• velutinous •
Pronunciation: vê-lut-ên-ês • Hear it!
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Velvety, covered with a fine, soft, silky fiber.
Notes: Today's Good Word is one that botanists have been hiding from us for centuries; it is most frequently used to refer to stems, calyxes, and seeds of plants that are fuzzy. For example, at the right you see the velutinous seeds of the soybean. If you have wisteria growing in your yard, you have probably noticed its velutinous seeds in the (North American) fall. The rarity of the word has precluded it from much derivation though, should you ever need a noun, either velutinousness or velutinosity will work.
In Play: We come in contact with velutinous vegetation all the time: "I never eat okra because I find all velutinous vegetables repulsive, even when cooked." The question is, of course, do we need velutinous when we already have velvety: "Miranda's velutinous forearm glittered in fiery scintillae as the sun retreated behind it." I don't know. What do you think?
Word History: Today's Good Word, as you probably have already noticed, is a modest makeover of New Latin velutinus with the same meaning. The Latin adjective comes from velutum "velvet", probably from a Vulgar (street) Latin word villutus with two Ls that didn't survive in a written document we can find today. Middle English also had a form veluet "velvet", probably from an Old Provençal variant of villutus, that became today's velvet. All of these forms are descendants of original Latin villus "shaggy hair, nap", a word botanists and zoologists use to refer to fine tendrils or hairs that grow inside and outside organisms. (Today we thank Dr. Lew Jury for leading this gentle word out of musty old botany books and into the light of the general vocabulary.)
VELUTINOUS
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VELUTINOUS
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Re: VELUTINOUS
I for one will vote for velvety regarding Miranda's lovely arm. Velutinous sounds too scientific, and even rather related to gelatinous for my tastes.
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.
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Re: VELUTINOUS
I vote with Slava on velvety regarding Miranda's lovely arm. We may need velutinous because okra ('o-kree in redneck) is certainly not velvety. We could say okra is mucilaginous. But why on earth do Yankees find it repulsive? I larrup it up, fried, boiled or, better, as gumbo. You can't have gumbo without okra, and don't let anyone tell you differently. However, if you puree your okra before you put it in the gumbo, many Yankees will eat it in ignorance and enjoy it thoroughly. I know from experience.
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Re: VELUTINOUS
I'm wildly enthusiastic about okra and I don't think any portion of NJ is below the Mason-Dixon Line.
While I'm on a new "text-link jag" I was motivated to try this. So often Google Images is an absolute DELIGHT! Wow!
THIS
is one of those times! YES!
While I'm on a new "text-link jag" I was motivated to try this. So often Google Images is an absolute DELIGHT! Wow!
THIS
is one of those times! YES!
- Slava
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Re: VELUTINOUS
Just what does your usage of larrup mean here? Is it a local way of saying "lap", as in lapping something up, or are you really beating it to death before consuming it?I larrup it up...
Congratulations to Jeff for twigging on how to post short form links. We've covered that one a couple of times now, but it took a lesson from Stargzer for me to manage it.
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Re: VELUTINOUS
Technically, the very south of New Jersey is below the Mason Dixon Line. The M/D Line is a line of latitude dividing Maryland and Pennsylvania. Extend it to the east and it cuts through New Jersey. Culturally, the Pine Barrens are pretty much red-neck. I have spent many happy and productive months there. I avoid Atlantic City.
I understand your response Jeff hook. South of the M/D line usually means "the South" and New Jersey is not in the South. I'm glad you like okra. I can't even think about eating scrapple, which seems to be a staple in the Pine Barrens. Our formative years define our palates. I have read that we are born with our mother's palates.
I understand your response Jeff hook. South of the M/D line usually means "the South" and New Jersey is not in the South. I'm glad you like okra. I can't even think about eating scrapple, which seems to be a staple in the Pine Barrens. Our formative years define our palates. I have read that we are born with our mother's palates.
It is dark at night, but the Sun will come up and then we can see.
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Re: VELUTINOUS
Slava,
Larrup is a red-neck word that means to eat with gusto. I don't know where it may have come from, but I don't think it is related to lap. A favorite use is in,"Thet thair shrimp gumbo is larrupin good."
Larrup is a red-neck word that means to eat with gusto. I don't know where it may have come from, but I don't think it is related to lap. A favorite use is in,"Thet thair shrimp gumbo is larrupin good."
It is dark at night, but the Sun will come up and then we can see.
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Re: VELUTINOUS
Technically, the very south of New Jersey is below the Mason Dixon Line.
Of course you're right. I remembered that detail when I'd submitted my comment but I decided to "let it fly."
I don't just like it, I LOVE it!I'm glad you like okra.
I'm glad that Slava noticed my comments in another thread about the text-link technique, but I'd hate to think that my use of an inconspicuous text link might have gotten in the way of somebody who think's okra's larrupin' good. Did you SEE that LOOOOOOONG Google Images page of HUNDREDS of SPECTACULAR color photos of the most delicious-looking okra imaginable, in every conceivable "mode"?! In case you missed it, here's the real deal:
https://www.google.com/search?num=100&h ... 0gHAvIGoBw
That is an okra-lover's FEAST! It's "an embarrassment of riches"!
Re: VELUTINOUS
"...botanists have been hiding from us for centuries...."
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Re: VELUTINOUS
Jeff hook,
What a beautiful bunch of okra pictures. Most of the dishes pictured look just like Mama made. If you make gumbo, the okra can be obvious or it can be puréed and invisible, mixed with the roux, tomatoes and etc. If you purée a part of the gumbo, don't purée the shrimp, crab, chicken, sausage or any other meat.
What a beautiful bunch of okra pictures. Most of the dishes pictured look just like Mama made. If you make gumbo, the okra can be obvious or it can be puréed and invisible, mixed with the roux, tomatoes and etc. If you purée a part of the gumbo, don't purée the shrimp, crab, chicken, sausage or any other meat.
It is dark at night, but the Sun will come up and then we can see.
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Re: VELUTINOUS
Going all the way back to the Good Doctor's post, here is the image of a velutinous soybean plant to which he referred.
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.
Re: VELUTINOUS
This word appeared in my emailbox this morning, but hasn't yet been reiterated among current postings. My immediate reaction was that "velouté" must be related. And certainly that fits in with the various gastronomical observations.
Regarding the latter, I was born (just barely) below the "greasy-greazy" line, but have been a "washashore" in Rhode Island since my college days. I am very fond of okra (fried crispy or prepared in an Indian manner) and scrapple (doused with damson plum jam, no syrup. Sadly, scrapple is not to be found in these parts, but there are several excellent Indian restaurants, so my okra cravings can be satisfied.
Regarding the latter, I was born (just barely) below the "greasy-greazy" line, but have been a "washashore" in Rhode Island since my college days. I am very fond of okra (fried crispy or prepared in an Indian manner) and scrapple (doused with damson plum jam, no syrup. Sadly, scrapple is not to be found in these parts, but there are several excellent Indian restaurants, so my okra cravings can be satisfied.
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Re: VELUTINOUS
Here is a comment sent me by e-mail from Michael:
By the way, the letter V once marked the {u} sound between consonants and [v] between vowels. Sometimes U alternated with W, that is why the name of the latter is "double U".
My response: Of course, you are right. Vulgar (street) Latin word villutus came to be veluet in Provencal. It might well have become valueté in Modern French.Today’s word, velutinous, sounds a lot like the French mother sauce, velouté. I was told in culinary school that velouté means velvety, which is what the sauce’s consistency should be.
By the way, the letter V once marked the {u} sound between consonants and [v] between vowels. Sometimes U alternated with W, that is why the name of the latter is "double U".
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