Word of the Week: Valediction

by Naomi L. | December 30, 2013 | Blog, Word of the Week | 2 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

This is an example of a word I learned by using a thesaurus, and I remember that I liked it as soon as I read it. I thought it had a nice ring to it, and I could certainly find a way to work it into my stories once in a while. Maybe the reason I like it is because I enjoy getting to think, “Oh, there’s a word for that!” I have fun learning words that sum up an act I would normally refer to using a whole phrase, for sometimes the fewer words we need to convey an idea, the better.

“Valediction” is the act of saying goodbye, or in more formal cases, an address of farewell. The word is comprised of two Latin roots: the verb vale “goodbye”, and the verb dicere “to say”. For an additional reference, the latter is also a root of the noun “benediction” (“the utterance of a blessing”), as the adverb bene means “well”.

I suppose I should have known about this word sooner, since I’ve long been familiar with the noun “valedictorian”. After all, it stands to reason that what they give at a graduation ceremony is a “valediction”, right? Still, I like to use this word in its more casual sense, referring to goodbyes exchanged between my characters. Of course, I think it works well in either context, so it’s really up to you to decide how you want to indicate the farewells in your stories. Now, in the spirit of the New Year, let’s all bid a hearty “valediction” to 2013!

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

Word of the Week: Omniscient

by Naomi L. | December 23, 2013 | Blog, Word of the Week | 0 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Last Monday’s Word of the Week post was about a word used to define things that are present everywhere. Continuing on the same line, today’s vocabulary word also refers to what encompasses everything. The difference is that this time, the “everything” in question is knowledge.

An “omniscient” person is someone who knows everything. The word itself is Latin and means “all-knowing” (probably stemming from omnisciens). Originating in the early 17th century, the adjective is made up of two roots: the adjective omnis “all” and the verb scire “to know”.

There are a couple of reasons I like the word “omniscient”. For one, I’m fascinated with knowledge, so any being with an infinite supply of it is one I’d be interested to read about. At the same time, “omniscient” is a significant word in the non-fiction aspect of writing, as it refers to a type of narrative voice where the narrator is fully aware of every detail in the story, and thus can relate the perspective of any character. It can refer to an all-seeing character or just a writing technique, but either way, “omniscient” is an important word for any writer to know!

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

Word of the Week: Ubiquitous

by Naomi L. | December 16, 2013 | Blog, Word of the Week | 0 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

“Ubiquitous” is one of those words that I would hear and see fairly often, but that I never really bothered to look up. Maybe I was forgetful, maybe I was just plain lazy. After recently reading it again, though, I decided I might as well learn more about it. Interestingly, I actually regretted not looking it up sooner, because it seemed like a good word that could have been… “ubiquitous” in my stories all along.

Anything that’s “ubiquitous” is omnipresent, that is, it appears everywhere. The word comes from the modern Latin adjective ubiquitas, which in turn originates from the Latin adverb ubique, meaning “everywhere” or “anywhere”. The root of this word is the adverb/conjunction ubi “where”.

Honestly, even if I didn’t bother to look up this word, I’ve always liked the sound of it. It has kind of an exotic feel to it, and I wouldn’t mind including it in some of my descriptions to indicate feelings, objects or even people that are present everywhere. So if you enjoy learning new words, I’m sure you’ll be able to use this one well. Curiosity over new vocabulary is “ubiquitous” among writers, is it not?

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

Word of the Week: Cloy

by Naomi L. | December 9, 2013 | Blog, Word of the Week | 1 comment

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Sheldon: Would you like to see my cats?

Amy: I would. I love cats. They’re the epitome of indifference.

Sheldon: Ah, then you may find Zazzles a little cloying.

– The Big Bang Theory (Season 4, Episode 3 – The Zazzy Substitution)

That’s right; it’s another vocabulary word from The Big Bang Theory! To be fair, I was already familiar with this one before I noticed it on the show, but this dialogue was the first time I could remember hearing it being used in context. This example comes from an episode when Dr. Sheldon Cooper adopts 25 cats in a subconscious attempt to get over his “girl-and-friend-but-not-girlfriend” Amy Farrah Fowler after they “break up”. Upon reconciling with her and offering to introduce his pets, Sheldon warns Amy that if she appreciates cats for their standoffish nature, she may find a certain one named Zazzles a little too sweet for her taste (because he’s so, as Sheldon puts it, “zazzy”).

To “cloy” is to sicken somebody with exaggerated sweetness. When used in its more common adjective form “cloying”, it basically means “sickeningly sweet”. The word can be traced back to the Old French verb encloyer, meaning “to drive a nail into”. This, in turn, originates from the Latin verb inclavare, which comes from the noun clavus “nail”.

You’ll probably never see me use the word “cloy” as a verb in my stories, simply because it isn’t very common. As the adjective “cloying”, however, I find it appealing. I’d probably use it to describe things (or even characters) that are too sweet for their own good, potentially to the point of putting people off. It’s always good to know a word that sums up the exact feeling you want to portray!

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

Word of the Week: Declension

by Naomi L. | December 2, 2013 | Blog, Word of the Week | 2 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

I have bad memories of this word from studying for a standardized test through my iPod. No matter how many times it came up in my vocabulary app, I could never remember what it meant. Maybe that was because I had never seen it before I started using the app, at least not with the definition it was trying to teach me. Until that point, “declension” for me was simply a grammatical term used to identify variations of words (case, number, gender, etc.). Apparently, though, it can work just as well in fiction as in non-fiction.

In its poetic and literary sense, “declension” refers to decline or deterioration. The word is derived from the French noun déclinaison, which comes from the verb décliner “to decline”. This originated from the Latin verb declinare, meaning “to bend” or “to lower”. Originally written as “declinson” in Middle English, the spelling may have changed due to association with other words ending in -sion (e.g. “ascension”).

Honestly, I don’t know if I’d use “declension” very much in my writing. Since I’ve grown accustomed to seeing it as a reference for grammar, I probably wouldn’t bother finding a place for it in my stories. Still, it can certainly add a poetic touch to your work. If you want to describe the level of moral deterioration among your characters, “declension” is a good word to consider!

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

Word of the Week: Ephemeral

by Naomi L. | November 25, 2013 | Blog, Word of the Week | 2 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

I love this word. I’m not even entirely sure why, but I do. It was one of those words that I had to look up as soon as I heard it, and which I had to start using as soon as I knew what it meant. I think it sounds very poetic, and when used well, it can really add to the flow of a story. After all, what’s the fun of calling something “short-lived” when you can use a more artistic-sounding word instead?

That which is “ephemeral” is fleeting, lasting only a short time. The word comes from the Greek adjective ephemeros, which literally means “for one day”, as it’s comprised of the roots epi “on” and hemera “day”. This is also the origin of the English noun “ephemeron” (best known by its plural form, “ephemera”), referring to things that exist for only a short period of time.

Interestingly, this word is especially meaningful to me because of my background in Ecology. Biologically, “ephemeral” is used to refer to species (particularly plants) with a very short life cycle, and can also function as a noun to indicate these types of organisms. As for its general uses, “ephemeral” falls close to the extreme of the “temporary” spectrum – just above “evanescent”, which indicates what vanishes almost as soon as it appears. So if you like to describe things that last about a day or a similarly short period of time, this is a good word to know. In my opinion, a great way to add a poetic touch to your stories is by writing about the “ephemeral” things in life!

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