Word of the Week: Sartorial

by Naomi L. | January 12, 2015 | Blog, Word of the Week | 2 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Barney: Suits are full of joy. They’re the sartorial equivalent of a baby’s smile.

Ted: “Sartorial”?

Barney: “Of or pertaining to tailors or their trade.”

– How I Met Your Mother (Season 2, Episode 14 – Monday Night Football)

Here’s another word I’ve heard exclusively on How I Met Your Mother. Every fan of this series is well familiar with Barney Stinson’s love of suits. His popular catchphrase “Suit up!” pretty much says it all. It makes perfect sense, therefore, that a character like Barney would know exactly what the word “sartorial” means while the rest of his friends remained clueless.

“Sartorial” refers to anything related to clothing and/or tailoring. The word arose in the early 19th century and comes from the Latin noun sartor (“tailor” or “patcher”). This noun is derived from the verb sarcire, meaning “to patch” or “to restore”.

Despite having learned this word fairly recently, I can already imagine a few contexts in which it could work well, such as when a character demonstrates “sartorial” elegance. Writers who are particularly fond of elaborating on details of clothing may find it especially useful. If you often draw attention to your characters’ clothes to help define their personalities, I’m sure you’ll have no problem finding a good place for this word somewhere in your writing. And if you don’t, I strongly encourage you to experiment with the “sartorial” details of your stories, as they can reveal much about a person’s character! Have fun!

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

Word of the Week: Inception

by Naomi L. | January 5, 2015 | Blog, Word of the Week | 0 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

BRAAAM!

Sorry, I couldn’t resist. You know you were thinking it too. After all, Mike Zarin’s iconic sound from the Inception trailers has been an Internet meme for years. But today’s post is not about the 2010 blockbuster film; it’s about the title word and what it represents. This one’s been sitting in my vocabulary list for a while, and since it’s the start of a new year, I figured now would be the best time to write about it.

The “inception” of an activity or institution is its beginning or point of origin. The word arose in late Middle English and comes from the Latin noun inceptio, meaning “beginning” or “undertaking”. This noun in turn is derived from the verb incipere, which means “to begin”.

Though I’m sure I must have heard the word “inception” at least a few times before the famous trailers started popping up, I never really thought about what it meant until after I watched the movie. Obviously, it couldn’t literally be the implantation of an idea in a person’s mind through shared dreams; otherwise the word would only ever come up in science fiction. “Inception” is still an appropriate title for this story, however, as it centers on the concept of initiating the growth of an idea that can change a person’s entire life. You’ll likely never use it in such a specific context (especially since it’s clearly been done already), but “inception” is still a good word to remember for whenever your characters embark on a new enterprise. So on that note, let’s celebrate the “inception” of what will hopefully be a year full of promising new endeavors! Cheers, and Happy 2015!

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

Word of the Week: Iridescent

by Naomi L. | December 29, 2014 | Blog, Word of the Week | 2 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

It’s no secret that I love colors. This was made especially obvious in my vocabulary post about the word “opalescent“. Colors are fun to write about, so it makes sense that I use several different color-themed adjectives in my stories and poems. And among my favorites, after its aforementioned synonym, is “iridescent”.

An “iridescent” object is one with various bright colors that appear to change depending on the angle from which they’re seen. The word was coined around the late 18th century, and comes from the Latin noun iris, which means “rainbow”.

I write about colors so often that I could probably come up with a hundred different examples of how I might use “iridescent” if I tried. A notable instance is in my story “The Silver Queen“, where I used it to describe the colorful scales of dragons. I think the reason I like this word so much is its connection to the image of rainbows, so if you like writing about anything bright and multicolored, “iridescent” is the word for you! Have fun!

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

Word of the Week: Effervescent

by Naomi L. | December 22, 2014 | Blog, Word of the Week | 0 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

I just love words with a concrete and an abstract definition. This one is a good word to describe anything bubbly, whether it’s a liquid or a person’s attitude. I’m sure we all know someone who’s as “effervescent” as a fizzy drink!

An “effervescent” liquid is one in the process of giving off bubbles. Similarly, an “effervescent” person is someone who’s enthusiastic and lively, presumably in an attractive way. The word is derived from the Latin verb effervescere “to boil up”, which in turn comes from two roots: the preposition ex “out of” and the verb fervescere “to grow hot”.

Much like another word I’ve written about before, I’ve mostly seen “effervescent” in scientific contexts, though I prefer its abstract sense for describing human nature. Note that this word also comes in the verb form “effervesce” for both definitions, which makes it easier to broaden its uses. If you like to write about characters with bubbly personalities, or you have to describe the occasional fizzy liquid, you should have no trouble working “effervescent” into your writing! Have fun!

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

Word of the Week: Petulant

by Naomi L. | December 15, 2014 | Blog, Word of the Week | 0 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

“I’m not going anywhere,” said Ursula Monkton, and she sounded petulant, like a very small child who wanted something.

– The Ocean at the End of the Lane (Neil Gaiman, 2013)

Here’s another word I learned from a novel. I recently came across the word “petulant” while reading Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane. Though I couldn’t remember ever seeing this word before, its meaning was perfectly clear in context, as it was being used to describe an adult who was behaving like a child.

A “petulant” person or manner is bad-tempered or sulky in a childish way. The word, originally used in the late 16th century to mean “immodest”, can be traced back through the French adjective pétulant to the Latin adjective petulans, meaning “insolent” or “unruly”. This adjective is related to the verb petere, which means “to aim at” or “to seek”.

Though I’d most likely associate the word “petulant” with children, the above excerpt proves that it can work just as well (if not better) for adults who display childish behavior. If any of your characters tend to sulk when they don’t get their way, this would be a good word to remember the next time you need to describe them. As for me, I admit this word could sometimes be used to define my own attitude toward my writing: I’m such a perfectionist that sometimes I can’t help but act a little “petulant” when my work doesn’t come out with the quality I want. I hope you aren’t the same!

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

Word of the Week: Idyllic

by Naomi L. | December 8, 2014 | Blog, Word of the Week | 0 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Who doesn’t appreciate words for extremely positive feelings? If I remember correctly, this one caught my eye while I was reading a novel, and I liked it as soon as I learned what it meant. It made sense to me that “idyllic” would stand out as such a lovely adjective; I always enjoy discovering poetic words to describe the beautiful things in life.

Anything considered “idyllic” is extremely peaceful, happy and/or beautiful in nature. This word is the adjective form of the noun “idyll”, a word for “an extremely happy, peaceful or picturesque scene” that’s typically idealized or unsustainable. This word can be traced back through the Latin noun idyllium to the Greek noun eidullion, which is the diminutive form of the noun eidos (“form” or “picture”).

Though I don’t see the word “idyllic” as often as I’d like, it’s definitely an adjective I’d try to work into my writing more often. I’d probably get the best use out of it in my poetry, since I especially love writing about nature, but it could work just as well in prose to describe an idealized scene. Every writer has likely envisioned a utopian setting at one time or another, so if you haven’t used this word yet, you’ll no doubt be able find a place for it in your writing too. Who knows? If you write well enough, your readers may find your work itself “idyllic”!

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