“W”, “X”, “Y” & “Z” Words from Left Field II: Redux. A Supplement to the Logolept’s Diet

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

<word meaning & root formation>

Wadi: valley; stream; watercourse drying up in summer; oasis [from Arab. wādī‎, (“river” or “watercourse,”)]

Wadi in Jordan

Wanion: unluckily, due to the waning of the moon [from MidEng. waniand, from wanien, wanen (“to wane”)]

Withershins: in an unfortunate direction [from MidHighGer. wider (“against”)+ –sin (“direction”)]
Witling: a petty smart Alec; a mere pretender to wit (Bowler)[conjunction of wit + -ling]

<word meaning & root formation>

Xenium: a present given to a guest [from Gk. xenial (pertaining to hospitality or relationship between host and guest) (cf. Xenodochium: a building for the reception of strangers; a caravanserai)

Caravanserai in Fars, Iran

Xenogenous: due to an outside cause; of foreign origin [from Gk. xeno]

word meaning & root formation

Yaul: to deviate from a stable course because of oscillation about the longitudinal axis (Rocket science) (Origin unknown)

Yegg: a burglar of safes; safecracker (Origin obscure: one (dubious) suggestion is from German jäger (“hunter”))

The challenge of the Yegg (Chubb advertisement)

Yemeles: negligent; careless; heedless [OldEng. from Germ.]

Yisse: desire or covet (Origin unknown)

word meaning & root formation

Zeigarnik: (Psych.) the theory that people remember unfinished or interrupted tasks better than completed tasks; the tendency to remember an uncomplicated task [named after Lithuanian-Soviet psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik (Zeigarnik Effect]

Zelotypia: morbid zeal; excessive jealousy [L. zēlotypia (“jealousy”) (Pliny) from Gk. (“jealousy, rivalry, envy“) 

Zoilism: carping; destructive criticism [from Zoilus, ancient Greek grammarian and literary critic … was hyper-critical of Homer (Zoilus the “Homeromastix”)]

Zoilus of Ephesus

Zooerastia: (–asty) the practice of a human engaging in sexual intercourse with an animal; bestiality [from Gk. zoo + -astia]

Zoopery: experimentation on animals [from zoo + L. –operārī (“to work, labor, toil, have effect”)]

Zugzwang: a state of play in chess where the player is at a disadvantage as his or her next move will worsen their position in the game (cf. snookering) [from Ger. (“compulsion to move”)]

Zugzwang

“U” and “V” Words from Left Field II: Redux. A Supplement to the Logolept’s Diet

Posted on by demonymonic
Ancient history, Archaeology, Creative Writing, Memorabilia, Regional History, Sport

<: word meaning root formation:>

Ucalegon: neighbour whose house is on fire or has burned down [from Gk. Oukalégōn – one of the Elders of whose house was set on fire by the Achaeans during the sack of Troy, a character in the Iliad (3.148)]

Ucalegon

Ultracrepidarian: going too far; overstepping the mark; presumptious; intruding in someone else’s beeswax [from L. ultra- (“beyond”) +‎ –crepidarian (“things concerning shoemaking”); attributed to the 18th–19th cent English essayist and writer William Hazlitt]

Ululate: to howl like a wolf [from L. ululāre (“to howl or bay”)]

Ululate (source: the Conversation)

Umbersorrow:  fit, robust, sturdy, resisting disease or the effects of severe weather; rugged, uncultivated, surly disposition [from Scot. Eng. origin obscure]

Umbriferous: shady; making shade [from L. umbrifer, from umbra (“a shade”) + –ferre (“to bear”)]

Undinism: the association of water with erotic thoughts; sexual arousal from urination [from Ger. undine from L. unda (“wave”)+‎ -ism]

Unidextral: capable of using one hand only [L. uni (“one only”) + –dexter (“right hand”)] ✋

Upaithric: (Arch.) (a building or structure) without a roof [Gk. Origin obscure] (Synonym: Hypethral)

Upaithric

Urorilocal: (refer to Uxorious in the Logolept’s Diet 1.0) living with one’s wife’s family  [borrowed from L. uxōrius (“of or pertaining to a wife”), from uxor (“wife”) + -local(?)]

<: word meaning root formation:>

Valetudinarian: an invalid, esp one with a tendency towards hypochondria; a person who is unduly anxious about their health [from L. valēre, (“to have strength” or “to be well”) + -arian]

Vapulatory: relating to flogging or beating [from L. vāpulō (“cry”; “wail”)]

Venery: sexual indulgence (from L. vener-, venus– (“sexual desire, sexual intercourse”) + -ery]

Verecund: modest; shy; bashful [from L. verēcundus (“shy, modest”)]

Verkramp: someone narrow-minded or extremely conservative in their views [Afrik. “cramped”]

Vetust: venerable from antiquity [from L. vetustus (“old, ancient”)]

Viduity: widowhood [from MidEng. (Scots) viduite, from L.  vidua (“widow”) + –ity]

Viviseplture: the practice of burying someone alive [from L. vivus (“alive”) + –sepulture (from L. sepultura (“bury”)]

Viviseplture

Voteen: a zealously pious person [from Gael. Irish. corruption of devotee + -een]

Vulpinate: to wilily cheat or deceive someone [from L. vulpes (“fox” )]

Vulpinate (source: Wild Earth Guardians)

“T” Words from Left Field II: Redux. A Supplement to the Logolept’s Diet

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

<word meaning & root formation>

Tabescent: {appeared in Logolept’s Diet 1.0 but sans its Latin etymology, included here} [from L. tabescens]

Talionic: retaliation; retribution [from MidFr. talion, from L. talis (“such”)]

Tapinosis: {also made an entry in Logolept’s Diet 1.0 but have added Peter Bowler’s definition} the use of degrading diction [from Gk. tapeínōsis, (“lowering”)]

Tarhood: group of sailors, or state of being a sailor; collective term for sailors [from Dut. teer(?) (“seaman”; “mariner”)]

Tarhood

Tardigrade: slow in movement; microscopic water bear [from L. tardigradus (“slowly stepping”), from tardus (“slow”) + -gradior (“step”; “walk”)]

Tardigrade (source: Front Line Genomics)

Tautegorical: saying the same thing with different words, opposite of allegorical [poss. from MidEng. tought (“distended”) + -gori(?) + -cal]

Tegestologist: a collector of beer mats or coasters [from L. teges (“covering”; “mat”) +‎ -logy]

Tegestologist

Temulency: inebriation; drunkenness [from L. temulentia]

Tetragram: a word containing four letters [from Gk. tetra (“four”). + -grāmma (“letter”)]

Thelyphthoric: that which corrupts the morals of women (Gk. Nonce word (?): coined by English clergyman and writer Martin Madan (1780) poss. from thelus (“woman”) + –phthora (“destruction”; “ruin.”) + –ic]

Thersitical: abusive and foul-mouthed; scurrilous; grossly defamatory [Gk. after Thersites, a minor character in the Iliad who slandered and mocked Agamemnon]

Thersitical (Iliad)

Thigmotaxis: the movement of an organism in response to stimulus [Gk. thigma, thigma (“touch”) +  –taxis, (“arrangement”; “order”)]

Thrasonical: bragging and boasting; of, relating to, resembling, or characteristic of Thraso; a vainglorious boaster and swaggerer [L. Thrason-, Thraso, + (-cal): “Thraso”, a braggart soldier in the comedic play Eunuchus by 2nd century BC Roman dramatist Terence]

Thrasonical (Eunuchus)

Tiffin: a snack or light lunch (meaning uncertain)

Tonitruous: thundering; explosive 🧨 [from L. tonitruum (“thunder”)]

Tonsorial: pertaining to barber or hairdressing [from L. tonsor (“barber”) from tondere (“shear”; “clip”) + -al]

Tonsorial (source: ranksmap.com)

Toparch: ruler or prince of a small district, city or petty state [from Gk. (“ruler of a small district”), from tópos, “place”) +‎ –árkhēs, (“ruler”)]

Tralatitious: having a character, force, or significance transferred or derived from something extraneous; passed from one generation to another; handed down (metaphorically) [from L. transferre (“to transfer”) + -itius, -icius (“-itious“)

Tregetour: a magician or juggler 🤹 [from OldFr. tres (“across”) + -geter, -jeter (“to throw”)]

Trilemma: a difficult choice from three options, each of which is unacceptable or unfavourable [modelled on dilemma, with di- (“prefix meaning ‘two, twice, double’”) replaced by tri- (“prefix meaning ‘three’”)]

Tristiloquy: a dull and depressing speech [(?) + -loqui (“speech”)]

”S” Words from Left Field II: Redux. A Supplement to the Logolept’s Diet

Posted on by demonymonic
Biographical, Creative Writing, Politics, Popular Culture, Regional History, Society & Culture

<Word meaning & root formation>

Sacerdotophrenia: clerical stagefright [It. Sp. Por. sacerdote (“priest”) + –phrēn (“diaphragm”; “mind”)]

Sacerdotophrenia

Saltire: X-shaped or diagonal cross [from MidFr. sautoir from MedLat. saltatoria]

Sanguisugent: bloodsucking; bloodthirsty [from L. sanguis (“blood”) + -gent(?)] 🩸

Sapid: flavoursome; lively; interesting [L. sapidus (“tasty”) from sapere (“to taste”)]

Scrivener: a copyist of documents; a clerk, scribe or notary [from OldFr. escrivein from L. scriba (“scribe”)]

Sebastomania: religious insanity or mania [ [Gk. sebastos, (“reverence”) + -mania]

Sermocination: the practice of making speeches; the habit of preaching constantly [from L. sermo (“speech”; “conversation”) + -ion]

Sermocination (photo: David Henry)

Sicarian: a murderer, especially an assassin; mercenary fighter [from Sicarii a group of Jewish zealots/insurrectionists opposing the Roman occupation of Judea; cloak-and-dagger assassination unit [from sicae (“small daggers (sickles) concealed in the sicariis’ cloaks”]

Sicarian (image: EBay)

Sillograph: writer of satires [from the book Gk. Sílloi by Timon of Phlius, (flourished ca.280 BC)+‎ -graphe]

Sillograph (Timon)

Smatchet: a small, nasty person or child; a contemptible, unmannerly person [Scot. Eng. probably from MidEng. smatch + -et]

Somatoparaphrenia: (Psych. ) a type of monothematic delusion where one denies ownership of a limb or an entire side of one’s body [from Gk. sôma, (“body”) + -para (“beside”) + –phrenia]

Staurophobia: pathological aversion to the cross or crucifix (eg, cinematic portrayals of Dracula) [Gk. staurós, (“cross”) + -phobia]

Staurophobia: staurophobe-in-chief

Stegophile: someone whose pastime is climbing tall buildings [Gk. stegos (“roof”) + -philos]

Stegophile (source: wattpad.com)

Stentorphonic: speaking very loudly [from Stentōr, a Greek herald in the Trojan War (Homer’s Iliad)]

Stentorphonic (image: tumblr.com)

Stramineous: strawlike; valueless; consisting of straw [L. stramineus (“of straw”) from sternere (“to strew”; “spread out”; “lay flat”)]

Subderisorious: mocking gently and with affection; ridiculing with moderation [L. sub (“below”; “under”) + L. –dērīdeō (“I deride”) + -ous]

Subintelligitur: a meaning or understanding (as of a statement) implied but not expressed [from L. sub- (“secretly”; “under”) + intelligere (“to understand”) + -al]

Succussion: the action or process of shaking the body or the condition of being shaken especially with violence [L. sucussio, from -cussus, (“to shake up”)]

Supernumerary: (person) in addition to usual or necessary number [L. super- (“above”) + number]

Susurrant: gently whispering and rustling [from L. susurrare (“to whisper”)]

Syncretistic: seeking to identify common features of different belief systems, philosophies or civilisations and assimilate them or merge them into a single system [from syncretise (“to attempt to unite and harmonise”), from Gk. synkrētismos (“joining together of Greeks”)] 

Synethnic: of (or together with) same race or country [Gk. syn (“same”; “with”; “together”) + –ethno (“people”; “race”; “tribe”; “nation”)]