• apricity •
Pronunciation: ê-pri-si-ti • Hear it!
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: The light or warmth of the sun, especially in winter.
Notes: Here is a pretty word with a pleasant meaning that has been crushed under the wheels of time. Actually, before it became a victim of chronology back in the 18th century, it was rarely used. It had a verb, apricate "to expose to sunlight, to bask in the sun", which had an action noun aprication.
In Play: This word referred mostly to winter sunshine: "Sunny Daye loved to ski in the Caucasus, where she can enjoy basking in the apricity after a morning's skiing." We shouldn't forget the verb and its noun: "She loves the Black Sea beaches, too, though she often returns home red from too much aprication on them."
Word History: Today's Good Word was a modification of Latin apricitus, the quality noun from apricus "warmed by the sun". This adjective was created from the verb aperire "to uncover, lay bare, reveal", made from PIE epo "off, from" + wer-/wor- "to close, cover". Epo is the source also of Sanskrit apara "unsurpassed", Romanian aprig "fierce", French apert "apparent, obvious", Portuguese abrigo "cover, shelter", and English after. Wer-/wor- we see in Sanskrit vrnoti "encircles, surrounds", Polish wrote "gate", Russian vorota "gate", Serbian vrata "gate", Lithuanian uzverti "to close", and German Wehr "defense". (Now a note of gratitude to John Graham, whose friend brought today's lovely if deceased Good Word to his attention.)
