From "lassitudinem" - faintness or weariness.
Sounds to me more like Lassie fainting.
1 March 2012
Venerate
Comes from a discussion about whether or not the word comes from Venus: beauty love and desire. It does! I venerate the word Venerate!
29 January 2012
Dire
I find trying to write my essay is a dire task.
Dire means dreadful, terrible or disastrous.
Etymology:
1560s, from L. dirus "fearful, awful, boding ill," of unknown origin; perhaps from Oscan and Umbrian and perhaps cognate with Gk. deinos, from PIE base *dwei-.
Dire means dreadful, terrible or disastrous.
Etymology:
1560s, from L. dirus "fearful, awful, boding ill," of unknown origin; perhaps from Oscan and Umbrian and perhaps cognate with Gk. deinos, from PIE base *dwei-.
8 January 2012
Recidivist
An habitual convict (i.e. a criminal who reoffends).
So encountered because it was used in Porridge S03E05 "A Test of Character"
Etymology
re: Latin prefix to repeat
cadere - to fall back
This then became in French recidiviste, which is where the English word came from.
So encountered because it was used in Porridge S03E05 "A Test of Character"
Etymology
re: Latin prefix to repeat
cadere - to fall back
This then became in French recidiviste, which is where the English word came from.
2 January 2012
Omphalos
I think it was this word in John Simpson's autobiography: "Strange Places, Questionable People". Its usual meaning is the navel - and refers to sacred conical stones at the centre of oracles. It can also be used to mean centre.
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