Word of the Day: DECURTATE


ETYMOLOGY
adjective: from Latin decurtatus, pa. pple. of decurtare (to cut off, curtail)
verb: from participial stem of Latin decurtare + -ate


EXAMPLE
“…hee sendes for his Barber to depure, decurtate, and spunge him, whome hauing not paide a twelmonth before, he now raines downe eight quarter angels into his hande…”

From: Lenten Stuffe
By Thomas Nashe, 1599

Word of the Day: INFIDOUS


ETYMOLOGY
from Latin infīdus (untrue, disloyal) + -ous


EXAMPLE
“…The Arabian Interpreters are also miserably out, in rendring Tabaxir Spodium, and Spodium Burnt Ivory: for Tabaxir is the succe or concreted liquor of certain Trees, or very crass and tall Reeds, which by the agitation of the wind, and their mutual collision, sometimes conflagrate; from which burning, Avicenna mendicated his Spodium, or rather Tabaxir, which his infidous Interpreter Clusius calls his Spodium. But we get not this Tabaxir from India, nor the ashes of these burnt Canes from Arabia…”

From: A Medicinal Dispensatory, containing the whole body of physick discovering the natures, properties, and vertues of vegetables, minerals, & animals
By Jean de Renou
Translated by Richard Tomlinson, 1657

Word of the Day: CAUPONATE


ETYMOLOGY
from Latin caupōnāt- ppl. stem of caupōnāri (to traffic or trade in),
from caupōnem (retail tradesman, huckster, innkeeper)


EXAMPLE
“…Nor may these false and flattering Dalilahs of our times (who by cauponating Religion and handling the Scriptures deceitfully, seek to betray the strength, honour, and order this reformed Church in England, under pretences of great kindness)…”

From: Hieraspistes: A Defence by Way of Apology for the Ministry and Ministers of the Church of England
By John Gauden, 1653

Word of the Day: HARRIDAN


ETYMOLOGY
of uncertain origin;
possibly from French haridelle (an old jade of a horse – 1558), (a woman (especially a servant) who is too weak to work – 1690) + a derivative suffix of uncertain origin)


EXAMPLE
“…Parret. Doest take me for a Harridan, or a Cuffey? ha!
Owmuch. I believe thee a very obliging Creature, truely.
Parret. I won’t be believed an obliging Creature by ne’re a Sir Fopling of you all, the Court know me a Creature of Heavens special Handy-work, and if I live to see the City, Bow shall Ring with thy abominations, till Mary-Overs eccho thy lewdness: Tempt me to be an obliging Creature…”

From: Tunbridge-Wells, or, A days courtship a comedy
By Thomas Rawlins, a1670

Word of the Day: TRISTITIATE


ETYMOLOGY
rom Latin tristitia (sadness) + -ate


EXAMPLE
“…What man is it which lives so happily, which feares not something that would sadden his soule if it fell? Nor is there any whom calamity doth so much tristitiate, as that hee never sees the flashes of some warming joy. Beasts with beasts are terrified and delighted…”

From:  Resolves or, Excogitations: A Second Centurie
By Owen Felltham, 1628

Word of the Day: OPIFEROUS

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin opifer (help-bringing),
from opem (help) + -fer


EXAMPLE
“…I heard that a hardy little band tried to read it through , but fell asleep after having read the opiferous leaves of the first chapter . I speak not of the puffs , profusely given to it by generous friends , interested or stipended parties…”

From: Critical Dialogue Between Aboo and Caboo On A New Book:
Or A Grandissime Ascension
Edited by E. Junius (A.E. Rouquette), 1880

Word of the Day: AMNICOLIST

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin amnicola (growing beside a river)
(from amnis (river) + -cola (inhabitant, worshipper)) + -ist


EXAMPLE
“…society without seleection, constitutional bumpers, and stale anecdotes, I determined to explore the banks of the Liffey, and to search among the amnicolists for that entertainment which eluded my pursuit in the urbanity of the capital…”

From: Hibernian Magazine
By Robert Jephson, 1782

Word of the Day: GIXY

ETYMOLOGY
? possibly connected with gig (an eccentric person)


EXAMPLE
“…Hereupon it fell out, after the expiring of a scantling of Weeks, that Master Carvel became as jealous as a Tygar, and entred into a very profound suspition, that his new-married Gixy did keep a Buttock-stirring with others: to prevent which inconveniency, he did tell her many tragical Stories of the total Ruine of several Kingdoms by Adultery…”

From: The Third Book of the Heroick Deeds and Sayings of the good Pantagruel.
By Francois Rabelais
Translated by Thomas Urquhart, 1693