Word of the Day

[D. Allan]

"Her smile was the solution, his heart the solute (SOL-yoot, SOH-loot)." [or could one also say "SOUL-loot"?!]

solute noun:

The substance dissolved in a given solution.

A substance that is dissolved in another substance (a solvent), forming a solution - usually the component of a solution present in the lesser amount.

solute adjective:

1.Being in solution; dissolved.

2.Loose; free; liberal, "a solute interpretation" (this def. from wiktionary.com)

[From Middle English, loose, porous, from Latin solūtus, past participle of solvere, to loosen; see leu- in Indo-European roots.]

"She felt that her entire being was solute (SOL-yoot, SOH-loot) in God's love."

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[color:#CC6600]

"In chemistry, a solution is a homogeneous mixture composed of two or more substances. In such a mixture, a solute is dissolved in another substance, known as a solvent. A common example is a solid, such as salt or sugar, dissolved in water, a liquid. Gases may dissolve in liquids, for example, carbon dioxide or oxygen in water. Liquids may dissolve in other liquids. Gases can combine with other gases to form mixtures, rather than solutions." -wikipedia.com

[Gail]

Bissextile (adjective)

Pronunciation: [bI-'seks-tIL]

Definition: The discussion of same sex marriages made us think that we should send out a related word but we decided instead to offer this wholly unrelated word, which means "(1) referring to a leap year or (2) the extra day in a leap year."

Usage: Gotcha! Today's word has absolutely nothing to do with gender differences. As you can see from the Etymology, it refers only to leap year or the intercalary (extra) day of a leap year. If you are in a hurry, you may refer to the extra day simply as the "bissext," though "bissextus" is probably the more easily pronounced.

Suggested Usage: For those of you born on February 29, here is something you can't get away with, "The reason Gilliam is 10 but looks 40 is that he was born in a bissextile year and only has birthdays every 4 years." That simply doesn't work, however logical it might seem. 2004 has a bissectus (yesterday) and hence is a bissextile year.

Etymology: This word comes from Latin bissextilis "having an intercalary day" from the first word of the phrase bis sextus (dies) "twice the sixth day," from bis "twice" and sextus "sixth." The phrase arises from the fact that the sixth day before the Calends of March (February 24} occurred twice every leap year in the Roman calendar. Thus this "sex" comes from the Latin word for "six," which shares the same origin as German "sechs," Dutch "zes," Spanish "seis," French "six," Italian "sei," Russian "shest'," and Classical Greek "hex" (remember "semi-" and "hemi-"?) Many words come from the Latin and Greek versions of this root: "sextet," "sextillion," and "hexagonal." "Siesta" was inherited by Spanish from the Romans, by whose timepieces midday was 6 o'sundial.

–Dr. Language, YourDictionary.com

[Woody]

Cool. So this is a bissextile year? Ol'Ger will be happy to find that out.

[D. Allan]

"Fishing without a license is a statutable offence for adults in this state."

statutable (STACH-oo-tuh-buhl) –adjective

1. Law Legally punishable; recognized by statute: a statutable offense.

2. prescribed, authorized, or permitted by statute: the statutable age of a voter.

[Origin: 1630–40; statute + -able]

"These devoted colonies were judged to be in such a state, as to present victories without bloodshed, and all the easy emoluments of statutable plunder. The uninterrupted tenor of their peaceable and respectful behavior from the beginning of colonization, their dutiful, zealous, and useful services during the war, though so recently and amply acknowledged in the most honorable manner by His Majesty, by the late king, and by Parliament, could not save them from the meditated innovations." - from the DECLARATION OF TAKING UP ARMS:RESOLUTIONS OF THE SECOND CONTINENTAL CONGRESS, JULY 6, 1775 at Philadelphia

statutably (STACH-oo-tuh-bly)-adverb

Conformably to statute.

"They all fished statutably, each one having the proper licenses."

"I say, and every man must agree with me, that the very government that has instituted this prosecution, have been themselves the greatest cause of bringing this country into the wretched state in which it is. My client may be statutably guilty, but they are morally guilty. It is laid down distinctly, by Blackstone, vol. i, p.147, that the people have a right to have arms, and to use arms against oppression." - from Robert Holmes' defence of John Mitchel 1848, Ireland

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Statute law is written law (as opposed to oral or customary law) set down by a legislature or other governing authority such as the executive branch of government in response to a perceived need to clarify the functioning of government, improve civil order, answer a public need, to codify existing law, or for an individual or company to obtain special treatment.

[D. Allan]

Bissextile (adjective) !cool! a word we can use at least once every four years.

[olger]

2012 will be a great year.

[D. Allan]

Let us hope it will be barren of statutable offences in the ovoid office.

[D. Allan]

Here's wishing all a happy bissextile day today! Enjoy! It only happens each fourth year. Next opportunity is in 2012. But no need to rush, this entire year is a bissextile year.

Bissextile (adjective)

Pronunciation: [bI-'seks-tIL]

Definition: The discussion of same sex marriages made us think that we should send out a related word but we decided instead to offer this wholly unrelated word, which means "(1) referring to a leap year or (2) the extra day in a leap year."

Usage: Gotcha! Today's word has absolutely nothing to do with gender differences. As you can see from the Etymology, it refers only to leap year or the intercalary (extra) day of a leap year. If you are in a hurry, you may refer to the extra day simply as the "bissext," though "bissextus" is probably the more easily pronounced.

Suggested Usage: For those of you born on February 29, here is something you can't get away with, "The reason Gilliam is 10 but looks 40 is that he was born in a bissextile year and only has birthdays every 4 years." That simply doesn't work, however logical it might seem. 2004 has a bissectus (yesterday) and hence is a bissextile year.

Etymology: This word comes from Latin bissextilis "having an intercalary day" from the first word of the phrase bis sextus (dies) "twice the sixth day," from bis "twice" and sextus "sixth." The phrase arises from the fact that the sixth day before the Calends of March (February 24} occurred twice every leap year in the Roman calendar. Thus this "sex" comes from the Latin word for "six," which shares the same origin as German "sechs," Dutch "zes," Spanish "seis," French "six," Italian "sei," Russian "shest'," and Classical Greek "hex" (remember "semi-" and "hemi-"?) Many words come from the Latin and Greek versions of this root: "sextet," "sextillion," and "hexagonal." "Siesta" was inherited by Spanish from the Romans, by whose timepieces midday was 6 o'sundial.

Dr. Language, YourDictionary.com

The rare day is here! I've emboldened and unlined an amazing sentence. The Romans had two Feburary 24s on their leap year! There would be no birthdays on Feb. 29th coming only at 4 year intervals; but anyone born on Feb 24th would have two birthdays in leap years!! Much nicer. Instead of having his 23rd birthday my uncle would be having his 115th today!!!

I wonder. What other advantages would accrue if we used the Roman leap-year system?

[olger]

That's kind of like calling a redneck a homo-sapien. They generally misunderstand your meaning .

oG

[D. Allan]

Huh? I don't even misunderstand you, oG. Let alone understand! and my necks been out of the sun for several years.!

btw i'm mistaken in my comments above, (as occasionally/often happens,) because my uncle, if leap-day was another Feb.24th, would only be 92 today. On this 29th.

[Woody]

There's a lot of mis-takins goin around on this sexist day..

[D. Allan]

"He is at once very lazy, mournfully ambitious, and illustriously unfortunate; for all his life he has scarcely ever had any complete ideas. The sun of his idleness which shines with constant splendour within him, vaporizes and consumes that moiety of genius with which Heaven has endowed him." from Fanfarlo by Charles Baudelaire

moiety (MOI-i-tee), noun, pl. moieties

1. a half.

2. an indefinite portion, part, or share.

3. Anthropology. one of two units into which a tribe or community is divided on the basis of unilineal descent.

1444, from O.Fr. meitiet, from L. medietas "half," from medius "middle."

Tom divided the cake and Becky ate with good appetite, while Tom nibbled at his moiety.

-- Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Cut off from news at home, fearful of a blood bath, anxious to salvage a moiety of the reform program, the Prague leadership accepted Moscow's diktat.

-- Karl E. Meyer, "Pangloss in Prague", New York Times, June 27, 1993

Barunga society is sharply divided into two complementary, descent-based branches (a structure anthropologists call "moiety"), which permeate relationships, spirituality, and many other aspects of life.

-- Claire Smith, "Art of The Dreaming", Discovering Archaeology, March/April 2000

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"A clan is distinguished from a lineage in that a clan merely claims common ancestry; a lineage can be traced to a common progenitor. A clan may have several lineages. Several clans may be combined into a larger social group called a phratry. If a tribe includes two clans or phratries, each clan or phratry is called a moiety. See Sir Iain Moncreiffe, The Highland Clans (1967); R. Fox, Kinship and Marriage (1984); E. Gellner, The Concept of Kinship (1987)." - The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia

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"Northwest Coast Indian people of the Queen Charlotte Islands (Haida Gwaii), British Columbia, Can., and southern Prince of Wales Island, Alaska, U.S.

"Their language, also called Haida, belongs to the Na-Dené language family. Each child born was assigned at birth to one of two major tribal divisions, or moieties —the Raven and the Eagle —based on maternal descent. Marriages between two members of the same moiety were taboo. Each moiety consisted of lineages that owned rights to land, had their own chiefs, waged war, held ceremonies such as the potlatch, and functioned as economically independent units." - http://www.britannica.com/ebc/article-9366424

[D. Allan]

leapling (LEEP - ling), noun

A person born on February 29 may be called a " leapling ". In common years they usually celebrate their birthdays on 28 February or 1 March.

- reference.com

- wikipedia.com

[color:#33CCFF] Raenell Dawn knows she's lucky. Born on Feb. 29, 1960, she leads the Honor Society of Leap Day Babies, a group of people born on that distinctive day. The group functions primarily through its Web site, www.leapdaybabies.com. ...

Wondering what to name your leapling? How about Leapa, Leapanne, or Leaptoria? Haven't figured out what a leapling is? According to the "leaptionary" at Ms. Dawn's Web site, it is a newborn leap day baby.

—Joyce Cohen, "Sites Help Leaplings Bridge Birthday Gap," The New York Times, February 24, 2000

-wordspy.com

Famous leaplings : http://leapyearday.com/FamousLeapies.htm

The Privilege of Ladies : http://www.snopes.com/oldwives/february29.asp

NYTimes article on leap year http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/29/opinio...70&emc=eta1

[D. Allan]

hypno- or hypn-

[From Greek hupnos, sleep; see swep- in Indo-European roots.]

a combining form meaning “sleep,” used to form compound words such as:

hypnagogic: of or pertaining to drowsiness

hypnagogue: something that couses drowsiness

hypnalgia: pain during sleep

hypnapagogic: Causing wakefulness; preventing sleep.

hypnic: Relating to or causing sleep.

hypnic or hypnagogic jerk: an involuntary muscle twitch (commonly known as a myoclonic twitch) which occurs during the transition into hypnagogia. It is often described as an electric shock or falling sensation, and can cause movement of the body in bed. Hypnic jerks are experienced by most people, especially when exhausted or sleeping uncomfortably.

hypnobate: A somnambulist

hypnodontics: Hypnosis as applied to the practice of dentistry.

hypnodrama: the acting out of a traumatic experience, under hypnosis,

hypnogenic spot: A pressure-sensitive point on the body of certain susceptible persons that when pressed causes the induction of sleep.

hypnology: the science dealing with the phenomena of sleep.

hypnomania: a passion for sleeping

hypnophobia: abnormal fear of falling asleep.

hypnopompic: associated with the semiconsciousness preceding waking

Hypnos: the ancient Greek god of sleep.

hypnosis: an artificially induced trance state resembling sleep

hypnotoid: resembling hypnosis

[D. Allan]

recherche (ruh-sher-SHAY), adjective:

1. sought out with care.

2. very rare, exotic, or choice; arcane; obscure.

3. of studied refinement or elegance

4. too refined; too studied

. . . recherche topics interesting only to university specialists.

-- Katharine Washburn and John F. Thornton, Dumbing Down

She was mocking the pretensions of the cookery writer who insists on recherche ingredients not because of their qualities but their snob value.

-- Angela Carter, Shaking a Leg

In recent years, Garber's appetite for the rigors of theory seems to have diminished. The books have kept coming, but the italics-heavy meditations and the recherche terminology have receded.

-- Zoë Heller, "House Arrest", The New Republic, July 3, 2000

Recherche 1722, from Fr. recherché "carefully sought out," pp. of rechercher "to seek out." Commonly used 19c. of food, styles, etc., to denote obscure excellence.

-dictionary.com

-Webster's New World, 1966

-Mawson's Dictionary of Foreign Terms, 1975

[Gail]

Quote:

1722, from Fr. recherché "carefully sought out,"

When I first saw the word, I wondered if there is supposed to be an accent aigu (é) at the end of it, especially since the pronounciation indicates one. Without the accent aigu it would be pronounced, re-shersh

I like the word, though!

[Gail]

Have you ever heard it used anywhere?

[D. Allan]

Never heard it used! It's 100% French, isn't it. Some English dictionaries don't use the accent, some do. I should have used it as both my Webster's and my Random House do use it. Mawson's dictionary of foreign terms does also.

re·cher·ché [ruh-SHAIR-shey, ruh-shair-SHEY; Fr. ruh-sher-SHEY]

It is a beautiful and useful word, however some might think it to be rather recherché itself.

[D. Allan]

Today there is another term that English has adopted from the french. It is a funny one:

ha-ha noun

A fence or wall sunk in a ditch so as not to obstruct the view. It may also be a ditch one side of which is a retaining wall.

"The ha-ha is a feature in the landscape gardens laid out by Charles Bridgeman, the originator of the ha-ha, according to Horace Walpole (Walpole 1780) and by William Kent and was an essential component of the "swept" views of Capability Brown." -wikipedia

A double-sided ha-ha would be scooped out on both sides of the wall/fence.

- Webster's New World Dictionary

- http://www.reference.com/search?q=ha-ha A good explantion is there.

[D. Allan]

This time we have a Russian word that has made it into English:

babushka (buh - BOOSH - kuh), noun

1. a woman's scarf tied under the chin

2. a grandmother

In Russian, "grandmother" (never headscarf); the word is the dimunitive for baba old woman.

[Gail]

I had an aunt who was "Baba". Her husband was "Guido" He was Russian, she Ukrainian.

[D. Allan]

Was "Baba" an affectionate nickname for your aunt? "Guido" sounds Italian. So your mother is Ukrainian too?

[Gail]

Yes, they were both affectionate terms. I wrote Guido but it was actually pronounced, Gee-doh, with a hard G. I thought that if I wrote it, Gido that the reader would think "soft g".

My mother, yes, was born in Canada to Ukrainian immigrant parents. They came from Austria just after the turn of the century, when the government was giving away quarter parcels of land away to anyone who would homestead them. Grandma was born in a village just outside of Vienna and I think that my grandfather was born in Germany, in Brandenburg. I'd have to go look it up again. But they were both Ukrainian. Ukrainians were traditionally peasant people, not much better than slaves in Europe, so many of them came to Canada at that time, hoping to make a life for their families.

Their religion was Greek Orthodox. I remember them as a stoic, hardworking people.

[Gail]

Talking about the Ukrainians... it's peryhe for lunch for me today (perogies)

[D. Allan]

Many Americans have ties with Europe. My dau. said she'd like to move to France. After thinking about it a day or so I began to feel like we are stuck out here in 'the sticks' in North America. A long way from civiliztion! From Paris it would be short flights to London, Rome, Madrid, Petersburg, Vienna, Prague... AND Switzerland from whence both my Dad's paternal grandparents came; they then met and married in Ohio.