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!
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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!
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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!
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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!
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I know, I don’t usually use two examples in one vocabulary post, but I had such a hard time choosing between these two that I just decided to go with both! In the former scene from The Simpsons Movie, an Inuit medicine woman is teaching Homer throat singing to help him come to the revelation that will save his family and his town. Meanwhile, in the latter scene from How I Met Your Mother, Barney tells his friends about his own revelation without knowing how to properly pronounce the word for it. Whether it’s “In order to save myself, I have to save Springfield!” or “Make every night legendary!”, Homer and Barney have something in common: they each claim to have had an “epiphany”!
An “epiphany” is a moment of sudden insight or revelation. The word arose in Middle English and comes from the Greek noun epipháneia, meaning “manifestation”. This noun stems from the verb epiphaínō “I appear”, which comprises the preposition epí “upon” and the verb phaínō “I bring to light”.
While its meaning as a revelation seems to be the most common use of the word, the primary definition of “epiphany” actually refers to “the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi (Matthew 2:1–12)”. In Christianity, the Epiphany, also known as Three Kings’ Day, is a festival celebrating the revelation of God in human form as His Son, Jesus Christ. According to the American English edition of Oxford Dictionaries, the word can also be used in the general sense of “a manifestation of a divine or supernatural being”. If your stories call for your characters experiencing “Eureka!” moments or sightings of divine beings, you may soon find yourself writing about an “epiphany”!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjfHnCjy3Pc
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Here’s another word that’s quite common but that’s tripped me up in the past. Funnily enough, I had both heard it spoken often and read it a few times before, yet I didn’t realize at first that it was the same word because I expected it to have a different pronunciation based on its spelling. It didn’t help that I’d heard other people incorrectly pronounce it “E-pi-tohm”, but when you think about, that just seems to make this word an “epitome” of the challenges of learning English!
An “epitome” of a given quality or type is a perfect example of it. In literature, “epitome” refers to an abstract or summary of a written work. The word arose in the early 16th century and traces back to the Greek noun epitomḗ ,meaning “abridgment”. This noun stems from the verb epitémnō “to abridge”, which in turn consists of the prefix epi “upon” and the verb témnō “to cut”.
Much like the word “hyperbole“, I find “epitome” interesting for the apparent discrepancy between its spelling and pronunciation, though this should hardly be surprising given that both these words come from Greek. Similar to its meaning as an abstract of a written work, this word also has an archaic sub-definition: “a thing representing something else in miniature”. If you ever find yourself needing to perfectly exemplify an idea in your stories, an “epitome” would be an excellent device to deploy!
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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.
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