Category: Word of the Day – P

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin potorius drinking (from potus drinking, drink) + -orius (-ory)) + -ous

EXAMPLE
Potorious gentlemen filled hollow walking canes and faux books with spirits.

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin plenipotens, plenipotent, from Latin pleni- (full) + potens (potent, powerful)

EXAMPLE (for adj.)
“… (being now grown by their rents and Lordly dignities, by their power over the Ministers and other liege’s, by their places in Parliament, Council, Session, Exchequer, and high Commission to a plenipotent dominion and greatness) they frame a book of Canons for ruling the Kirk and disposing upon religion at their pleasure. …”

From: The Remonstrance of the Nobility, Barrones, Burgesses, Ministers and Commons within the Kingdom of Scotland,
Church of Scotland. General Assembly, 1639

ETYMOLOGY
of obscure origin

EXAMPLE (for n. 1.)
“… They ‘re fly’d at the heart, it’l be a black Bargain for poor Scotland: for the Engleses are owr auld farren for us, and there’s little Ground to think, they ‘ll gee
us a seen Vantage wee their will, they neer liked us sae well; and its naе forgotten yet, the foul Plisk they play’d us about our Caledonia Business; …”

From: The Scottish Antiquary Or Northern Notes and Queries
Volume XII, January 1898
A Copy of a Letter from a Country Farmer To His Laird, a Member of Parliament, 1706

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin plus, plur- (more) + animous;
after unanimous (from Latin unanimis, unanimus [from unus (one) + animus (mind)] + -ous)

EXAMPLE
“… Should I make a parallel of this present Basis with the former, & were I sure my Mare would not stumble, I could demonstrate it to be Heterogeneous, Heterodoxous, Incongrous, Omnigenous, Pluranimous, Versipellous, Centireligious, Nummiamorous; I thought I should hit it at length, but I take in Army and all, or else my Mare would soone stand on her head. …”

From: Discolliminium, or, A most obedient reply to a late book, called, Bounds & bonds, so farre as concerns the first demurrer and no further
By B. (Nathaniel Ward), 1650

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin pabulasus abounding in pabulum (fodder);
from pabulum (food, nutrient) + –osus (-ous)

EXAMPLE
“… And although the ayre attracted may be conceived to nourish that invisible flame of life, in as much as common and culinary flames are nourished by the ayre about them; I confesse wee doubt the common conceit, which affirmeth that aire is the pabulous supply of fire, much lesse that flame is properly aire kindled: And the same before us, hath been denyed by the Lord of Verulam, in his Tract of life and death, & also by Dr. Jorden in his book of Minerall waters. …”

From: Pseudodoxia Epidemica, or, Enquiries into very many received tenents and commonly presumed truths
By Sir Thomas Browne, 1646

ETYMOLOGY
from puzzle + head

EXAMPLE
“… Forgot! Forgot! A puzzle-head like you might forget indeed. ’Troth matters would go on prettily in the house if I hadn’t an eye to everything. …”

From: America’s Lost Plays (1940)
Trial Without Jury
By John Howard Payne, 1815

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin prandiculum (a light meal), 
from prandium (luncheon) + -culum (-cule)

EXAMPLE
Most children cannot make it through to the evening meal without a prandicle.

ETYMOLOGY
from Middle French preallable (preceding, preliminary);
from preal(l)er (to precede);
from pre- + aller (to go) + -able

EXAMPLE
“… And it was not to bee modelled or directed by the patterne of regular and remisse friendship, wherein so many precautions of a long and preallable conversation, are required. This hath no other Idea than of it selfe, and can have no reference but to it selfe. …”

From:  The Essayes, or Morall, Politike, and Millitarie Discourses of Lord Michaell de Montaigne
Translated by John Florio, 1603
Of Friendship

ETYMOLOGY
from pinch- (comb. form) + penny

EXAMPLE
“… A prince & kyng of al a regioun
Mot avarice thrist a-doune to grounde;
To hym þat lith in helle depe I-bounde,
The, auarice, by-take I to kepe;
Thow pynepeny, [pynchepeny] ther ay mot þou slepe! …”

From: Hoccleve’s Works,
Edited by Frederick J. Furnivall, 1892
De Regimine Principum
By Thomas Hoccleve, Composed c1412

ETYMOLOGY
reduplicated extension of prattle (to talk in a foolish, childish, or inconsequential way)

EXAMPLE (for vb.)
“… they are poore honest folkes, and haue here an honest company at their mariage, now they lacke wyne, I pray you helpe, She was not long in bibble bable, with saying she wist not what, but sayth at one word, helpe for it is nede. She doth not, as our Papistes do, whiche prittle prattle a whole day uppon their Beades, saying our Ladyes Psalter. But she only sayth, they haue no wyne; helpe. etc. …”

From: Frutefull Sermons
A Sermon Preached by Hugh Latymer, a1552