Word of the Week: Indolent

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

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

…and as for Mr. Hurst, by whom Elizabeth sat, he was an indolent man, who lived only to eat, drink, and play at cards…

– Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen, 1813)

Oh yes, I’m learning so many new words from Pride and Prejudice! Similar to last week’s entry, today’s Word of the Week comes from a description of one of the story’s supporting characters, this time Mr. Hurst. While dining with Bingley and company during her stay at Netherfield, Elizabeth finds herself seated next to Mr. Bingley’s brother-in-law, a gentleman so dull and lazy that his interests are limited to dining and playing cards. At one point in the story, when everyone else in the room is too preoccupied with books and conversation to play cards with him, he uses the time to take a nap on the sofa instead! Small wonder such an “indolent” character never made it into the films!

An “indolent” person is someone who likes to avoid activity, that is, who is inherently lazy. The word arose in the mid 17th century and comes from the Latin noun indolentia, meaning “freedom from pain”. This noun is composed of the particle in “not” and the verb dolere “to suffer pain”.

The word “indolent” is primarily used to describe people, but it also serves a function in medical terminology as a definition for a disease condition that causes little or no pain. More specifically, it can also refer to a persistent ulcer that is “slow to develop, progress, or heal”. It shouldn’t be confused with the adjective “insolent”, which means “showing a rude and arrogant lack of respect”, though I suppose in certain cases a person can appear to be both. If you can find inspiration in people who are lazy to the point of actively avoiding activity or exertion, you may have room for some “indolent” characters in your stories!

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

Word of the Week: Supercilious

by Naomi L. | February 29, 2016 | Blog, Word of the Week | 2 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

For though elated by his rank, it did not render him supercilious; on the contrary, he was all attention to every body.

– Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen, 1813)

Today’s vocabulary word is actually overdue to appear in my Word of the Week segment. It was first brought to my attention by Mike from M.C. Tuggle, Writer, but I was only reminded of it recently after I started reading Pride and Prejudice. The above excerpt, part of a description of the Bennets’ good friend Sir William Lucas, is a good example of an unfamiliar word being at least partially clarified in context. Despite being a successful businessman, Sir William does not appear to consider himself above his company and holds a reputation as a friendly and attentive gentleman. This makes sense, of course: the Bennets would hardly agree to maintaining a friendship with a “supercilious” neighbor!

A “supercilious” person is someone who acts like they consider themselves superior to the people around them. The word arose in the early 16th century and comes from the Latin adjective superciliosus, meaning “haughty” or “disdainful”. This adjective derives from the noun supercilium, which means “eyebrow”.

Hearing the word “supercilious” for the first time, some might jump to the image of someone acting “super silly” (or maybe that was just me). Ironically, it means almost the opposite, since an overly arrogant person can only mean “serious business”. Though the use of this word may have declined significantly since the 19th century, I would still use it occasionally as a poetic alternative to common words like “arrogant” and “conceited”. If you write haughty characters who often look down on others, “supercilious” may be the perfect adjective to add to your stories!

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

Word of the Week: Omnipotent

by Naomi L. | February 22, 2016 | Blog, Word of the Week | 0 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Monica: Hey, Joey, what would you do if you were omnipotent?

Joey: Probably kill myself!

Monica: Excuse me?

Joey: Hey, if Little Joey’s dead, then I got no reason to live.

Ross: Joey, OM-nipotent.

Joey: …You are? Ross, I’m sorry! I had no idea! I thought it was like a theoretical question.

– Friends (Season 1, Episode 4 – The One With George Stephanopoulos)

If you’ve been a fan of Friends since the beginning, you may remember this scene as one of the dirtier jokes in the series. While the gang is hanging out and talking about what they would do if they had unlimited power for a day (like ending world hunger or making themselves all-powerful forever), Monica directs the question at Joey, who just walked in. Joey proceeds to hilariously misunderstand the question (and Ross’s correction), not realizing that “omnipotent” and “impotent” are two very different words!

An “omnipotent” being is one who has unlimited power, particularly a deity. The word arose in Middle English and is originally French. This adjective comes from the Latin adjective omnipotens “all-powerful”, which comprises two roots: the adjective omnis “all” and the adjective potens “powerful”.

Though primarily an adjective, “omnipotent” can also be used as a noun to refer to God (as in “The Omnipotent”). The word doesn’t necessarily have to mean the literally unlimited power of a deity, as it can also refer to a person who has ultimate power and influence, such as an “omnipotent” sovereign. If you write scenes involving people who are capable of absolutely anything, you likely have some “omnipotent” characters in your stories!

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

Word of the Week: Alacrity

by Naomi L. | February 15, 2016 | Blog, Word of the Week | 6 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Today’s Word of the Week was suggested by Mike from M.C. Tuggle, Writer. He claims it’s a word he’s had to look up more than once, and I agree that I’d probably have to look it up every time I read it too. “Alacrity” is not a word I’ve read very often myself, but knowing what it means, I think it could definitely add a cheery note to a story!

To show “alacrity” is to be briskly and cheerfully ready for something. The word arose in late Middle English and comes from the Latin noun alacritas, meaning “cheerfulness”. This noun stems from the adjective alacer, which means “brisk” or “ready”.

Not being overly familiar with the word “alacrity”, I have yet to work it into my fiction. If I were to use it, it would probably be to show a character’s high level of enthusiasm when setting a goal or preparing to carry out a task. If nothing else, it’s a great word for people who are just ready to get up and go for it! So what are you waiting for? Take on that novel or other unfinished goal with “alacrity”! It’ll make the journey all the more enjoyable!

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

Word of the Week: Empyrean

by Naomi L. | February 8, 2016 | Blog, Word of the Week | 4 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

That’s right, it’s yet another word for “heavenly”! I know I’ve already featured several of these synonyms in my Word of the Week segment, but in my opinion, you can never have too broad or poetic a vocabulary when it comes to the heavens. With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, what better time is there to learn new words to describe the “empyrean” beauty of love?

“Empyrean” defines what belongs to or comes from heaven. The word arose in late Middle English and can be traced back through the medieval Latin adjective empyreus “fiery” to the Greek adjective empurios “on fire”. This adjective comprises the preposition en “in” and the noun pûr “fire”.

Interestingly, while words like “celestial” and “ethereal” refer to heaven in general, “empyrean” refers to a special part of heaven. According to ancient cosmology, the “Empyrean” was believed to be the highest level of heaven where the purest light and fire existed (hence the Greek root word for “fire”). The word has since been used as a literary term for the divine realm of Paradise or simply the visible sky. So if you like to write about the highest heavens or the perfection of what seems to come from the divine, “empyrean” may be your most poetic choice!

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

Word of the Week: Celestial

by Naomi L. | February 1, 2016 | Blog, Word of the Week | 0 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Drawing inspiration from the last Word of the Week of 2015, here’s another beautiful word for what seems to be (or actually is) from the heavens. Humanity has long been fascinated with the sky and space, so it’s only natural that we have so many words to describe the wonders beyond our world. When gazing up at the starry night sky, it’s hard not to fall in love with the “celestial” beauty of space!

“Celestial” describes what is heavenly in nature, whether it’s literally in the sky or outer space or figuratively of divine quality. Originally French, the word arose in late Middle English and comes from the Latin adjective caelestis, meaning “of the heavens”. This adjective stems from the noun caelum, which means “heaven” or “sky”.

I’ve always loved the word “celestial” for how poetic it sounds; one of my favorite uses for it is to describe the shades of blue seen in the sky. I seem to read it equally in the literal sense of astronomical bodies such as planets and stars as in the figurative sense of heavenly figures, and occasionally to refer to something of near perfect quality. Whether you enjoy writing about space, the sky, or divinities, “celestial” is a lovely word that I highly recommend for your stories and/or poetry!

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