A Logolept’s Diet of Obscure, Obsolete, Curious and Downright Odd “H” Words
H, the whispering onomatopoeic sound whose pronunciation is debated by different tribes of Anglophone peoples…is it “Aitch” or “Haitch”? Well, it depends to some extent on your linguistic-cultural sub-group and which national flag you fly under. “H” came to the Latin alphabet from the Semitic cheth via the Greek eta (Η), which possibly derived from an early symbol for a fence. Words starting with the letter “H”, however you say it, can run the gamut of extremes, at one pole they can be “hyper” (high, beyond, above normal, excessive), at the other end they can be “hypo” (beneath, below normal, under) Here’s some seldom-uttered “H” words you may not have not encountered before.
Habilatory: <meaning> of, like or pertaining to clothes or dressing (cf. Habile: dextrious; adroit) <derivation> [MedLatin habitualis (“pertaining to habit or dress”)]
Habromania: a form of delusional insanity characterised by cheerful or joyous imaginings [ Gk. habros (“graceful”? + -mania]
Haemathermal: warm-blooded (cf. Haematic: blood-coloured) [Gk. haîma “blood” + –therme (“heat”)]
Hagiocracy: government by holy men (cf. Theocracy) [Gk. hagios (“holy”; “saint”) + -cracy]
Hagridden: worried or tormented, as by a witch; affected by nightmares or anxieties [OldEng. hægtesse, hægtis (“a fury”, “witch”) + -ride (“that has ridden”)🧙
Halibiotic: like or pertaining to the entirety of life under the sea [Gk. hali (“indication of salt or the sea” + bio (“life”) + -ic (“like”)](cf. Halieutics: the study of fishing) halieutikós (alieutikós), (“of or about fishermen”)] 🐠 🎣
Hamartia: a fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero or heroine (Gk tragedy, Aristotle Poetics) [Gk. hamartánein (“to miss the mark”)]
Hapax: word or expression which occurs only once within a given context (eg, in an author’s oeuvre; in a single text) [Gk. translit. from “being said once”)]
Haptic: of, like or pertaining to the sense of touch [Gk. haptesthai “to touch”)]
Haussmannize (or Haussmannise): to destroy the old in order to build the new; to rebuild an area , esp on a massive scale [coined after Baron Haussmann, 19th. French public official]
Hawkshaw: detective (cf. Shamus) [19th. coinage, from play “The Ticket of Leave Man”] 🕵🏾
Hebdomadally: every week [Gk. hepta (“seven”) (Hebdomad = period of 7 days) [
Hebetic: of, like or pertaining to puberty [Gk. hēbē (“youth”) + –tēs (“agent”) + –ikon]
Hecatomb: slaughter of 💯 (people, animals, etc); (hist.) in Rome and Ancient Hellas, a public sacrifice of 100 oxen [Gk. hekaton (“hundred”) + –bous (“ox”)
Hedonics: part of ethics or psychology dealing with pleasure (cf. Hedonism) [Gk. hēdon(é) (“pleasure”) + –ikon]
Heliolatry: sun worship (cf. Heliosis: exposure to the sun; sunburn) [Gk. hēlio (“sun”) + –latry (“worship”)] 🌅
Helixophile: someone who collects corkscrews [Gk. hélix (“something twisted or spiral”) + -phile]
Hellion: a rowdy or mischievous person, esp a child who behaves thus [Nth Eng/Scot. hallion (“scamp, worthless fellow”)]
Hemiolic: based of a ratio of 3:2 [Gk. hēmiolios (from hemisus “half”) + Eng -ic)]
Henotic: tending to unify or reconcile; promoting harmony [Gk. henōtikós (“serving to unite”)]
Heptamerous: divide into parts of seven [Gk.heptá (“seven”) + -merēs (“having parts”)]
Heresiarch: leader of a heretical movement [Gk. hairesíarchēs (“leader of a school or sect”) + –archēs)
Hereticaster: a petty or contemptible heretic [heretic + L.-aster (“little, petty, partial, incomplete”) cf. Criticaster (“a petty or contemptible critic”)]
Hermetic: of, like or pertaining to sorcery and alchemy (mod. sense: (1) seal or close completely airtight) (2] solitary) [Gk. From mythological god Thrice-great Hermes, via MedL hermeticus]
Heterist (alt. Hetaerist): one who indulges in extra-marital sex; a general system of temporary and continued sexual relations outside wedlock (concubinage) [Gk.hetaira (“female companion”) + -ismos]
Heteroclite: one who deviates from the ordinary forms or rules; irregular; an abnormal thing or person [Gk. héteros (“other”; “different”) + –klinō (“lean”; “incline”)]
Heterophemy: accidental use of word different to that meant [Gk. héteros (“other”; “different”) + –phemia (“speech”; “talk”)]
Heterotrichosis: having hair of varied or mixed colours [Gk. héteros (“other”; “different”) + -trichōsis (“growth of hair”)]
Heuristic: enabling someone to discover or learn something for themselves [Gk. heuriskein (“find”)]
Hexamerous: divide into parts of six [(Gk. hexa (“six”) + -merēs (“having parts”)]
Hibernaculum: winter retreat; (zool.) a place where an animal seeks refuge from winter (eg, a cave for members of the Ursidae family) [L. hibernāculum (“tent for winter quarters”)
Hidrotic: causing or exuding sweat [Gk. hidrōs (“sweat”)]
Highbinder: a scheming or corrupt politician; a swindler or gangster; a ruffian [Amer. Highbinders, Chinese gang in NYC (19th.]
Hipparchy: rule or control of horses (cf. Hippoid: equine, Hippodamist: horse-tamer) [Gk. hippo (“horse”) + –archy (“rule”)]🐎
Hirci: armpit hair [Proto-Finnish. hirci, poss. from L hirtus (“hairy”, “shaggy”)] (cf. Hircine: “goat-like”)]
Hodiernal: of, like or pertaining to the present day [L. hodiernus from hodie (“today”) + Eng. -al].
Hodometry: measurement of the distance of a sea voyage (cf. Horometry: time measurement) [?uncertain + –metrein (“to measure”)]
Hodophile: a lover of travel; a travel aficionado [Gk. hodos (“journey”; “road”; “travel” + -philia (“love”)]🛬
Holobenthic: passage of entire life in the deep ocean [Gk. holo (“whole”) + -bénthos (“the depths”)]
Holocryptic: inscrutable; undecipherable [Gk holo (“whole”) + –krúptō (“to hide”)]
Homiletics: the art of preaching [Gk. homilein (“converse with”; “consort”] (cf. Eng Homily)
Hominiform: shaped like a human; of human form [L. homo (“male human”) + -form]
Homnivorous: eating humans [L. homo + –vorous (“eating”; “devouring”)]
Homuncule: little artificial person [L. homunculus (“little person”) + –culus, (“diminutive”)]
Houghmagandy: fornication [Scot. origin uncertain]
Hoyden: tomboy [prob. Middle Dutch heiden (“heathen”; “gypsy”)]
Humgruffin: terrible or repulsive person [neologism, blending of “hum”; “gruff”; “griffin”]
Hybristophile: someone who is sexually attracted to individuals who have committed crimes, particularly cruel or outrageous ones [Gk. hubrizein “to commit an outrage against someone”, from hubris + –phil (“preference for”)]
Hyoid: having a “U” shape [Gk. hyodeides (”shaped like the letter Upsilon (U)”
Hypalgesia: diminished susceptibility to pain (cf. Hyperalgia: extreme sensitivity to pain) [Gk. hypo (“under”) + -algos (“pain”) + -ia
Hyperacusis: abnormally good sense of hearing 👂 [Gk. hupós (“over”) + -ákousis, (“hearing”)]
Hyperborean: an inhabitant of the extreme north [Gk. hupós (“over”) + –borean (“northern”)] (cf. Heteroscian: inhabitant of a temperate zone [Gk. hetero + –scian “shadow”(?)]
Hypermetropia: long-sighted person; can see objects far away but not up close (cf. Hyperope: far-sighted person) [Gk. hupós (“over”) + metron (“measure”)]
Hyperosmia: very keen sense of smell [Gk. hupós (“over”) + osmē (“odour”)]
Hyphaersis: omission of letter or sound from a word (eg, “around” becomes “round”) [origin unknown]
Hypnogogic: sleep-inducing; drowsiness (cf. Hypnomogia: insomnia) [Gk. hypnos (“sleep”) + -agōgós (“leading”)]
Hypocorism: informal short version of a name [Gk. hupo (“under” + -korē (“child”) + -ism. lit: (“play the child”)]
Hypogeal: underground [Gk. hupo (“under” + L. -gelare (“to freeze”; “congeal”)]
Hypometropia: myopia or near-sightedness; near objects are clear but far away objects are blurry [Gk. hupo (“under” + metron (“measure”)]
Hypotrichosis: hairlessness 👩🦲 [Gk. hupo (“under”) + -trichōsis (“growth of hair”)]
Hypotyposis: vivid and picturesque description of a scene [Gk. hupo (“under”) + typos (“impression”; “cast”)
Hysteromania: nymphomania [Gk. hystera (“uterus”) + -mania]