Category: Word of the Day – M

ETYMOLOGY
from Greek µάγειρος (cook) + -ist

EXAMPLE
“… As no inhabitable Corner of the Earth ever was without a sufficient Medicinal Produce of it’s own for it’s Inhabitants, so the respective Natives never wanted a competent Number of their own, that made it their Business, to cultivate those several natural Physical Productions, and even to Carry on their Intelligence further therewith, so as to dive deeper into the Knowledge of all the Medicinals; that they could come any way to be acquainted with, or to know the Use of. And such were call’d at first variously pro re nata, as Magists, Magirists, Opsonarians, Caterers, Carvars, Nurserists, Geoponists, Hygeisys, Prophylactists, Remedists, Aliptists, Gymnastists, Unguentarians, Emplastrists, Veterinarians, Hippo-Jatrists, Mulomedicists. Operators, Herbalists, Botanists, Anatomists, Naturalists, Physicists, Medicinists, Myropolists, Ropopolists, …”

From: Athenæ Britannicæ; or, a critical history of the Oxford and Cambridge writers and writings
By Myles Davies, 1716

ETYMOLOGY
of unknown origin;
possibly from maffle (to talk or act in a silly manner)

EXAMPLE
“… If I had a souple-jack in my hand, wouldn’t I ken whaar to lay it. Don’t ye stand there ogglin’ like a gowk, ye strackle-brain’d scollops! Not a word out o yer head. I’ll hae nane o’ yer miff-maff here. Sarts! it’s bonny doins; fires out, and narra pittayta, and the best pou’t o’ the lot stole, and you sittin’ here croodlin’ in a scog! …”

From: The Shorter Works of Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
The Bird of Passage, 1838

ETYMOLOGY
from French medisance, from mesdisant present participle of mesdire (to speak evil), from mes- (mis-) + dire (to say)

EXAMPLE
“… Let every one then make this good use of the respect and difference which is given to their persons or conditions; the taking upon them to discredit this so pernitious fashion of receiving (as justifyable Presents from their observers) the desamation of their brother; for when this humour of Medisance springeth in the head of the company, it runnes fluently into the lesse noble parts; but when it riseth first but in the inferior and dependent persons, it requireth a force of wit and ingeniosity to raise and diffuse it upward, which capacity is not very familiar: …”

From: Miscellanea Spiritualia: or, Devout Essaies
By Walter Montagu, 1648

ETYMOLOGY
from miso- (hatred or dislike of), + Greek γελαστός (laughable) + -ic;
apparently after agelastic (never laughing, hating laughter)

EXAMPLE
“… We have in this world men whom Rabelais would call agelasts; that is to say, non-laughers; men who are in that respect as dead bodies, which if you prick them do not bleed. The old grey boulder-stone that has finished its peregrination from the rock to the valley, is as easily to be set rolling up again as these men laughing. No collision of circumstances in our mortal career strikes a light for them. It is but one step from being agelastic to misogelastic, and the μῖσογέλως, the laughter-hating, soon learns to dignify his dislike as an objection in morality. …”

From: New Quarterly Magazine, Vol. 8, 1877
On the Idea of Comedy, and of the Uses of the Comic Spirit
By George Meredith

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin motitat-, past participial stem of motitare (to move),
from motare (to set in motion, to keep moving) + -itare (-itate) + -ion

EXAMPLE
“… because muscles in this, scarce otherwise then in other functions, are strained; & therefore you rest a trembling Head upon a cush∣on, you shall soon stay the trembling, and free it from that motitation. And hence it is that we know this motion of the Head is voluntary …”

From: Pathomyotamia, or, A dissection of the significative muscles of the affections of the minde
By John Bulwer, 1649

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin malacia (a calm at sea), from Greek µαλακία (malakia) (softness)

EXAMPLE
The sea journey had its ups and downs – storms broke out followed by a malace that slowed the ship’s progress.

ETYMOLOGY
from mim (reserved or restrained in manner or behaviour, esp. in a contrived or priggish way; affectedly modest, demure; primly silent) + -mouthed

EXAMPLE
“… Pictures of miminy-mouthed ladies and spindly fops…”

From: The People of Clopton
By George Bartram, 1897

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin malus (bad) + -ferous (bearing, producing)

EXAMPLE
“… I had really forgotten to mention that gallant, fine-hearted soldier, who – as I heard to my infinite regret, shared by every one who knew his kindly, honest, genial nature – fell a victim to the maliferous climate of China! …”

From: From: My Diary in India,  In the Year 1858-9,
By William Howard Russell, Volume I, 1860
Cowasjee’s Shop

ETYMOLOGY
from malady (ill health, sickness, disease) + -ous;
or from French maladieux

EXAMPLE
“… Fro that tyme forth my sone began
To werke myracle gloriouse
He kyst oute feendis of many a man
Dume defe blynd lame all maladiouse
He made hem hole that to hym wan
And taught hem to be vertuouse
Vnto the temple went he than
Droue oute marchaunts of godds house …”

From: De Arte Lacrimandi (Harley MS.), a1450
Edited by Robert Max Garrett, 1909

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin morbus (disease) + -ulent

EXAMPLE
“… they should apply such medicines as are suitable, and in such a Proportion as is most proper to assist Nature in the Discharging of the Malignant and Morbulent Matter; but never to clog and hinder its Motions by too many and useless doses. …”

From: The History of the Works of the Learned,
Or, An Impartial Account of Books Lately Printed in all parts of Europe.
Done by Several Hands, Volume VI
The Works of the Learned, for February 1704