Word of the Day

Word of the Day: CAFARD

ETYMOLOGY
from French cafard, caphard, of doubtful origin:
some have proposed to identify it with Catalan cafre (infidel), Spanish, Portugese cafre (cruel), which are apparently adapted from Arabic kafir

PRONUNCIATION
kaff-AR

EXAMPLE
“…wherat he woundred, and sayd that he thought Your Grace the Prince best furnished thereof in Christendom. We commoned of the cafart, Cornibus, that slanderose frere. He said that Your Majesties Ambassadour, the Bishop of Hereford, hath sued and proposed certayn articles against him, athe copie whereof he hath promessed to sende unto me…”

From: State Papers Published Under the Authority of His Majesty’s Commission
King Henry the Eighth, 1830
Crumwell to King Henry VIII, 1539

Word of the Day: THEFTUOUS

ETYMOLOGY
alteration (influenced by -uous) of Middle English thiftwis,
from thifte (theft) + wis (wise)

PRONUNCIATION
THEFF-tyoo-uhss

EXAMPLE
“…It is declared, that whosoever intercommuns with Thieves, or assists them in their theftous stealings, or deeds, either in going, or coming, or gives them meat, harbour, or assistance, or trysts with them any manner of way, they shall be pursued, either Civilly, or Criminally; but this act strikes not against such as have entertained the Thief any considerable time, after the committing of the Theft, and before Letters of Intercommuning were execute…”

From: The Laws and Customes of Scotland
By Sir George Mackenzie, 1678

Word of the Day: CLUNCHFIST

ETYMOLOGY
from clunch (to clench) + fist

EXAMPLE
“…such a quoile with pro and con, such vrging of Ergoes, til they haue gone fro Art togither by the eares, and made their conclusions end with a Clunchfist, right like the old description of Logicke…”

From: Plaine Percevall, the Peace-maker of England:
Being a Reply to Martin Mar-Prelate
By Richard Harvey, 1590

Word of the Day: PACIFICOUS

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin pacificus (peace-making, peaceful) + -ous,
from pax, pacem (peace) + -ficus (-fic)

EXAMPLE
“…These, belike, were not acquainted with the Exploits of the Graecian Xenophon, the Roman Caesar, the English Sidney, Montjoy and Ra∣leigh, Gentlemen that were renowned both in Arms and Letters. Yet such as were transported with Warmth to be a sighting, prevail’d in Number, before the Pacificous…”

From: Scrinia Reserata A Memorial offer’d to the Great Deservings of John Williams
By John Hacket, 1693

Word of the Day: PLENILOQUENCE

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin plenus (full) + loquentia (talking)

PRONUNCIATION
plen-I-luh-kwuhns

EXAMPLE
“…Mr. Emerson, writing to his friend Carlyle, August 6, 1838, thanking him for his “friendliest seeking of friends for the poor oration” (“The American Scholar”) says: I have written and read a kind of sermon to the Senior Class of our Cambridge Theological School a fortnight ago; and an address to the Literary Societies of Dartmouth College, for though I hate American pleniloquence, I cannot easily say No to young men who bid me speak also. … The first, I hear, is very offensive. I will now try to hold my tongue till next winter…”

From: The Complete Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson: Nature addresses and Lectures
Notes, 1838

Word of the Day: YONDERLY

ETYMOLOGY
from yonder (adv., adj., pron., & n.) + -ly

EXAMPLE
“…Poor lass, hoo were kinder becose aw were quare;
“Come, Jamie, an’ sattle thisel in a cheer;
Thae’s looked very yonderly mony a day;
It’s grievin’ to see heaw thae’rt wearin’ away,
            An’ trailin’ abeawt,
            Like a hen at’s i’th meawt;
    Do, pritho, poo up to thi tay!…”

From: Lancashire Songs
By Edwin Waugh, 1863
Jamie’s Frolic