device is so popular in politics; I suppose if you really want to say something out loud without being held accountable for it later, “paralipsis” is a strategy worth considering!

“Paralipsis” is a rhetorical device for giving emphasis to a subject by claiming to say little or nothing about it. The word arose in the late 16th century and comes from the Greek noun paráleipsis, meaning “omission”. This noun stems from the verb paraleípein “to pass over”, which in turn comprises the preposition pará “beside” and the verb leípein “to leave”.

Having used “paralipsis” many times myself, I confess I had never appreciated the irony of the device before I started writing this post. Think about it: is there a more oxymoronic way of saying something than by explicitly stating you won’t say it? In my opinion, the Ancient Greeks were brilliant to have a word in their vocabulary for this device, which is also known as “apophasis“. If your characters like to emphasize points by ironically claiming they won’t say anything about them, you may be making good use of “paralipsis” in your stories!

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

Word of the Week: Pundit

by Naomi L. | October 17, 2016 | Blog, Word of the Week | 0 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

I maintain that I don’t like to get political on my blog, but with Election Day in the US drawing ever nearer and all the articles drifting through my news feed about the American presidential race, it’s hard not to find interesting new words to add to my vocabulary list! This week’s word seems to come up in every other political news article I read these days, as many of these mention expert opinions on a given topic. This is hardly surprising, of course: in a field as volatile and confusing as politics, the input of “pundits” is important to keep an element of truth in the news!

A “pundit” is an expert in a specific field or subject who is often invited to give opinions on it to the public. The word is also a variant spelling of “pandit”, meaning “a Hindu scholar learned in Sanskrit and Hindu philosophy and religion”. Both words derive from the Sanskrit adjective paṇḍitá, which means “learned”.

Though lately I’ve been reading the word “pundit” exclusively in political contexts, I’m sure it can refer to an expert in any given field who frequently contributes opinions to public discussions. Notably, the word “pandit”, from which “pundit” derives, is an Indian word that, aside from the main definition given above, can also be used as a term for a wise man or teacher or as a respectful title for a talented musician. If you write characters who are experts in their fields and who could frequently be invited to deliver their opinions, you may have fun calling on the “pundits” in your stories!

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

Word of the Week: Oeuvre

by Naomi L. | October 10, 2016 | Blog, Word of the Week | 4 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

I’ll be honest: at the time of writing this post, I’ve known today’s vocabulary word for less than a week. It came up while I was researching my last post on Romeo & Juliet, and as soon as I read it, I knew I had to add it to my Word of the Week queue. Maybe it’s the French pronunciation or its association with works of art, but something about this word just appeals to me as a writer. Who among us budding artists doesn’t dream about having a respectable “oeuvre” someday?

An “oeuvre” is the complete collection of an artist’s works, typically a painter, composer, or author. The word arose in English in the late 19th century and is originally a French noun meaning “work”. This noun derives from the Latin noun opus, which also means “work”.

Aside from its main definition, the word “oeuvre” can also refer to a single work of art, music, or literature. As far as how to use it, I’d say it works equally well in reference to all forms of art, though for some reason I find myself envisioning paintings and other visual works of art when I read it (perhaps I’m associating it with the Louvre?). If you write artistic characters with an extensive body of work (or you simply want a fancy way to refer to another artist’s, or even your own, creative collection), “oeuvre” may be a good word to include in your vocabulary list!

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