A little Review

Since my morning began (all posts seem to begin with my mornings) with my old vocabulary workbook and coffee, I was pleased enough by my finds that I decided some words and derivations might be worth sharing with my blogging friends. Vocabulary isn't very fun if mentally hoarded away, as many logophiles might be inclined to do (always looking for the opportune occasion to bash someone over the head with an impressive word), but rather we might all have more interesting and fun conversations by using a choice, tasty word. This is likely quite elementary for any of you who have done the most basic latin or greek, BUT nevertheless (how nice that that's one word) it never hurts to do a little review.

Uxorious (adj)- dominated by one's wife. UXOR= latin for "wife" (Why isn't this word used more? I've heard so many guys say that they essentially don't want an uxorious wife.)

Avuncular (adj)- pertaining to uncle-like affection. AVUNCULUS= latin for "uncle" Easy to remember because its so close to "uncle".

Matrix (noun)- the surroundings within which something begins or develops. MATER/MATRIS= latin for" mother". I thought this worthy of inclusion just because there may be increased confusion of how to use this word since the film The Matrix was produced and our other affiliation with its use is in calculus boxes of numbers (or was that algebra? I haven't done (I'm pleased to say) much beyond simple math in quite some time...) Anyway, NOT just a framework of an idea, but the environment of its inception.

Pedant (noun)- A person who pays excessive attention to learning rules rather than to understanding. Paidos= greek for "child" or "boy". I think we're all familiar with "pedantic" but I think we should also starting calling our legalistic friends "pedants" to see how they react. (note: this is not very nice.) BUT the irony of using it like this is that pedant can also mean "a scholarly show-off." Thus, in calling our friends pedants, we ourselves might equally be the pedant. haha! it bit us in the bum.

And to differentiate between two similar sounding (I CAN'T think of the word for this!) words:

Misogamy (noun)- hatred of marriage GAMOS= greek for "marriage" So a misogamist is someone who hates marriage, not to be confused with

Misogyny (noun)- which is a hatred or distrust for women. GYNE= greek for "woman" I think we're all use to hearing a man being referred to as a "misogynist." We could infer that a misogynist will inevitably also be a misogamist, but a misogamist could still love women of any sort.

I feel like my little list is mostly of a nasty sort and we now know more words of an insulting, if not helpful nature. Thus lets conclude on a word to which we can direct all our various gender aspirations (I jest).

Virile (adj)- Having certain characteristics popularly associated with men, especially physical strength, procreative power, vitality and assertiveness (man oh man, what a list!). VIR= latin for "man". I must include the sentence example that reads, "The heroes of Ernest Hemingway's novels are often virile men who risk danger in war or sport" I am reading Hemingway right now for the first time and it was nice to come across him.

Nice is a word that I was repeatedly told not to use during primary school. It was written in large letters on a poster of forbidden words, tacked above the chalk board to remind us of what we shouldn't include in our monosyllabic writings (how cruel, when it's so easy to spell). Since it was so unceremoniously plucked from my vocabulary, today I have reinstated its use by using it twice in the post above. It is a very nice* word.

*NB (nota bene): Nice IS one of those words that has undergone utter transformation in its idiomatic meaning. It USE to mean "stupid or trivial" as derived from the latin word "nescius" so a "nice fact" was something unimportant or trivial. (I think this dates back to the 12th century). The only definitions that I could find that remotely connote this outdated meaning were: "having fastidious, finicky, or fussy tastes" and then a step up from that: "showing or indicating very small differences; minutely accurate." My best guess as to the etymology of the word would be that as precise and fussy habits became more aligned with culture values of refinement, it began to connote more positive meanings until we arrived at the present day's trivial meaning of being "inconsequentially pleasant" (my own definition.) I'm sure there's enough historical complexity to this word that one could write their thesis on it. So I'll stop here.

Feel free to make corrections or suggestions.