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inauguration

Printable Version
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 Biden', which the entire world looks forward to today.

In Play: The inauguration of Joseph R. Biden as the 46th president of the United States of America occurs today in Washington, DC. Inaugurations usually occur on happy days, but today is the saddest inauguration day since the Civil War, because our physical health and the health of our democracy are under attack.

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". May the birds bode well for President Biden today.

Dr. Goodword, alphaDictionary.com

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