I, that single vertical stroke, is the most selfish letter in the entire English alphabet. It’s all about “I”, “I”,”I”! By which we mean “me”, “me”, “me”. The opposite of “U”, its more outward-looking brother vowel. No surprise we get “individual”, “idiosyncratic”, “intransigent” and “IPhone” from the letter “I”…”I” is all about “Isness”. Linguistically, “I” corresponds to the Semitic yod (early symbol for hand?) and the Greek iota (I). Anyway, having impugned I’s reputation, let’s accentuate the positive side of the letter—also the Roman numeral for “1”—by feeding the word-maniacs and lexical tragics out there with a sampler of I-words almost none of which succumb to the pitfall of self-centredness.
Iamatology: <meaning> study of remedies [<derivation>Gk. iama (“remedy”) + -logy]
Iatrarchy: government by physicians) [Gk. iatros (“doctor”; “healer”) + –arkhein (“to rule”)] (cf. Iatramelia: medical neglect)
Ichthyic: of resembling or pertaining to fish [Gk. ikhthús (“fish”) + Eng. -ic]🐠
Ichnogram: footprint [Gk íkhnos (“foot imprint”) + -gramma (“that which is drawn”)] 🐾 👣
Iconolagny: sexual stimulation from pictures or statues [Gk. eikon (“likeness”; “image”, “portrait”) + –lagnia (“lust”)]
Ideocrassis: intrinsic peculiarity or unique feature [Gk. ideo + uncertain (poss. Pre-Greek)
Ideopraxis: one compelled to carry out an idea [Gk. ideo (“idea”) + –praxis “doing”)] 💡
Idioglossia: private, idiosyncratic language developed between children [Gk. ídios “own”, “personal”, “distinct”) + -glôssa (“tongue”)]
Idiolect: distinctive, individual form of speech [Gk. ídios “own”, “personal”, “distinct”) + légō (“I speak”)]
Impecunious: little or no money [L. pecūnia (“money”) + -ōsus (“full of”)]
Imperator: ruler; military commander [L. imperare (“”to order”; “command”)]
Ineluctable: irresistible or inescapable [L. in (“not”) + -eluctari (“struggle out”)]
Incivism: neglect of duty as a citizen [Fr. incivisme (“non-compliance”; “anti-social behaviour”)]
Incondite: not well assembled; poorly constructed; unpolished [L. un (in) (“not”) + -conditus (“to put in”; “restore”)]
Incult: uncultivated; coarse [L. in + –cultus (“to till”; “cultivate”)]
Incunabulist: (cf. Incunabulum) one who collects early books [L. in (“into”) + -cunae (“cradle”) + Eng. -ist] 📚
Infelicious: unhappy, unlucky [Gk. in (“not”) + L. -felicitas (“happiness, fertility,”)]
Infonaut: a voyager in cyberspace/virtual reality; a frequent or habitual user of the internet [ “info” from “information” [L. īnfōrmātiō (“formation, conception; education”) + Gk. –nautēs (“sailor”)]
Infracaniniphile: someone who champions or favours the underdog [Neologism, L. infra (“below, under, beneath”) + -canino (“dog) + -phile (“to prefer”)
Interamnian: situated between or enclosed by rivers [L. inter- (“in between”; “amid”) + amnis (“river”)]🏞️
Intercolline: situated between hills [L. inter “between”; “amid”) [L. inter- (“in between”; “amid”) + coll (“hill”) + Eng. -ine]
Intercrural: the area between one’s legs [L. inter (“between”; “amid”) + -crūs (“leg”)]
Interstices: small spaces (figuratively as well as literally) [L. inter- (“in between”; “amid”) + –stes (“standing”)
Irenic: peaceful; conducive to peace; non-confrontational (cf. Irenology: the study of peace [Gk. eirēnē (“peace”) from Eirene, Greek goddess of peace] ☮️
Iridal: of, like or pertaining to the rainbow [origin unknown]
Irresiant: having no residence [origin unknown]
Irrison: the act of laughing at another [origin unknown]
Isagogic: introductory (cf. Isagoge: academic introduction to a subject, chiefly to do with Christian theology) [Gk. eisagōgē (“lead-in”) + -ics)]
Isorropic: (geom.) of equal value [Gk. isos (“equal to”; “the same as”; “equally divided”) + –rropic (?)]
Ithyphallic: indecent; immoral; esp a statue with the representation of an erect penis [Gk. ithúphallos, “Bacchic phallus,” lit. “straight penis” + -ic)]
Itinerarian: traveller [Neologism: Late Lat. Itinerari (“to journey”) + an]
Ivresse: drunkenness; intoxication [OldFr. ivre (“drunk;” “inebriated”) + –esse (fem. form of noun)]
Izzard: an archaic word for Z [OFr. et zede (lit. “and zed”)]
