Category: Word of the Day – D

ETYMOLOGY
of uncertain origin

EXAMPLE
“…The Waspes neast is begun by one great Waspe, which you may therefore call the Mother-waspes, the which in Cancer (or in hot and dry springs somewhat rather) within some hole, vsually made in the ground by a Moale, Mouse, or other meanes, worketh a comb of the vtter drix of pales or other timber, in forme of a round tent hanging by the top to the ouer-part of the hole.…”

From: The Feminine Monarchie,
Or the Historie of Bees
By Charles Butler, 1623

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin dēsidiōsus (slothful)

EXAMPLE
“…In my travels through the various counties of England, I have marked the lack of feracity, arising from the lower orders becoming desidiose. …”

From: Langreath: A Tale
By Mrs. Eliza Nathan, 1727

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin dicax, dicaci-(talking sharply) + -ous

EXAMPLE
“…Giovanni (or Lanciotto) deputes his more blandishing and dicacious brother to be his proxy in the marriage ceremonies; and afterwards, as the morning breaks, when the susceptible lady actually discovers her husband to be a wise, stern, moral man…”

From: The North American Magazine
Volume 4, 1834
Francesca Da Rimini
A Tragedy by Silvio Pellico

ETYMOLOGY
from Old French delaieus, from delai (delay) + -ous

EXAMPLE
“…Neuyrthelesse I remembere well that ye delt wythe ryght delayous peple, my lord Archbyshop and othere of my lordys, and I dempte by-cawse of youre long tarryng that by youre sad dyscrescyon all hadde ben sett thorow…”

From: Paston letters and papers of the fifteenth century
– John Paston, 1469
– Edited by Norman Davis, Richard Beadle, and Colin Richmond, 2004

ETYMOLOGY
– from Latin doctiloquus (learnedly-speaking)

EXAMPLE
“…Most prudent,
Most grave,
Most scientific Jordan,
the most religious admirer of,
Sir,
Your very high Doctiloquous Sapience…”

From: Posthumous Works of Frederic II, King of Prussia, Vol. IX,
Correspondence. Letters Between Frederic II and M. Jordan
Translated From the French By Thomas Holcroft, 1789
Letter LIV, From the King, The Camp of Molwitz, May 13, 1741

ETYMOLOGY
from dunce (n.) + -fy

EXAMPLE
“…I would gladly rid my hands of it cleanly if I could tell how, for what with talking of coblers, & tinkers, & roapemakers, and botchers, and durt-daubers, the marke is cleane gone out of my muses mouth, and I am as it were more than dunsified twixt diuinitie and poetrie…”

From: The Vnfortvnate Traveller
Or, The Life of Iacke Wilton
Thomas Nashe, 1594

ETYMOLOGY
– from Italian dappocaggine (lack of intelligence or ability);
from dappoco (of a person: lacking intelligence or ability);
from da (of ) + poco (adv. a little, slightly) + -ous

EXAMPLE
“…Were any one of the wretched broadcasting financial experts to declare not that the housing market is ‘being squeezed’ but that his dapocaginous (mean-spirited; heartless) rigadoon (lively baroque period dance) of fiscal ineptitude that has elumbated (made weak in the loins) every homeowner to an abapical (at the lowest point) financial state is made no better by the rodomontade (bluster) of politicians yarling (howling), why then I might again pay attention…”

From: The Chain of Curiosity
Sandi Toksvig, 2013