Word of the Week: Pulchritude

by Naomi L. | November 18, 2013 | Blog, Word of the Week | 6 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

I stumbled upon this word while looking through some old vocabulary flashcards, and I distinctly remember the first thought that came to mind when I read it: What an ugly word. It didn’t just look ugly; it sounded ugly. In fact, as soon as I saw it, I assumed it meant something along the lines of “disgust” or “repulsion”. To my surprise, the other side of the card proved me very wrong: “beauty”. “Beauty”? Seriously? How could such an ugly word have such a lovely definition? It was strange, to say the least. But then again, who am I to judge the quirks of language?

“Pulchritude” is a poetic and literary term meaning “beauty”. The word comes from the Latin noun pulchritudo, which also means “beauty”. This, in turn, stems from the adjective pulcher, meaning “beautiful” or “handsome”. “Pulchritude” dates back to Middle English, possibly explaining its poetic uses.

The word “pulchritude” is certainly interesting, I’ll give it that. Having said that, I highly doubt you’ll ever see me use it in my writing. I just can’t get past that harsh tone; there are definitely much softer words I’d prefer to use as synonyms for “beauty”. That’s not to say you shouldn’t use it, of course. If you like unusual poetic words, then by all means, write about the “pulchritude” of a woman in her prime or a cherry tree in spring. If you can appreciate the literary history behind this word, I’m sure you’ll be able to use it well. Have fun!

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

Word of the Week: Fastidious

by Naomi L. | November 11, 2013 | Blog, Word of the Week | 4 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Ana Pascal: My tax files. (pulls out a box full of loose papers)

Harold Crick: You keep your files like this?

Ana: No, actually I’m quite fastidious. I put them in this box just to screw with you.

– Stranger Than Fiction (2006)

The above dialogue from the film Stranger Than Fiction is a great example of how the meaning of an uncommon word can be made perfectly clear in context. While being audited by IRS agent Harold Crick, Ana Pascal claims that contrary to his first impression, she’s actually very neat and organized. She makes it clear that the only reason she presents her tax files in such disarray is to spite the “taxman” who’s come to disrupt her life, a plan that pretty much works exactly the way she hoped.

A “fastidious” person is someone who is particularly attentive to detail, especially in matters of cleanliness. Interestingly, this adjective comes from the Latin noun fastidium, which means “loathing” or “squeamishness”. The original definition of the word was “disagreeable” or “disgusting”, and current meanings arose in the 17th century.

Despite its association with cleanliness, “fastidious” might still carry hints of its original definitions. My SAT flashcards, for instance, define the word as “difficult to please” or “squeamish”, suggesting a person whose attention to detail leads them to easily find fault in what they observe. Personally, I prefer the definition used in Stranger Than Fiction, but it’s up to you to figure out how best to work this word into your own writing. Perhaps you can even have fun writing for a character who’s “fastidious” in every way imaginable!

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

Word of the Week: Acquiesce

by Naomi L. | November 4, 2013 | Blog, Word of the Week | 2 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Elizabeth Swann: Captain Barbossa, I am here to negotiate the cessation of hostilities against Port Royal.

Captain Barbossa: There are a lot of long words in there, Miss; we’re naught but humble pirates. What is it that you want?

Elizabeth: I want you to leave and never come back.

Barbossa: I’m disinclined to acquiesce to your request. …Means “no”.

– Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

Ten years ago, Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films released the first in a series of movies based on the beloved Disney ride “Pirates of the Caribbean”. I remember watching it as a teenager and really enjoying it, mostly for how certain details of it took me back to our Walt Disney World trips during my childhood (the dog with the keys, anyone?). I also remember laughing at the above dialogue for Captain Barbossa’s wit in conversing with Elizabeth Swann, not to mention the handful of “long words” they used with which I wasn’t yet familiar. While I could just as easily have gone with any of the others, I chose to feature in this segment the word I considered the most interesting. I hope you’ll agree!

To “acquiesce” in a request or proposal is to accept it without protest, albeit reluctantly so. The word comes from the Latin verb acquiescere, meaning “assent” or “submit”. This word is made up of two roots: the preposition ad- “to, at” and the verb quiescere “to rest”.

Honestly, I haven’t heard the word “acquiesce” used much outside of the first Pirates movie. I do think it sounds rather elegant, though, which is why I wouldn’t mind using it occasionally (that is, sparingly) in my writing to add to the flow of a story. I should also note that I can’t be certain if Captain Barbossa used the correct preposition after “acquiesce”; the only examples I’ve found use “in” instead of “to”, but I haven’t yet been able to find out if “to” is also fine, so be sure to use the word carefully. Still, even without ever having heard the word before, it’s pretty clear from context that the captain is blatantly refusing to agree to the young lady’s proposal. He may be just a humble pirate, but you have to admit, Barbossa did find a pretty clever way to say “no”!

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

Word of the Week: Acumen

by Naomi L. | October 28, 2013 | Blog, Word of the Week | 2 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

“Acumen” is one of those words that I don’t see or hear very often because it only seems to come up in very specific contexts. For instance, the first example that comes to my mind is always “business acumen”, referring to the sharp wit it takes to succeed in the business world. I have to admit, though, that “acumen” is something I myself don’t possess, since I tend to take my sweet time thinking things through before coming to a conclusion…

“Acumen” is a person’s capacity for making quick decisions and good judgments, usually in a specific domain. The word itself is originally Latin and means “sharpness” or “point”. This noun comes from the verb acuere “sharpen”, which is also the root of the word “acute” (as in “having or showing a perceptive understanding or insight”).

When it comes to general uses of the word, I can’t be entirely certain how to apply it, as I don’t believe I’ve heard it used outside of references to particular areas of expertise before. Every time I’ve encountered the word “acumen”, it’s always been preceded by an adjective, suggesting that it works best when describing a specific type of shrewdness. Therefore, I would use it to define the capacity of characters who excel in their respective fields, and simply use synonyms like “sharp-wittedness” and “astuteness” for general contexts. Some have “business acumen”, some have “political acumen”, and some have “scientific acumen”. Now I have to wonder: is there such a thing as “writing acumen”?

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

Word of the Week: Gerrymander

by Naomi L. | October 21, 2013 | Blog, Word of the Week | 2 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Today’s Word of the Week was suggested by my dad, an intelligent man with a keen interest in politics. Anyone following the political news in the USA has probably been hearing a lot of the word “gerrymandering” lately. Some of you may already be familiar with this word, but to those of you wondering what in the world it means, I understand how you feel. I admit I don’t care very much for politics, so when I first heard talk of “gerrymandering” happening in the American government, I took it as an opportunity to learn a new word. What I found upon doing research was much more than a simple definition, but an interesting backstory to go with it…

“Gerrymander” (often used as the noun “gerrymandering”) means to establish a political edge by creating partisan-advantaged districts through manipulation of boundaries. The word was coined from a political cartoon printed in 1812 (shown right), satirizing the redrawn Massachusetts election districts under Governor Elbridge Gerry, which when mapped out, resembled the shape of the mythical salamander. Since the first printing of the term “Gerry-mander” (originally pronounced GE-ree-man-dər) as a reference to the advantage Governor Gerry gained for his party after redistricting the state, the word was officially included in the English language in 1848 and remains in use today.

Since I don’t want to spark a political debate, I’ll leave opinions on the word’s most recent uses entirely up to you. What I can say, however, is that its references to a disproportion in power definitely give “gerrymander” a negative connotation. Though it’s a good word to know, its uses are obviously limited to very specific contexts. So if you write political thrillers, you’ll certainly be able to get much more use out of it than I ever will. Be sure to keep “gerrymandering” in mind if your characters are politicians!

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

Word of the Week: Numinous

by Naomi L. | October 14, 2013 | Blog, Word of the Week | 4 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Today’s Word of the Week was suggested by HD of No Vinyl Mind, who recommended it after reading it in a book (and again online). I admit that I myself was not familiar with this word, for as hard as I thought about it, I couldn’t recall a single instance in which I had ever heard something described as “numinous”. I did like the sound of it, though, so I jumped at the chance to research it and add another word to my vocabulary list. Thanks for the suggestion, HD!

When something is defined as “numinous”, it’s implied that it has some sort of spiritual quality or religious undertone to it. That’s because the word comes from the Latin noun numen (also used as a word in English), meaning “divine power” or “god”. This word arose in the mid 17th century and is supposedly derived from the verb nuere “to nod”, suggesting an original definition along the lines of “divine approval expressed by nodding”.

Now, according to the research I did, “numinous” can also be used to describe what is awe-inspiring, as in what evokes a mystical or sublime sense (as noted on this interesting vocabulary blog, also recommended by HD). Based on this, I’d suggest using the word to describe something so overwhelmingly magnificent that it gives the sense of having a spiritual presence (e.g. “numinous beauty of ancient landmarks”). “Numinous” itself is a fascinating word, so have fun working it into your writing. See what you can find in your own worlds with such divine character!

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