Word of the Day - May

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As I enter upon the fifth month of discovering the origin of words we read in our favorite novels, I am intrigued by the number of words we do not yet understand.  Enjoy my tour of fabulous words.

Vivienne

May 1 - ardor - I thought to start the new month off with a passionate word.

1. an often restless or transitory warmth of feeling
2. extreme vigor or energy
3. zeal
4. loyalty
5. sexual excitement

Word origin: Middle English ardour, from Anglo-French ardor - burning, heat.

The word was first used in 14th century.

May 2 - requiem - I can be honest and say I don't know why this word jumped into my head, but here it is.

1. a mass for the dead (did not think this)
2. a solemn chant for the repose of the dead (understood chant, but not the dead part)
3. something that resembles such a solemn chant
4. a musical setting of the mass for the dead
5. a musical composition in honor of the dead (certainly did not think it would be all about the dead)

Word origin: Middle English - from Latin - accusative of requies - rest, from re- + quies - quiet

The word was first used in the 14th century.

May 3 - consignment - I was looking up information on the Civil War when I read this word.  Now I am curious because the word is used in different ways.

1. the act or process of consigning (this does not help)
2. something consigned especially in a single shipment (again, not much help)
3. consign - means to give over to another's care, or to give, transfer, or deliver into the hands or control of another.

Word origin: Middle French - consigner, from latin consignare - from com + signum - sign, mark, seal.

The word was first used as consign in 1528.  Consignment was first used in 1668.

May 4 - restorative - I was thinking about those elixirs people would take that always claimed to have restorative powers.

1. or or relating to restoration (another one of those words that have another form of the word in the definition.
2. restoration - the act of restoring - or bringing back to a former position or condition

Word origin: Middle English - from Anglo French restorer - from Latin restaurare to renew, rebuild, alteration of instaurare - to renew.

The word was first used in the 14th century.

May 5 - anon - I was watching the movie Serenity and Joss Whedon uses dialogue more fitting for westerns.

1. at once
2. soon, presently
3. after a while

Word origin: Middle English, from Old English on an, from on in + an one - more at

The word was first used before the 12th century.

May 6 - rosewood - as I was reading for research, I came across so many words that piqued my curiosity.  This one intrigued me because as we add information about furniture, it's nice to know when that particular type of wood was used.

1. any of various tropical trees yielding valuable cabinet woods of a usually dark red or purplish color streaked and variegated with black.

No word origin.

The word was first used in 1660.

May 7 - discomfiture - I was reading several books from new authors and decided to jot down words in their historical novels.  This is one we do not hear much today, but you would definitely read.

1. the act of discomfiting (doesn't help, does it?)
2. discomfit - to defeat in battle
3. to frustrate the plans of (this makes more sense)
4. to put into a state of perplexity and embarrassment (now we are getting closer)

Word origin: Middle English, from Anglo-French descumfit - descumfire - from des- OR dis- + cumfire - to prepare.

The word was first used in the 14th century.

May 8 - chit - love when they call a woman this, don't you? or do you say "hey this is derogatory"?

1. child
2. a pert young woman

Word origin: Middle English - chitte - kitten, cub

The word was first used in 1578.

May 9 - tabby - when I saw this word, they were referring to some ladies.

1. a plain silk taffeta especially with moire finish
2. a plain-woven fabric
3. a domestic cat with a striped and mottled coat

Word origin: French - tabis - from Middle French - atabis 

The word was first used in 1638.

May 10 - bonhomie - sounds French to me and I like all things French.

1. good natured easy friendliness

Word origin: French bonhomie - from bonhomme - good natured man, from bon  - good + homme - man.

The word was first used in 1779.

May 11 - disapprobation - not really sure what it means, so I had to add this.

1. the act or state of disapproving
2. the state of being disapproved
3. condemnation

Word origin: I looked in at least 6 different locations and could not find the word origin of this word.

The word was first used in 1647.

May 12 - sod - we think of when we have to fix our lawn, but the word has other meanings too.

1. turf - this is the one we know
2. one's native land
3. to cover with sod or turfs
4. bugger - British term - short for sodomite and first used in 1818.
5. damn  - first used in 1902.

Word origin: Middle English, from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German - sode

The word was first used in the 15th century.

May 13 - hackney - for historical authors we know a hackney is a type of conveyance.

1. a horse suitable for ordinary riding or driving
2. a trotting horse used chiefly for driving
3. one that works for hire
4. a carriage or automobile kept for hire

Word origin:  Middle English - hakeney

The word was first used in the 14th century.

May 14 - quid pro quo - Do you ever wonder where this saying came from?

1. something given or received for something else

Word origin: New Latin - something for something

The word was first used in 1582.

May 15 - domino - I have one of my characters where a domino.

1. a long loose cloak usually worn with a half mask as a masquerade costume
2. a half mask worn over the eyes with a masquerade costume
3. a person wearing a domino
4. a flat rectangular block whose face is divided into two equal parts that are blank or bear usually from one to six dots arranged as on dice faces

Word origin: French, probably Latin

The word was first used in 1694.

May 16 - kowtow - I was reading a historical novel yesterday as I was traveling to pick up my daughter 4 hours away.  I came across this word and since there were no years on the book to tell me when it took place, I thought I would look up this word.

1. an act of kowtowing (this helps none)
2. to show obsequious deference - so what is obsequious? It means to fawn all over someone.
3. to kneel and touch the forehead to the ground in token of homage, worship, or deep respect.

Word origin:  Chinese - koutou, from kou to knock + tou head.

The word was first used in 1804 as a noun, but in 1826 as a verb.

May 17 - insupportable - this words speaks for itself, but it has that Old World feel about it.

1. more than can be endured
2. impossible to justify

Word origin: Middle French or Late Latin - insupportablis from Latin - in + supportaire - to support

The word was first used in 1530.

May 18 - ducat - I don't know why this word just popped into my head, but here it is.

1. a former European usually gold coin
2. ticket

Word origin: Middle English, from Middle French, from Old Italian - ducato - coin with the doge's portrait on it, from duca doge.

The word was first used in the 14th century.

May 19 - diamond - have to admit I was watching the news about the Cubs and Sox and wondered when the word first started.

1. native crystalline carbon that is the hardest known mineral, that is usually nearly colorless.
2. crystallized carbon produced artificially
3. something that resembles a diamond
4. a square or rhombus shaped figure usually oriented with the long diagonal vertical
5. a playing card marked with a stylized figure of a red diamond

Word origin: Middle English diamaude, from Middle French diamand, from Late Latin diamand, diamas alteration of Latin from Late Lain diamone - diamas, from Late Latin - diamant-, diamas, alteration of Latin adamant - adamas - hardest metal, diamond from Greek.

The word was first used in the 1st century.

May 20 - untoward - I was watching Meet Me in St. Louis and this word was spoken.

1. difficult to guide, manage, or work with
2. marked by trouble or unhappiness
3. not favorable

Word origin: in order to find the word origin, I needed to look up toward. The origin of toward - Middle English - toward - from Old English toweard - facing, imminent. Now, if you know that the prefix - un - means not, then if you put it together - it should mean - not facing - or not imminent.

The word was first used in the 15th century.

May 21 - zounds - I have seen this as a curse in several historical books.  What about you?  Where did it come from?  Who used it first?

1. used as a mild oath

Word origin: euphemism for God's wounds.

The word was first used in 1592.

May 22 - stout - I was watching Game of Thrones and heard this word.  Ever curious - I thought this would be a great word to include today.

1. strong of character
2. brave, bold
3. firm, determined
4. physically or materially strong
5. forceful
6. bulky in body

Word origin: Middle English, from Anglo-French estut, estout of Germanic origin; akin to Old German stolz - proud

The word was first used in the 14th century.

May 23 - fisticuffs - I just love the sound of this word, don't you?

1. a fight with the fists - sounds almost too easy, doesn't it?

Word origin: alteration of fisty cuff, from fisty - fistic  + cuff

The word was first used in 1605.

May 24 - rotunda - when I was in Washington, DC, this word came up a lot.

1. a round building; especially one covered by a dome (like the Jefferson Memorial)
2. a large round room (like the room in the Octagon House or in the Capitol)
3. a large central area (as in a hotel)

Word origin: Italian rotonda, from Latin rotunda, feminine of rotundus

The word was first used in 1645.

May 25 - consanguineous - big word that caught my attention. I don't know where I had seen it first, but it popped into my head.  So here it is.

1. of the same blood or origin; specifically descended from the same ancestor

Word origin: Latin consanguineus - from com + sanguin - sanguis - blood.

The word was first used in 1601.

May 26 - rejection - just thinking today might be good day to look up this word.

1. the action of rejecting
2. an immune response in which foreign tissue is attacked by immune system components of the recipient organism
3. something rejected - notice how this does not help.  we have to look up rejected now.
4. the act of refusing to accept, consider, submit to, take for some purpose, or use

Word origin: Middle English, from Latin rejectus, past participle of reicere, from re + jacere - to throw.

The word was first used in 1552.

May 27 - discord - I was watching Jane Eyre and this word was spoken.

1. a lack of agreement or harmony
2. active quarreling or conflict resulting from discord among persons or factions
3. combination of musical sounds that strikes the ear harshly
4. a harsh or unpleasant sound

Word origin: Middle English - descorde, discord from Anglo-French descorde, from Latin discordia, from discord-, discors

The word was first used in the 13th century.

May 28 - impugn - this is a fun word.  You often hear it spoken - "you have impugned my honor, sir."

1. to assail by words or arguments
2. oppose or attack as false or lacking integrity
3. obsolete

Word origin: Middle English, from Anglo-French empugner, from Latin inpugnare from in- + pugnare - to fight.

The word was first used in the 14th century.

May 29 - McCoy - I was watching the new miniseries - the Hatfields and the McCoys and this word stuck in my head.

1. something that is neither imitation nor substitute - often used in the phrase - the real McCoy. As you can see, it has nothing to do with the Hatfields and McCoys.

Word origin: alteration of Mackay - the real Mackay - but of unknown origin.

The word was first used in 1922.

May 30 - reveille - Did you ever wonder when reveille first started? I did.  So here you are.

1. a signal to get up in the morning
2. a bugle call at about sunrise signaling the first military formation of the day

Word origin: French - reveillez - to awaken, from re + eveiller - to awaken.

The word was first used in 1644.

May 31 - cornice - When reading about the design of a home, I saw this word.  While I do know what it is, I wondered when it came into existence.

1. the molded and projecting horizontal member that crowns an architectural composition.
2. a top course that crowns a wall
3. a decorative band of metal or wood used to conceal curtain fixtures
4. an overhanging mass of windblown snow or ice usually on a ridge

Word origin: Middle French - cornice, cornic, cornix

The word was first used in 1563.

I think we should send a shout out to all the June brides!