• inauguration •
Pronunciation: i-naw-gyê-ray-shên • Hear it!Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: 1. The process of, or formal ceremony installing a high-ranking official in office. 2. An event that marks the beginning or introduction of something new.
Notes: Today's Good Word is the process noun for the verb inaugurate; the agent noun is inaugurator. The most common adjective is inaugural, as 'the inaugural address of President Trump', which the entire world looks forward to today.
In Play: Today the inauguration of the 45th president of the United States of America, Donald Trump, takes place in Washington. It is a memorable moment for the entire world, though beclouded by considerable controversy. Everyone at alphaDictionary hopes that today's inauguration augurs well for President Trump, his family, and his administration.
Word History: This Good Word is part of the English language's French collection. French inherited the word from Latin inauguratio(n) "consecration under good omens," from inaugurare "consecrate under good omens". The Latin verb comprises in "in, on" + augurare "to augur, to predict, foretell from flocks of birds". Augur seems to have come from an earlier compound consisting of av- "bird" (as in aviary and aviation) + gar-, the root of garrire "to talk, speak". We find gar- in Latin garrulus "talkative", which English sneaked and tweaked to garrulous. The Sanskrit word from the same root, gar-, meant "to shout, call".
