NACREOUS

Use this forum to discuss past Good Words.
User avatar
Dr. Goodword
Site Admin
Posts: 7417
Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2005 9:28 am
Location: Lewisburg, PA
Contact:

NACREOUS

Postby Dr. Goodword » Mon Jun 27, 2005 12:01 am

• nacreous •

Pronunciation: ney-kri-yês • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Adjective

Meaning: 1. Comprising or resembling nacre, otherwise known as mother-of-pearl. 2. Lustrous with a play of rainbow colors, iridescent.

Notes: The plethora of clippings like prof, rep, and pic suggest English speakers like shortcuts. So, it is odd that we prefer the long, misleading phrase mother-of-pearl to the much shorter and simpler nacre [ney-kêr]. Especially so, since this Good Word comes replete with family members for all occasions: nacred "covered with mother-of-pearl", and a choice of nouns: nacreosity or nacreousness "iridescence".

In Play: Nacreous clouds are familiar to meteorologists but why let them have all the fun? "The Kremlin, framed in the nacreous clouds of sunset, burned an indelible picture in his mind." In fact, it is a word that should raise its beautiful head whenever iridescence catches our eye: "He loved the smell the salt and sun on her hair, now nacreous in the light of the setting sun."

Word History: Today's word comes from afar. We borrowed it, as usual, from French, this time from nacre "mother-of-pearl". French absorbed it from Old Italian naccaro "drum, mother of pearl", a Western copy of Arabic naqqara "small drum". The Arabic noun came from the verb naqara "to bore or pierce", apparently how the drum was made. The Italian word went on to become current Italian nacchere "castanets".
• The Good Dr. Goodword

Brazilian dude
Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 1464
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 3:31 pm
Location: Botucatu - SP Brazil

Postby Brazilian dude » Mon Jun 27, 2005 6:26 am

Who suggested this word?

Brazilian dude
Languages rule!


Return to “Good Word Discussion”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 42 guests