A Logolept’s Diet of Obscure, Obsolete, Curious and Downright Odd “W” Words

Posted on by demonymonic
Creative Writing, Literary & Linguistics, Popular Culture, Society & Culture

A “W” beats a “single U”, and a “single V” for that matter!”

“W”, letter number 23 in the alphabet, traces its genesis to the Semitic letter vaw (as does f, u, v and y), which the ancient Greeks adopted as upsilon. W’s place in the English alphabet came about indirectly via the prior-existing letters “U” and “V”. At first there was no letter “W”, “W” was represented by two consecutive letter U or V …eventually one single character evolved to represent the “W” sound – “W” or “Double-U”. “It’s this history that gives W the longest name of any letter of the English language—and also means that the acronym www uniquely contains three times more syllables than it does letters” (www.mentalfloss.com).

Why Double-U and not Double-V? In print (but not cursive writing) “W” comprises two Vs (VV), so why wasn’t it called “Double-V”? Basically it’s to do with the timing of the letter W’s evolution in Old English. At the time the “W” symbol was created “V” did not exist in that language, so “W” was rendered as “UU”, and so it stayed (‘Why isn’t a W called a double V?’ Grammarphobia (27-Apr-2011), www.grammarphobia.com).

<word> <meaning> <derivation>

Wafture: (cf. Waftage) act of waving or making a wave-like motion; wafting: to convey or carry lightly and smoothly through the air or over water [from LowGer., Dutch wachter, from wachten (“to guard”, the sense of “convey by water”/“escort a ship”) from wafter (“armed convoy vessel”)] 👋

Waggoner: driver of a wagon; a collection or book of nautical maps [from OldDutch wagan, from Proto-West Germanic wagn, from Proto-Germanic wagnaz (“wagon”), from Proto-Indo-European woǵnos (“wagon”; “primitive carriage”), from weǵ- (“to transport”)] 📕

Waggoner (source: National Maritime Historical Society)

Wagtail: an obsequious person; a harlot (origin unknown)

Wale: to choose; the act of choosing(?) (origin unknown)

Wamble: nauseous; walk unsteadily; a staggering gait; wobbling or rolling motion; churning of the stomach [MidEng. wamlen; (“to become nauseated”), from L. vomere (“to vomit”)]

Wanchancy: unlucky; uncanny [from MidEng. wan-, from OldEng. wan-, from Proto-West Germanic wana- + From MidEng. chance, cheance, chaunce, cheaunce, a borrowing from Old French cheance (“accident”; “chance”; “luck”), from Vulgar Latin cadentia (“falling”)]

Wanhope: hopelessness; despair; vain hope; overconfidence; delusion [OldEng. wan-, from Proto-Germanic wanaz (“lacking”; “missing”; “deficient”) + from Old English –hopian (“hope”)]

Warray: to wage war on [from warry (“war-like”), from Fr, from Vulgar Latin werridiāre]

Wasm: a doctrine, ideology, rule, or theory that is no longer current or fashionable (etymology unclear, first appeared in print via Arthur Koestler, 1949)

Wasm (source: YourDictionary)

Wassail: toast to someone’s health; to go caroling or carousing; spiced ale or mulled wine [Old Norse. ves heill (“be well”, toast] 🥂

Wasserman: a mythical sea monster, part man, thought to destroy ships [from Ger.Wasserman]

Wasserman (image: Pinterest.com.au/)

Webster: female weaver [OldEng. webbestre, from webba (“a weaver”) from webb]

Wegotism: excessive use of the pronoun “we” in speech or writing [blend of we +‎ –egotism]

Weirdward: bordering upon the supernatural (origin unknown)

Welkin: the vault of the sky; firmament; heaven [from OldEng. wolcn (“cloud”)]

Wen: a very large, overcrowded city [from MidEng. wen, wenne, from OldEng. wenn, wænn (“wen”), from Proto-Ger. wanjaz]

Wen (photograph: Satish Bate/Hindustan Times/Getty Images)

Wergild: fine paid by family of murderer to family of murder victim (“man-price”) [MidEng. wergeld, from OldEng. wer (“man”) + -geld, alteration of gield, geld (“payment”; “tribute”) 💰

Wertfrei: without value judgement; morally neutral [Ger. wert (“worth”) + -frei (“free”)]

Whangam: an imaginary creature [17th cent. neologism coined by Oliver Goldsmith, Anglo-Irish author]

Whipcat: a person who makes, repairs, or alters outer garments, esp menswear; a tailor (slang: a worker “who whips the cat”) (origin unknown)

Whiskerando: a man with extravagant whiskers [Scand. Iceld. visk (“a wisp of hay”); allusion to Don Ferolo Whiskerando in RB Sheridan’s The Critic] (cf. Whiskerine: beard-growing contest)

Whiskerando (source: dailymail.co.uk)

Wiccaphobiac: one who fears or hates Wiccans or Wicca. A person with a morbid fear of witches or witchcraft [OldEng. wiċċa (“male witch”), from Proto-Germanic wikkô (“sorcerer”) + -phobia]

Wiccaphobiac ((image: Pinterest.com.au/)

Widdershins: counterclockwise, anticlockwise; to walk around an object by always keeping it on the left MidLowGer. weddersinnes, (literally “against the way”, i.e. “in the opposite direction”)] cf. Widersinnen: “to go against”)

Wight: nimble; strong; courageous; a supernatural, man-like being [from MidEng. wight or wiȝt, from OldEng. wiht, from Proto-West Germanic wihti]

Williwaw: a sudden, violent gust of cold wind; a state of extreme confusion, turmoil, or agitation (origin unknown) 💨

Witticaster: a petty or inferior wit [from MidEng. witty, witti, from OldEng. wittiġ, witiġ, ġewittiġ (“clever”; “wise”), from Proto-West Germanic witīg + –aster]

Wold: a piece of high, open, uncultivated land or moor (Brit.) [OldEng. wald (“wooded upland”) of Germanic origin; perhaps related to wild]

Wondermonger: one who promises miracles; a person who tells of or exploits strange or freakish things [from MidEng. wonder, wunder, from OldEng. wundor (“wonder”; “miracle”; “marvel”), from Proto-West Germanic *wundr + from L. –mangō (“dealer”; “trader”)]

Woonerf: a road in a residential district which has installed devices (eg, traffic calming, low speed limits, shared space) to reduce or slow the flow of traffic (a living street) [Dutch: wonen (“reside”) + erf (“ground”; “premises”) (literally: “living yard” or “residential grounds”)]

Woopie: an affluent retired person able to pursuit an active lifestyle [derived from the acronym “well off older person” (“woop)”]

Worksome: industrious; diligent; labour-intensive [from MidEng. work, werk, from OldEng. weorc + from OldEng. -sum (“some”)]

Worricow: scarecrow; hobgoblin; frightening-looking person [Scot. from worry (“to harass”) + –cow (“hobgoblin”)]

Woubit: a small and shabby person; a hairy caterpillar [MidEng. wolbode, from woll (“wool”) + -bode (?)]

Wrackful: destructive or ruinous [from “wreck”, from OldNorse reta (“to drive”) ➠ Anglo-Norman Fr. wrec]

Writative: characterized by an inclination to write ✍️ [from MidEng. writen, from OldEng. wrītan, from Proto-West Germanic wrītan + -tive (poss. based on “talkative”)]

Wynd: narrow street or lane [MidEng: (Scots) wynde, probably from wynden (“to wind”; “proceed”; “go”) from OldEng. windan (“to twist”)]

Wyrd: the personification of fate or destiny [from Proto-Germanic wurdiz, from Proto-Indo-European wr̥ti-, wert- (“to turn”)]

A Logolept’s Diet of Obscure, Obsolete, Curious and Downright Odd “V” Words

Posted on by demonymonic
Literary & Linguistics, Popular Culture, Regional History, Science and society, Society & Culture

”V” for verbiage – a plethora of words!

V (lower case: v) is the twenty-second letter in the Latin alphabet, it appears in the modern English A—Z as well in as the alphabets of other western European languages. Its name in English is pronounced vee. As is the case with its sequential predecessor, “U”, which was the conduit for V’s linguistic journey, “V” ultimately comes from the Phoenician letter waw.The letter “V” in the popular consciousness is forever associated with “victory”, a symbolic nexus forged during the Second World War as a rallying call for the Allies’ war effort. It’s originator, an obscure Belgian politician, largely forgotten by the overarching giantic shadow of the phrase’s populariser, that wallflower of the shrinking violet variety, Sir Winston Churchill, for which the term “V for victory”, along with its accompanying Winnie trademark two-digit gesture, is eternally associated. Again, as with the letter “U”, Latin root words form the nucleus of “V” words in the following list.

<word> <meaning> <derivation>

Vaccimulgence: the milking of cows [L. vacci- (“cow”) +‎ –mulgentia (“milking”)] 🐄 🥛

Vadelect: serving man, part of the household staff; personal servant [L. vadelectus, vad- (“go”) + unknown (?)]

Valetudinarian: a person who is obsessed with some ailment; hypochondriac [L. valēre, (“to have strength”; “to be well.”) + -ian]

Valuta: comparative value of different currencies (USD: AUD, etc) [[L. valēre]

Valuta (source: 123rf.com)

Vaniloquent: speaking only of oneself or speaking egotistically [L. vanus (“vain”) + –loqui (“speak”)]

Vapulate: to beat with a whip [L. vāpulō [Prob. onomatopoeic in its origin, meaning “cry”; “wail”) from which meaning the attested meaning “be beaten, be stricken” evolved]

Veduta: panoramic view of a town; highly detailed, often large scaled painting or print of a cityscape or other vista [It. veduta (“view”)]

Veduta: (townscape: View of Bracciano by Paul Bril; early 1620s)

Vellichor: the strange wistfulness of used bookstores, which are somehow infused with the passage of time [velli- (unknown?) + -chor (“sing”; “dance”)]

Vellichor (photo: en.japantravel.com)

Velocious: with great speed [L. veloc-, velox (“quick”) + -ious] (cf. Velocipede: swift-footed person)

Velologist: collecting of, study of, buying & selling of vehicle tax discs (UK) [L. velo (unknown?) + -logy]

Velologist

Venator: (also Venerer) hunter; huntsman (cf. Venatrix (Fem.)); (Hist.) a type of Roman gladiator who specialised in hunting wild animals; type of wolf spider 🕷️ [from L. vēnor (“I hunt”) +‎ -tor]

Vendible: capable of being sold [L. vēndere (“to sell”) + -bilis (“capable of being acted upon)”]

Venineman: juror (derivation unknown)

Ventripotent: having a fat belly, or being a glutton [L. ventr-, venter– (“abdomen”) + -potent-, potens, from OldLat. potēre (“to be powerful”)]

Venustaphobia: fear of beautiful women [L. Venus (“Roman goddess of love and beauty”) venust (“beautiful”) + -phobia]

Verbarian: coiner of words [MidLat. verbum (“word”; “verb”) + -arian]

Verbigerate: to continually repeat a word or phrase meaninglessly, usually unconciously [L. verbum (“word”) + -gerare, from gerere (“to carry”)]

Verger: church usher and attendant [L. verge (“rod”; “wand of office”) + -er] ⛪️

Veriloquent: speaking nothing but the truth [L. vērāc– (“true”) + –loqui] (cf. Veridical: veracious; genuine; truthful)

Vernarexia: (also Vernalagnia) a romantic mood brought on by Spring; “Spring Fever” [L. vernal (“spring”) + -orexia (“desire”)]

Vernarexia

Versutiloquent: speaking craftily [ L. versūtus, from vertö, versum (“to turn”) + loqui] (cf. Versute: crafty; wily; artful)

Vertiginous: extremely high or steep; giddy, dizziness (affected by Vertigo) [L. veriginosus, from vertigo (“whirling about”)]

Vertiginous (source: atlasobscura.com)

Vespertine: happening or active in the evening; flourishing or flowering at night [Gk. Hesperus is from (“evening star”) + -ine] (cf. Vesper: evening; the evening star)

Vesthibitionism: the flirtatious display of undergarments by a woman [L. vestimenta, (“clothes or undergarments”) + –exhibeo, (“to show”) +-ism]

Vestigial: a very small remnant of something once greater or more noticeable; rudimentary or degenerate organ/body part [Unknown, possibly from earlier verstīgium, from L. verrō (“to sweep”), or poss. from vē- +‎ stīgō, from Proto-Indo-European stéygeti (“to walk”)]

Vetanda: forbidden things [Vetanda in Sanskrit vetanda (? “elephant”)]

Vetust: very ancient [L. vetustus (“old, ancient”)]

Vexillologist: a collector of flags for display [L. vexillum (“flag”) + -logist] 🇧🇷🇧🇮🇬🇱🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇨🇽🇺🇬🇨🇼

Viātor: “traveller;” “wayfarer” [from L. via (“track or road”) + -tor] (cf. Viaggiatory: traveling frequently)

Viator: Marco Polo was a viator

Vicennial: occurring every twenty years [LateLat. vīcennium, (“period of twenty years”)]

Vicinage: neighbourhood; residents in a neighbourhood [L. vīcīnus (“neighbour”)]

Victrix: female victor [from L. vincere (“conquer”)]

Victrix (image: lessonplanned.co.uk)

Victualler: one who operates a pub or eatery; supplier of provisions to a naval ship or army; seller of alcohol [L. victus (“food”) + -ler]

Videndum: the thing to be seen [L. vindendus, from videō (“I see”)]

Vigneron: wine-grower 🍷 [from OldFr. vigne, (+ -ron) from L. vīnea (“vines in a vineyard”)]

Vigneron (photo: vigneron-independant.com/)

Vilipend: to treat or regard with contempt; to belittle; to speak slanderously or slightingly of someone [LateLat. vīlipendere, from L. vīlis (“worthless”) + -pendere (“to esteem”)]

Virago: a woman who demonstrates abundant masculine virtues [L. virāgō (“vigorous maiden”) from vir– (“man-like”) + -ago] (cf. Viraginity)

Virgivitiphobia: a fear of being raped [L. virgi (“marriageable girl”?) + -phobia]

Viripotent: fit for a husband; marriageable [L. vir (“man”) + –potens (“fit for”)]

Virvestitism: a preference of some women to wear mens clothing [origin unknown)

y [L. viaggiatore (“traveller”; “voyager”) + -tory)] (cf. Viator:

Viatical: of, like or pertaining to roads or travel (cf. Viatecture: construction of roads and bridges)

Vociferant: clamorous; shout; complain; argue loudly or vehemently [L. vox (“voice”) + –ferre (“carry”)]

Voluptuary: sensualist; person fond of luxury [ LateLat. voluptuārius, from L. voluptārius (“pleasure-seeker”; “agreeable”; “delightful”; “pleasant”; “sensual”), (cf. Volupty: sexual pleasure)

Voraginous: pertaining to something which devours everything [L. vorāginōsus, from vorāgō (“abyss”) + -ous]

Vorago: gulf; chasm; abyss (origin unknown)

Votary: a devoted follower, esp a monk or nun; adherent; a staunch advocate of someone or something else [L. vot (“vowed”) + -ary]

Votary

Vulgus: the common people [L. volvō (“I roll”; “turn over”) (cf. Vulgo: commonly; popularly)

Vulpine: pertaining to foxes; (Literal: crafty; cunning [L. vulpinus, from vulpes (“fox”)] 🦊

A Logolept’s Diet of Obscure, Obsolete, Curious and Downright Odd “U” Words

Posted on by demonymonic
Adult education, Geography, Leisure activities, Literary & Linguistics, Popular Culture, Regional History, Society & Culture

Doing a U-turn!

The letter “U”, 21st letter and ultima vowel of the Latin alphabet, phonemetically one-half of the letter “W” (“double-U”). “U” derives from the Semitic waw, as does F, and later, Y, W, and V. Pictorially its oldest ancestor goes to Egyptian hieroglyphs, and is probably sourced from a hieroglyph of a mace or fowl, representing the sound [v] or the sound [w]. This was borrowed to Phoenician, where it represented the sound [w], and seldom the vowel [u]. The bulk of the U-words that follow reveal the extent of the debt of their Latin roots.

<word> <meaning> <derivation>

Uberous: yielding an abundance of milk 🐄 🥛[L. uber (“full”; “fruitful”; “fertile”; “abundant”; “plentiful”; “copious”; “productive”) + -ous] (cf. Uberty: fruitfulness; abundantly productive)

Ubicity: whereabouts [L. ubi (“where”) + -icity] (cf. Ubique: everywhere)

Ucalegon: neighbour whose house is on fire [eponym from ancient Greek. ~ an Elder of Troy, Ucalegon’s house was set afire by the Achaeans during the sack of Troy (the Iliad; the Aeneid]

Ucalegon

Ulotrichous: having woolly hair [Gk. oûlos, (“crisp, curly”) + –trikhos, (“haired”)]

Ultimo: of last month [L. ultimo (“mense”) (“in the last month”)]

Ultimogeniture: inheritance/right of succession going to the last son [L. ultimus (“last”) + Late Lat.-genitura (“a late birth”)]

Ultracrepidate: to criticise beyond the range of one’s knowledge; to go beyond one’s purview [L. ultra crepidam (“beyond the sandal”)]

Ultrafidian: going beyond more than mere faith; gullible [L. ultrā (“beyond”) + -fidem (“faith”) + -ian]

Ultrageous: violently extreme [L. ultrā + –geous(?)]

Ultraist: someone holding extreme views [L. ultrā + -ist]

Ultraist activism: the upsurge in far-right politics (photo: ft.com)

Ultramontane: south of the Alps; other side of the Alps; a Catholic Church belief that supports the pope’s supreme authority [L. ultrā + -mont-, -mons (“mountain”)]

Ultramontane: the Papal cross-keys, symbolising the Papacy

Ultroneous: pertaining to a witness who testifies voluntarily [L. ultroneus, from ultro (“to the further side, on his part, of one’s own accord”)]

Unasinous: equally as stupid as each other [L. ünus (“one”) + -asinus (“ass”) + -ous]

Unctuous: oily; slimy; greasy; offensively suave and smug; ingratiating; sycophantic [L. unguere (“to anoint”) + -ous]

Undecennial: occurring every eleven years [L. undecim (“eleven”) + –ial]

Undinism: the trait of having erotic thoughts when viewing or contemplating water; an awakening of the libido caused by viewing running water or urine [L. unda (“wave”) -ism]

Undinism (image: theseamossharvest.com)

Unicity: the fact of being or consisting of one, or of being united as a whole; the quality of being unique [L. ūnicitās, ūnicus (“uniqueness”) + -ity]

Unigeniture: the state of being the only begotten (ie, fathering a child into existence) [L. unigenitus (“only-begotten”), from unus (“one”) + –genitum (“to beget”)]

Unipara: a woman who gives birth only the once [unus, unius + –parus (“to produce”)]

Unsinew: to take the strength from [un- + from Old Saxon. sinewa]

Untreasure: to despoil [un- + Gk. thēsaurós, (“treasure house”)]

Unwithdrawing: not withdrawing or retreating”; “lavish or liberal” [un- + MidEng. from with from + drawen (“to draw”)]

Unzymotic: fabulous [(?) un- + zumoûn (“to ferment”)]

Upaithric: roofless; open to the sky [Gk. hypaithros, from hypo- + aithēr (“ether”; air”)]

Upas: poisonous or harmful institution or influence [Indon. Malay pohon upas (“poison tree”)] 🌳

Upas: the highly toxic Upas tree (source: naturespoisons.com)

Uraniscus: roof of the mouth; the palate [Gk. ouranískos, (“ceiling”)]

Uranism: male homosexuality [Gk. ouránios, (“heavenly”; “spiritual”)]

Urinator: a diver, especially someone who searches for things underwater [L. ūrīnātor (“diver”), from ūrīnor (“to plunge under water”; “dive”), poss. from ūrīna (“urine”; water(?))]

Urinator (source: Southeast Texas Scuba)

Ursine: of, like or pertaining to bears [from L. ursus (“bear”)] (cf. Ursiform: having the shape or appearance of a bear)

Urticant: (Path.) causing a stinging or itching sensation; irritating [MedLat. urticant-, urticans, from L. urticare (“to sting”)]

Usance: (orig.) habit; custom; firmly established and generally accepted practice or procedure; use, employment; (obs.) interest [L. ūsant-, from ūsāre (“to use”)]

Usitative: signifying a usual act [L. usitari (“to use often”)]

Usufruct: (Civil Law) the right to use and enjoy something; a limited real right which unites the two property interests of usus (usage of or access to) is the right to use or enjoy a thing possessed, directly and without altering it) and fructus (the right to derive profit from a thing possessed: eg, by selling crops (the “fruits” of production), leasing immovables or annexed movables, taxing for entry, and so on [L. uses et fructus (“use and employment”)] 𓍝

Uxorial: of, like or pertaining to a wife [L. uxōrius (“of or pertaining to a wife; overly fond of one’s wife”) from uxor (“wife”) + -al ] (cf. Uxorious: excessively fond of one’s wife) (cf. Uxorodespotic: morbid domineering by one’s wife; wifely tyranny of her husband ➲ (cf. Maritodespotism: tyrannical rulership of a wife by her husband)

⛩︎⛩︎⛩︎⛩︎⛩︎⛩︎ ⛩︎⛩︎⛩︎⛩︎⛩︎⛩︎ ⛩︎⛩︎⛩︎⛩︎⛩︎⛩︎

A Logolept’s Diet of Obscure, Obsolete, Curious and Downright Odd “T” Words

Posted on by demonymonic
Creative Writing, Literary & Linguistics, Popular Culture, Regional History, Science and society, Society & Culture

”T” time for wordsmiths

The letter “T”/“t”, in English pronounced tee, numero venti (20) in the Latin alphabet, like many of its letters owes its advent to the Phoenicians et al. It derives from the Semitic Taw 𐤕 and Paleo-Hebrew script (Aramaic and Hebrew Taw ת/𐡕/, Syriac Taw ܬ, and Arabic ت Tāʼ) and once again the linguistic go-between is the Greek letter τ (tau). Unlike the English “T”, Taw was the last letter of the Western Semitic and Hebrew alphabets. The T-words that follow consist of lexemes and morphemes of all shapes and sizes, including the unholy trinity of the trim, the taut and the terrific, not to forget the terras, the teles, the technos, the thermos, the tachys, and a whole lot more!

<word> <meaning> <derivation>

Tabefaction: wasting away; emaciation (origin unknown)

Tabellary: auditor; carrier of letters [L. tabellārius from tabella (“letter”) +‎ -ārius]

Tabellion: (Hist.) a scrivener under the Roman Empire with some notarial powers; an official scribe or notary public especially in England and New England in the 17th and 18th cent. [from L. tabella + -ion] 🪶

Tabellion: a Roman scribe 📜

Tacenda: things not to be mentioned [from [L. tacëo (“silent;” “shut up”)] (cf. Tacent: (“to be silent”; “hold one’s tongue”)

Tachyphrasia: the act of talking very fast [Gk. takhús, (“swift”) + -phrasia (“talk”; “say”)] (cf. Tachyphagia: fast eating) (cf. Tachygraphy: shorthand; literally, “speedy writing” ✍️

Taliped: with a club-foot; with a foot twisted out of shape or position [L. talus (“ankle”) (?) + –ped (“foot”)]

Tambour: (Arch.) sloping buttress wall or fortification [Fr. tambour (“drum”), from Arabic ‎ṭunbūr]

Tantième: share of profits or royalties [Fr. tantième (“percentage”;“proportion”)]

Tapinosis: use of degrading or diminutive diction regarding a topic; undignified language that debases something or someone; deliberately using a base word to diminish a person or thing’s dignity [Gk. tapeinós, (“low”)] (cf. Meiosis – using a euphemism to depreciate an object or thing’s size or significance)

Tarantism: (Psych.) an extreme impulse to dance, esp to overcome a feeling of melancholy [It. tarantismo (from Italian city of Taranto (during (15th-(17th. a spider bite from the tarantula was believed to trigger the dancing mania)] 🕷️

Tarantella, the frenetic dance inspired by Tarantism (source: britannica.com)

Tardiloquent: speaking slowly [L. tardi (“slow”) + –loqui] (cf. Tardigrade: slow-paced)

Tauromachy: the art or practice of bullfighting [Gk. taurus (“bull”) + –machia (“fight”)] 🐂

Tautochronous: lasting the same amount of time [Gk. tauto (“the same”) + –khrónos (“time”) + -ous]

Tautonym: word composed of two identical words/spellings/sounds (in repetition) eg, paw-paw, yo-yo 🪀 [Gk. tautó, (“the same”) + –onuma (“name”)]

Technopole: place where high-technology industries are located; tech hub [Gk. tékhnē, (“skill”) + –pólis (“city”)] (cf. Tectiform: shaped like a roof) (cf. Tectonic: structural component of a building/construction)

Technopole (image: mixcloud)

Telegenic: having an appearance and exhibiting qualities thought to be attractive to television viewers [Gk. têle, (“at a distance”; “far off”; “far away”; “far from”) + -genḗs, (“offspring”; “kind”)]

Telekinetic: (Psychic.) supposed skill to move objects at a distance by exercising your mental power only [Gk. têle + –kinēsis (“motion”) from -kinein (“to move”)]

Telos: ultimate object or aim; provides the moral justification [Gk. télos, (“end”; “purpose” or “goal'”)]

Temporality: (Philos.) linear projection of past, present and future; existing within or having some relationship with time; temporal [L. temporālis (“of time”) + –itāt, itās]

Tempore: in the time of; in historical literature, denotes a period during which a person whose exact lifespan is unknown, was known to have been alive or active, or some other date which is not exactly known, usually given as the reign of a monarch [L. tempus (“time”; “period”)] (cf. Temporise: to delay; to procrastinate) 🕰️

Tenebrific: producing darkness [NewLat. tenebrae (“darkness”) + -i- + -ficus] cf. Tenebrose: dark; gloomy) 🌃

Tentamen: experiment; attempt [L. tentāmen (“attempt”)] (cf. Tentation: experiment by trial and error)

Tentigo: priapism, tumescence; morbid lasciviousness [L. tentīgō (“lust”), from tendō (“stretch”)] (cf. Tentiginous: “lust-provoking”)

Teratology: study of monsters, freaks, abnormal growths or malformations [Greek terat-, téras– (“sign sent by the gods”; “portent”;“marvel”; “monster”) + –logie (“-logy”)] (cf. Teratoid: resembling a monster) (cf. Teramorphous: of abnormal or monstrous form)

Teratology (credit: GregLuzniakArt/Etsy)

Terdiurnal: three times per day [L. ter (“thrice”) + LateLat. –diurnalis “daily”)

Terebration: a pain that feels as though a drill is boring through some body part [L. terebro, (“to bore”) + -ion]

Tergal: of, like or pertaining to the back; (Zool.) relating to the terga of an arthropod [L. terga (“the back”)]

Tergal: the back of an arthropodic beetle 🪲

Tergiversation: the act of evading any clear course of action or speech, of being deliberately ambiguous; equivocation; fickleness [L. tergiversātiō, from tergiversārī (“to turn one’s back, to evade”; to avoid”) + -tiō (“-tion]

Termagant: a violent, nagging, brawling woman; a shrew [MidEng. termagaunt, earlier tervagaunt, alteration of OldFr. tervagan (“name of the imaginary deity”)]

Terraneous: of, like or pertaining to the earth [L. terrenum (“land”; “ground”), from terra (“earth”) + -ous] (cf. Terrigenous: produced on land; produced by the land)

Terremotive: (Geology) relating to an earthquake; seismic [L. terra (“earth”) + –mōtus (“movement”)]

Terremotive (Diagram: worldatlas.com)

Terrisonant: having a terrible sound [L. terrëo (“frighten”; “terrify”; “scare away” + -ant]

Tessaraglot: a person who is capable of speaking in four languages [Gk. téssara (“four”) + –glôssa (“tongue”)] 👅

Tessellation: fitting together exactly; leaving no spaces; surface tiling with no gaps or overlays [L. tessella (“small square”) from Gk. tessera, (“four”)]

Tessellation (source: tilewizards.com.au)

Tesserarian: of, like or pertaining to games of dice [Gk. tessera + -ian] 🎲

Testicond: having the testes concealed within the body [L. testis (“testis”) + –condere (“to hide”)]

Thalassic: marine; of seas; of inland seas [Gk. thalassa (“sea”)] (cf. Thalassography: science of the sea) 🌊

Thanatopsis: the contemplation of death; considering one’s mortality [Gk. thanatos (“death”) + –opsis‘ (“view”; “sight”)] (cf. Thanatoid: apparently dead; deathly; deadly)

Thaumaturgic: performer of miracles, esp a magician or a saint [Gk. thaumatourgós (“performer of wonders (as an acrobat”) + -ia – y]

Theandric: divine and human at the same time [Gk. theandros (“God-man”)]

Thelemite: one who does as he or she pleases; libertine [Fr. thélémite, from L’Abbaye de Thélème, imaginary abbey with the motto “Do as you please” in Gargantua (1535) by François Rabelais (1553) + -ite] (cf. Thelemic: allowing people to do as they wish [Gk. thelema (“will”) + -ic)

Thelemite: L’Abbaye de Thélème, Rabelais’ fictional “anti-monastery”

Thelyotokous: having only female offspring [Gk. thêlus, “female”) + –tókos, (“birth”)]

Theologaster: petty or shallow theologian [Gk. theológos, (“one who talks about the gods”; “theologian”) + L. –aster (“inferior”; “shallow”, etc.)

Theotherapist: faith-healer; treatment of illness or disease by prayer and other religious exercises [Gk. theó, (“god”) + -therapeía, “(service”; “medical treatment”)]

Thereoid: bestial; savage [Gk. thēr, thērós (“beast”; “animal”) + –oid (“-like”)]

Thereology: the art of healing; therapeutics [Gr. therein=therapeuein, (“to tend the sick”) + -logy]

Theriacal: (Medic.) of, like or pertaining to antidotes [Gk. thēriakḕ, “of or related to poisonous reptiles”), from thēríon, “little beast”) from thḗr + -al]

Therianthropic: combining human and animal forms [Gk. thērianthrōpos (“beast-man”)]

Theriatrics: the science of veterinary medicine [Gk. thḗr, (“wild beast”) + iatrós, (“doctor”)]

Thermoplegia: (Medic.) heat- or sunstroke [Gk. thermos (“heat”) + –plēgē (“paralysis”; “stroke”)]

Thesmothete: law-giver; (Hist.) a junior archon or magistrate responsible for legislation in Ancient Greece [from Gk. thesmothétēs]

Thirdborough: petty provincial constable [MidEng. thridborro, probably by folk etymology, from frithborg (“frankpledge”)]

Thooid: resembling a wolf; (Zool.) relating to an obsolete group of carnivores including wolves, dogs and jackals [Gk. thōs jackal + -oid]

Threnody: a lament for the dead (poem, speech, song) [Gk. thrēnōidia, from thrēnos, (“dirge”)]

Threpterolagnia: A lust for female nurses [Gk. threptero(?) + –lagnia (“coitus”; “lust”)]

Thyestean: cannibalistic [from Greek mythology, Thyestes, a king of Olympia, was served his own children’s flesh by his vengeful twin brother Atreus as revenge for adultery]

Thygatrilagnia: an incestuous desire by a father for his own daughter [Gk. thygatro (“daughter”) + –lagnia]

Tibialoconcupiscent: having a lascivious interest in watching women put on stockings [L. tibia (“shinbone”?) + -lo (?) + –concupiscēns, –concupiscere (“to conceive an ardent desire for”)]

Timbromaniac: an avid stamp collector; a passionate philatelist [Fr. from timbre (“postage stamp”) +‎ -o- +‎ -mania]

Timbromaniac (credit: istockphoto.com)

Tirocinium: a soldier’s first battle; military baptism of fire [L. tirocinium (“first military campaign”; “inexperienced raw recruit”; “first attempt”]

Tmesis: a word compound that is divided into two parts, with another word infixed between the parts for emphasis, thus constituting a separate word compound, eg, “Absar—bloody—lutely!”; “in—fucking—credible!” [Gk. tmēsis (“a cutting”) from temnō, (“I cut”)]

Tolutiloquent: pertaining to a smooth talker, characterised by fluency or glib utterances [L. tolutim, “trotting along”) + –loqui (“speak”)]

Tomecide: the act of “murdering” or destroying a book, esp by the act of book burning [Gk. tomḗ + -cide]

Tomecide: Book burning by the Pinochet regime after the 1973 coup in Chile

Toponym: (Onomastics) a name by which a geographical place is known or a word derived from a place name or from a topographical feature eg, cashmere from Kashmir, lima beans from Lima [Back-formation from toponymy Gk. topos (“place”) + -nym] (cf. Toponymics: the study of place names)

Toxophilite: archer; fond of or an expert in archery [Gk. toxon, (“bow and arrow”) + -phil + -ite]

Toxophilite (source: allkpop.com)

Tranch: a portion (literally: slice) of something [OldFr. trenche, (“slice”)]

Tritavia: (Ancient Rome) the female ascendant in the sixth degree; the great grandmother of one’s great grandmother; the mother of either an atavus or atavia [L. trēs (“three”) + –avus (“(“grandfather;” “uncle”)] (cf. Tritavus: great grandfather of one’s great grandfather)

Tropoclastics: the science of breaking habits [Gk. trope᷄ (“a turning”) + -klastos (“shattered”) from –klan (“to break”)

Tuism: apostrophe; reference to or regard to a second person [L. tu (“thou”) + -ism]

Tumultuary: chaotic; haphazard [L. tumultus; perhaps akin to Sanskrit tumula (“noisy”)]

Turgescence: act or process of swelling; swollenness [L. turgescent-, turgescens, turgescere (“to swell”)] (cf. Tumefy: to swell)

Turnverein: (Hist.) (19th-(20th. German-American association of gymnasts (members called “turners” promoted German culture, physical culture, and liberal politics); athletic club [Ger. turnen (“to practice gymnastics”) + verein (“club”; “union”) ]

Turnverein: Turners, Madison, Wisconsin (photo: wisconsinhistory.org)

Turriform: (Arch.) shaped like a tower [L. turris, (“tower”) from Gk. turrhís + ‑form]

Turriform: Tower of London (source: hrp.org.uk/)

Tutelary: having the guardianship of a thing [from L. tūtēla (“tutelage, guardianship; dependent, client”) + -ārius ]

Twain: two; couple or pair [MidEng. from OldEng. twēgen ] 👯

Twire: to peep out; to leer [origin unknown, perhaps akin to MidHighGer. zwieren (“to wink”)] 👀

Tycolosis: accident prevention (origin unknown)

Typhlology: the study of blindness [Gk. tuphlós (“blind”) + -logy] 🕶️

Tyroid: resembling cheese; cheesy [Gk. tyros (“cheese”) + -oid] (cf. Turophile: a connoisseur of cheese; a cheese fancier) 🧀