Nictate

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Dr. Goodword
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Nictate

Postby Dr. Goodword » Fri May 23, 2014 8:54 pm

• nictate •

Pronunciation: nik-tayt • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Verb, intransitive

Meaning: To wink, to blink.

Notes: Today's Good Word is a reduction of the verb nictitate by a process known as 'haplology'. Haplology is the collapse of two identical or very similar adjacent syllables into one. Probably, for instance, is usually reduced to 'probly' when pronounced because of the two contiguous instances of the sound [ahb] in its middle. Nictitate had a [tê] and a [tey] side by side—similar enough for haplology. Nictation is the noun. The adjective, nictitant "blinking", was produced by the original verb, nictitate.

In Play: Ladies, here is a good way to handle someone who comes on too strong: "Are you making a pass at me or does your eye nictate involuntarily?" Your vocabulary alone should deter him. Nictation is not limited to eyes, though, "They loved to sit together on a susurrous, moonlit beach and watch the slowly nictating lighthouse across the bay."

Word History: Today's Good Word comes from Latin nictat(us), the past participial stem of nictare "to wink or blink". This word is a cognate with Old High German hnigan "to bow", neigen in Modern German today. Another relative is connive, which comes from Latin connivere "to close the eyes", which somewhere way back was made up of con- "together, with" + nict + ere "to".
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Philip Hudson
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Re: Nictate

Postby Philip Hudson » Sat May 24, 2014 9:51 pm

My sister was somewhat older than I. I was a shy kid. All my sister’s female friends were constantly nictating at me to see me blush and duck my head. When I became a young teen, however, my sister included me in social activities with girls her age and that was okay with me. Something changed along the way.
It is dark at night, but the Sun will come up and then we can see.

Perry Lassiter
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Re: Nictate

Postby Perry Lassiter » Sun May 25, 2014 2:47 pm

The origin of your 'umility no doubt!
pl


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