Word of the Week: Obtuse

by Naomi L. | January 25, 2016 | Blog, Word of the Week | 4 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Tails: What luck! This rock would make a perfect focusing lens for my hyper-exo-madifier! All I need is a refracting chamber and an influx reflector! Right, Knuckles?

Knuckles: Do you use big words just to make me feel… um… what’s that word that means ‘not smart’?

Tails: Obtuse?

Knuckles: Yeah, see? That’s what I’m talking about.

– Sonic Boom (Season 1, Episode 31 – Closed Door Policy)

Okay, so maybe I watch Cartoon Network once in a while just to unwind, and maybe I’ve gotten a little hooked on the newest Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon. But that’s not really important. The point to focus on now is this week’s vocabulary word in the above dialogue from an episode of Sonic Boom. In this scene, young inventor fox Tails is going on about a complex gadget he plans to build, and the brawny but not-too-bright echidna Knuckles has a hard time keeping up with his friend’s “techno babble”. When Tails offers an uncommon definition for a slowness to understand things, Knuckles hilariously proves yet again that he’s a little too “obtuse” to grasp such big words!

An “obtuse” person is someone who is slow to understand things or is otherwise annoyingly insensitive. The word arose in late Middle English in the sense “blunt” and comes from the Latin adjective obtusus “dull”, which in turn derives from the verb obtundere, meaning “to strike”. This verb comprises the preposition ob “against” and the verb tundere “to beat”.

There are a handful of definitions for the word “obtuse”. Aside from the above meaning used for people, it can also refer to something that is difficult to comprehend or an object that is blunt as opposed to sharp-edged. Of course, anyone who paid attention during trigonometry lessons in Math class remembers that “obtuse” also defines an angle between 90º and 180º. So if you ever find yourself writing about dull people and/or objects (or even about math problems), “obtuse” may be a word you’ll want to work into your stories!

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

Word of the Week: Raconteur

by Naomi L. | January 18, 2016 | Blog, Word of the Week | 4 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

As long as we’re discussing people who love words, books, and reading, why not learn a word for lovers of storytelling too? A writer can never have too broad a vocabulary when it comes to telling tales, especially with words that add a poetic charm to their work. Surely we all know someone who’s good at telling funny stories, so it’s easy to find inspiration for a “raconteur” in our writing!

A “raconteur” is a skillful storyteller, usually of amusing anecdotes. The word arose in the early 19th century and is originally French. This noun stems from the verb raconter, meaning “to relate” or “to recount”.

Pretentious as this may come across, I admit that I love the word “raconteur” for how French it sounds. After learning words like “bibliophile” and “raconteur”, I find it interesting how many artistic words in the English language are borrowed from French, and in my opinion, they help to enhance our vocabulary. So don’t be afraid to include this word in your writing, even if (or especially if) it’s used in an ironic sense. If you like to write humorous pieces, you may be a natural “raconteur” yourself!

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

Word of the Week: Bibliophile

by Naomi L. | January 11, 2016 | Blog, Word of the Week | 2 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Since last week I shared a word that defines people who love words, today I thought I’d continue on that line to discuss another word for a certain kind of enthusiast. If you consider yourself a “logophile”, then you likely qualify as a “bibliophile” too. It’s only logical to assume that with a love of words comes a love of books!

A “bibliophile” is someone who loves and/or collects books. The word arose in the early 19th century and is originally French. This noun comprises two Greek roots: the noun biblion “book” and the adjective phílos “loved”.

While “bibliophile” isn’t a word I see or hear too often, it may be one of my favorites for describing people who are passionate about reading. Book lovers keep our magical world of creative writing alive, so it makes sense that there’s a perfect vocabulary word to define them. If you’re a novelist whose characters are book enthusiasts, you can no doubt have fun writing as much for the “bibliophiles” in your stories as in your audience!

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

Word of the Week: Logophile

by Naomi L. | January 4, 2016 | Blog, Word of the Week | 2 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

It’s the first Word of the Week of 2016! To start off this year’s collection of vocabulary words, I decided to write about a word that I think perfectly describes me and all the regular readers of this segment. And no, I’m not saying we all love logos or logs (though there’s nothing wrong with that if you do). If you enjoy reading about these words as much as I enjoy writing about them, then you too are a “logophile”!

A “logophile” is someone who loves words. The word is composed of two Greek roots: the noun lógos “word” and the adjective phílos “loved”. The former stems from the verb légō, which means “I say”.

Oddly, there doesn’t seem to be much historical information available about the origin of the word “logophile”. All I could find while researching it was its Greek roots, with no mention of the point in history when it first came into English usage. Still, I love the fact that there’s a word to perfectly define people who are passionate about vocabulary. If you have characters or readers who are word enthusiasts, you may have fun writing for the “logophiles” in your stories and your audience alike!

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

Word of the Week: Elysian

by Naomi L. | December 28, 2015 | Blog, Word of the Week | 0 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Is it really the last week of the year? Where does the time go? As I thought about what word I should feature for the final Word of the Week of 2015, I realized that a particularly beautiful one had recently been brought to my attention when I started playing the indie game Dust: An Elysian Tail. Fascinated by how lovely the word “Elysian” sounded, I decided that it would make a perfect closer for this year’s vocabulary posts. After all, as we start the journey into a new year, why not leave the old one behind with peaceful thoughts of the divine?

“Elysian” describes what is heavenly and paradisiacal in nature. The word is the anglicized form of the Latin noun Elysium, meaning “a place or state of perfect happiness”. This noun derives from the Greek noun Ēlúsion (pedíon), a mythical plain of existence believed to be the home of the blessed after death.

Fun fact: “Elysian” is the first vocabulary word I’ve featured on my blog that’s capitalized, as it stems from the name of a place in Classical mythology. You may also be familiar with the word’s Latin form thanks to the 2013 futuristic sci-fi film Elysium, the eponymous Elysium being the utopian space habitat created as a haven from the overpopulated Earth. I have yet to see this word often in fiction, though I would certainly use it as a more poetic alternative to “divine” and its other synonyms. If you like to write about heavenly places and things, you may enjoy including some “Elysian” details in your stories! Have fun, and Happy New Year!

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

Word of the Week: Munificent

by Naomi L. | December 21, 2015 | Blog, Word of the Week | 2 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

The holidays are upon us, and what better way to acknowledge the season of giving today than with a word about generosity? Today’s Word of the Week is a great one to keep in mind for those people and gestures that are extremely generous in spirit. We all likely know someone who loves to give (perhaps including ourselves), especially during the holidays, so around this time of year, you and your loved ones may expect to give and/or receive some “munificent” gifts!

A “munificent” gift or sum of money is considerably more generous than is necessary or usual. The word arose in the late 16th century and comes from the Latin adjective munificus, meaning “bountiful”. This adjective stems from the noun munus, which means “gift”.

While “munificent” primarily refers to a bountiful gift or gesture, it can also be used to describe a person with a very generous nature. It shouldn’t be confused with the adjective “magnificent”, although it’s easy to associate these words with each other as they both have highly positive connotations. If you write characters who love to give, you can surely have fun writing plenty of “munificent” acts into your stories! Happy Holidays!

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