by Naomi L. | June 29, 2015 | Blog, Word of the Week |
Word: soporific
Pronunciation: sah-pə-RI-fik
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition: tending to induce drowsiness or sleep
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
Have you ever been doing or experiencing something and suddenly started to feel drowsy because of it? Well, that activity had a “soporific” effect on you. We’ve all encountered something at one time or another that made us sleepy: medicine, a long plane ride, a boring movie. And if we’re going to subject our characters to the same kind of experiences, why not have an uncommon word handy to define whatever is putting them to sleep?
Something that’s “soporific” has a tendency to include sleepiness or drowsiness in people. The word arose in the mid 17th century and can be traced back to the French adjective soporifique. This adjective in turn is derived from the Latin noun sopor, meaning “deep sleep”.
Aside from its primary definition, “soporific” can also be used to describe a person who is feeling sleepy or drowsy. Another sub-definition of the word is “tediously boring or monotonous”, and in some cases it functions as a noun to refer to “a drug or other agent that induces sleep”. Whatever the context, “soporific” is a good word to keep in mind for anything in your stories that puts your characters to sleep. Just try to make sure your writing isn’t “soporific” to your readers! Good luck!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
by Naomi L. | June 22, 2015 | Blog, Word of the Week |
Word: usurp
Pronunciation: yoo-SƏRP
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: take a position of power or importance illegally or by force
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
Virtually every fan of medieval stories should be familiar with this week’s vocabulary word. It’s not uncommon to see characters of fantasy and history alike “usurp” a throne or high rank from an unpopular ruler. Being fascinated with the Middle Ages myself, I’ve read my fair share of tales about monarchs and tyrants being overthrown from power, and though the specific word for it isn’t always used, the action does always make for an exciting story!
To “usurp” a high position of power is to take it by force or otherwise illegal means. The word arose in Middle English and was used in the sense “to wrongfully appropriate a right”. This verb can be traced back through the Old French verb usurper to the Latin verb usurpare, meaning “to seize for use”.
Though I was already well familiar with the word “usurp”, I admit I began showing a greater interest in it when I started reading A Game of Thrones (still on the first book and haven’t watched the series yet, so no spoilers, please!), as it seems to be the driving goal of at least every other character in the story. I’ve read this word most often in medieval fiction, but it works well in any scenario of power shifting by force. A sub-definition of “usurp” is “to take the place of someone in a position of power illegally”, and writers of historical fiction may find use in the archaic meaning “to encroach or infringe upon someone’s rights”. If you write characters who seek to steal power from others, “usurp” is definitely the word to define their objectives! Good luck!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
by Naomi L. | June 15, 2015 | Blog, Word of the Week |
Word: poetaster
Pronunciation: POH-ət-as-tər
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: a person who writes inferior poetry
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
Bet you can’t guess where I learned this week’s vocabulary word. To save you the trouble, I’ll tell you that I came across it while looking up VOCALOID music on YouTube, when I found a metal song titled “Poetaster and Singing Dolls“. Despite being terribly distracted by the artwork featuring Gakupo and Kaito in gothic attire (permission to fangirl, please?), I still managed to pay enough attention to the title to wonder what the word “poetaster” meant. I was intrigued from the moment I first read it, and after I looked it up, I quickly fell in love with it. Not that I wanted to be one myself, of course; after all, when it comes to my poetry, I always strive to write the best I possibly can.
A “poetaster” is an unskilled poet, that is, someone who writes poetry of inferior quality. The word was coined in the late 16th century by the Dutch Renaissance humanist Erasmus as a derogatory term for individuals who are implied to be pretentious about artistic value. This word is originally Latin and is comprised of the noun poeta “poet” and the suffix -aster, which is used to express incomplete resemblance to something in a negative way.
Though I loved the word “poetaster” as soon as I learned its definition, I confess it’s something that I’ve sometimes feared I might be. Every writer doubts the quality of their work from time to time, and though I prefer writing short stories and flash fiction, I don’t take any less care when writing poetry. In all fairness, the term “poetaster” seems to apply to unskilled poets who think they’re tremendously talented, so I suppose any writer is safe from this insult as long as they remain humble about their work. A couple of synonyms for “poetaster” are “rhymester” and “versifier”, though these tend to be ambiguous while the former is always negative. If you’ve written a character who’s pretentious about poetry, you may have a “poetaster” lurking in your stories. Just take care not to be one yourself!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
by Naomi L. | June 8, 2015 | Blog, Word of the Week |
Word: debauchery
Pronunciation: di-BAH-chə-ree
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
Last week, I talked about a word for someone who lives by the philosophy of enjoying the fine things in life while still maintaining a modest lifestyle. But what if you wanted to refer to an overindulgence in such pleasures? That’s when you’d step out of the realm of Epicureanism and into the territory of “debauchery”.
“Debauchery” is the act of excessively indulging in sensual pleasures. The word is derived from the verb “debauch”, which means “to morally corrupt”. This verb can be traced back through the Middle French verb desbaucher “to entice from one’s duty” to the Old French verb desbauchier “to lead astray”, which in turn likely comes from the Proto-Germanic noun balkô “balk”.
While “debauchery” can refer to any sort of overindulgence in sensual enjoyment, the word is most commonly associated with scandals involving physical gratification and substance abuse. A somewhat dated sub-definition of the verb “debauch” is “to seduce”, and it can also function as a noun to denote “an individual act of debauchery”. Writers, take note: if your characters seek enjoyment in moderation, you may be writing “epicureans”, but if they go over the top with these pleasures, then “debauchery” may be afoot in your stories! Choose your nouns wisely!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
by Naomi L. | June 1, 2015 | Blog, Word of the Week |
Word: epicurean
Pronunciation: e-pi-kyə-REE-ən / e-pi-KYƏ-ree-ən
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: a person devoted to sensual enjoyment, especially that derived from fine food and drink
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
I recently learned today’s Word of the Week from playing a mobile game. The theme? Cooking! Yes, this week’s vocabulary word is related to food, and of high quality at that. It’s only natural to want to enjoy the finer things in life, so if such a dream is beyond reach in reality, why not live vicariously through a fictional “epicurean” instead?
An “epicurean” is someone who is dedicated to pleasure on a sensual level, usually pertaining to gourmet food and luxury. The original word is capitalized and refers to “a follower of Epicureanism“, a philosophy founded on the teachings of the Ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus. This noun traces back through the Old French noun Epicurien and the Latin noun Epicureus to the Ancient Greek noun Epikoúreios.
Epicurus was a materialist who believed pleasure is the greatest good and that happiness should be achieved by living a self-sufficient life free of fear and pain. Though primarily a noun, “epicurean” can also be used as an adjective to describe people who live by this philosophy of sensual enjoyment, particularly of good food and drink. Note, however, that Epicureanism does not condone the overindulgence of fleeting pleasures, but rather advocates the prudence of knowing the limits of one’s own desires. If you write characters with refined tastes and modest lifestyles, “epicurean” is the perfect word to define them! Good luck!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
by Naomi L. | May 25, 2015 | Blog, Word of the Week |
Word: garrulous
Pronunciation: GA-r(y)ə-ləs
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition: excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
This one’s another word I picked off the vocabulary flashcard stack. Though I haven’t used it much myself yet, I like the word “garrulous” for the way it sounds. It’s kind of a poetic way to define someone who talks too much, which I’m sure we all could have used at least once in our lives. Such “garrulous” acquaintances make great inspiration for chatty characters, don’t you think?
A “garrulous” person is someone who talks in excess, usually about matters of little importance. The word comes from the Latin adjective garrulus, meaning “talkative”. This adjective stems from the verb garrire, which means “to chatter” or “to prattle”.
The word “garrulous” is similar to another adjective I’ve featured in my vocabulary segment before: “loquacious“. The difference between these adjectives is that the excessive talkativeness in “loquacious” is implied, whereas in “garrulous” it’s explicit. Either word is good for defining characters who talk too much, so it’s up to you to decide how apparent you want their loquacity to be. If you know people who can’t stop chattering, then you should have no trouble finding inspiration for a few “garrulous” characters for your stories. Good luck!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
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