Search found 102 matches
- Thu May 09, 2024 10:26 am
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: Huff
- Replies: 1
- Views: 60
Huff
Is this an example of onomatopoeia? The word origin is mysterious, yet I found a reference to a huff cap, meaning someone with an inflated ego. Also, it seems to be one of those words that begs rhyming with associated concepts: puff, snuff, bluff, fluff. As slush, flush, gush all have to do with wat...
- Fri Mar 29, 2024 11:37 am
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: Neuter
- Replies: 1
- Views: 536
Neuter
From Latin, meaning not either…as in gender. A necessity when learning Latin, as there are three genders, as in German. I’ve wondered how, why and when for ages and still do not know the answer. Also, why words even have genders. Had this been the case in the original Indo European langauage? Did pr...
- Wed Feb 28, 2024 1:02 pm
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: Strapping
- Replies: 2
- Views: 2199
Strapping
How did we go from a strap, meaning a band of leather to strapping, meaning tall and sturdy, robust?
- Mon Feb 05, 2024 9:25 am
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: Rumble
- Replies: 0
- Views: 1797
Rumble
This appears to be strictly a Germanic word. Both a noun and a verb. It means move with a rolling, thunderous sound. Think also of rumble seat, so called because it was directly over the wheels and that is where it was felt the most. But the I was thinking about the number of words that rhyme with r...
- Thu Feb 01, 2024 11:46 am
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: Rime
- Replies: 1
- Views: 1755
Rime
There was a slight cover of frost on the road this morning. I recalled a word from a poem we were forced to read in tenth grade English class. Rime. Meaning hoarfrost. Rarely used now except in northern England and Scotland. Is anyone able to confirm this? Does it still appear in German and Dutch?
- Fri Jan 19, 2024 7:33 am
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: Gladiator
- Replies: 1
- Views: 2935
Gladiator
From the Latin word, gladius, for sword. It’s no coincidence that the flower, gladiolus, is named this, as the leaves of the gladiolus, resemble the ancient Roman sword. The PIE root appears elsewhere.
- Tue Dec 05, 2023 10:58 am
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: Snout
- Replies: 1
- Views: 6447
Snout
This word appears to cover the gamut of Germanic languages. I was digging into the the relationship of sniff and snuff and landed on snout. All nose related. But that’s nuff…for now.
- Fri Dec 01, 2023 12:19 pm
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: Evocative
- Replies: 1
- Views: 5744
Evocative
The Latin root, vocare, is a rich source of English words. Couple that with “ex” and you get something on the order of to call out. And evocative is a calling forth, that is, bringing strong images, memories, or feelings to mind. Whether good or bad, I suppose. Think of the smell of your mother baki...
- Sun Nov 12, 2023 5:45 pm
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: Cantaloupe
- Replies: 1
- Views: 4254
Cantaloupe
I don’t know if fruit names are considered good words, but after watching a segment on You Tube, I just had to submit this word. My rudimentary Latin confirms that sing and wolf are root words for this fruit, which is so named, allegedly, because the hill town of Cantaloupe in Italy at one time, leg...
- Wed Oct 25, 2023 7:02 am
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: Tedious
- Replies: 3
- Views: 4802
Re: Tedious
Bbeeton: funny. And his friends Devious and previous.
- Sat Oct 21, 2023 7:11 am
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: Tedious
- Replies: 3
- Views: 4802
Tedious
From french, and earlier from Latin. Weariness, irksome ness, disgust.
- Wed Oct 18, 2023 11:30 am
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: Bissextile
- Replies: 1
- Views: 4374
Bissextile
I was told this means leap year. I was skeptical and checked etymology. It was the Roman leap year which added a second six days before the Calends of March.
- Wed Oct 04, 2023 9:37 am
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: Stymie
- Replies: 1
- Views: 2832
Stymie
To block, hinder or thwart. From Scottish, meaning a person who sees poorly. As understood by me this was originally used in golf when an opponents ball blocked the hole. I guess the other player couldn’t see the hole well enough so he was stymied.
- Wed Aug 30, 2023 9:19 am
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: Synod
- Replies: 1
- Views: 1782
Synod
An ecclesiastical council. Interesting that SYN denotes together and the second syllable (hodos) means travel, thus, travel together. I would imagine SYN also appears in sympathetic and similarly in similar.
- Mon Aug 14, 2023 4:26 pm
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: stochastic
- Replies: 1
- Views: 1997
stochastic
How is the meaning of this word different from random?