Lapis lazuli. Lapidary. Lapland. Lap dance. Lap it up. The waves lap the shore. Lap the valves on the 6-cyl. flathead, a 1966 Rambler.
When the Brits caught the rebel leader Sindh during the 19th century rebellion out east, in the Punjab, they had to alert headquarters by telegraph, but the lines were easily tapped by the insurgents.
The message as sent: PECCAVI. "We have sinned," in Latin. Easily understood by the British commanders from Eton, and Oxbridge.
The message as sent: PECCAVI. "We have sinned," in Latin. Easily understood by the British commanders from Eton, and Oxbridge.
2
Rococo. There - I've said it. And you've read it.
As long as you pronounce it right.
1
What do my ancestors, Anthony Hopkins, and Richard Burton have in common? A love of words, and Welsh patrimony. I went to Wrexham on business, just loved the unpronounceable highway signs en route. I cheekily left a generous tip for the bartender there, and explained its meaning.
1
Serendipity seems appropriate for this diary entry.
1
parvenu, rapscallion, vicissitude, isosceles, mandible, and many, many others!
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Wisteria
3
I have a close friend who is a writer. I recently gave him some of my writing. He picked out three words he loved: birefringence, comity, and isolette.
I had already known we'd be friends for life, but if there had been any doubt...
My especial favorites are zaftig, mishigoss, concupiscent (thanks to Wallace Stevens), freshet (Elizabeth Bishop), parabrisas (windshield in Spanish), paloma (both a dove and the back of an earring, and palomitas is popcorn, all in Spanish.) Listening to Caetano Veloso sing "Cucurucucu Paloma" is sublime (which is another favorite word.)
And from my daughter, a number of mispronunciations that I hope I won't forget: "bizzy" (instead of dizzy), "mewkiss" (instead of music), "bayoons" (instead of balloons), and "yeyyow" (instead of yellow, which she reminds me daily is her favorite color.) Sorry if that's too precious, but language acquisition in children results in fascinating attempts. (Her 3-year-old friend'a favorite word is "wombie," which, of course, means zombie.)
I had already known we'd be friends for life, but if there had been any doubt...
My especial favorites are zaftig, mishigoss, concupiscent (thanks to Wallace Stevens), freshet (Elizabeth Bishop), parabrisas (windshield in Spanish), paloma (both a dove and the back of an earring, and palomitas is popcorn, all in Spanish.) Listening to Caetano Veloso sing "Cucurucucu Paloma" is sublime (which is another favorite word.)
And from my daughter, a number of mispronunciations that I hope I won't forget: "bizzy" (instead of dizzy), "mewkiss" (instead of music), "bayoons" (instead of balloons), and "yeyyow" (instead of yellow, which she reminds me daily is her favorite color.) Sorry if that's too precious, but language acquisition in children results in fascinating attempts. (Her 3-year-old friend'a favorite word is "wombie," which, of course, means zombie.)
1
more early child words: "pisketi" (spaghetti), and "cloff-loff" (wash cloth).
1
There are so many English words here that I can't think of any more, much as I love them. At one point in my life I learned Luganda (mostly at an elementary level, but I was praised for being as good as a "White Father," a particular order of missionaries). Two words I loved were (phoneticall,y at least to my ears):
okuzibiddeza--to wink
[ebigambo] tebbetigerreteka--- [words] that can't be understood
okuzibiddeza--to wink
[ebigambo] tebbetigerreteka--- [words] that can't be understood
2
The White Fathers are the Cistercians, easily recognizable in their cloaks.
"They are variously called the Bernardines, after the highly influential St. Bernard of Clairvaux (though the term is also used of the Franciscan Order in Poland and Lithuania), or the White Monks,...." -- Wikipedia
"They are variously called the Bernardines, after the highly influential St. Bernard of Clairvaux (though the term is also used of the Franciscan Order in Poland and Lithuania), or the White Monks,...." -- Wikipedia
1
Ensorcelled, and Maureen Dowd.
3
I, too, love the sound of Maureen's name. I like the sound of "Frank Rich" as well.
Two of the online NYT's favorite words: "Rate" & "increase." They roll right off the wallet.
I read voraciously from childhood on, and a great pleasure of reading was coming across new words and understanding them (sometimes guessing wrong) from their context. It wasn't just the sound of the word; there was something akin to magic in knowing there was a word for that, whatever that was, and now I too knew it.
I used my newly gained vocabulary fairly promiscuously in elementary school (because I innocently thought words were meant to be used), but learned to keep those treasures to myself in later years as I realized they were not universally admired - it sounded pretentious and self-aggrandizing, I reckon.
I used my newly gained vocabulary fairly promiscuously in elementary school (because I innocently thought words were meant to be used), but learned to keep those treasures to myself in later years as I realized they were not universally admired - it sounded pretentious and self-aggrandizing, I reckon.
5
I can relate. I was the weird kid on the block who used big words, and when I learned any new concept I enthusiastically shared it with everyone I could. At age 9 I enthused to any who would listen about chromosomes and genes. 30 year later, neighbors were reminding me about that! ;)
4
My wife damaged her eyesight seriously, to the point of needing heavy glasses, from reading under the covers and in the closet with a flashlight at night all during childhood. It's not a joke, she has OCD. Every room in our house has a partly-read paperback in it, pre-positioned, as if she's playing speed chess at a tournament. All trash fiction - seamlessly - to my unending amazement. And she's the District's Special Ed manager for 15 schools! Years ago the library yanked her card for non-payment of fines, then they yanked our daughter's card when Mom ran up big fines on it! Under the bed we found 17 books.
1
Wonderful article. I love too many words to list here, but thinking of childhood, I remember being entranced by the names of colors in a box of watercolor paints: vermilion, aquamarine, burnt sienna, burnt umber...and more.
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Thank you for that memory! I loved periwinkle. I would try to find things in that shade, just so I could say the word.
1
Me, too.
1
Teal, and cerulean, did it for me.
4
chartreuse, eggsovereasy (love the rhythm), pomegranate, Celeste, monastic, taxidermist, windbag, bi-lateral, invective, banana (soothing to say), diagonal, seamstress, oppositional, cerulean, Aberystwyth, changeling, hirsute, Augustine, Boudicca, equinox, Beltane, slacker, populous, timorous, ick, icky, deciduous, shkeevy (from the Italian schifosa), gesticulate, sanctimonious, unrelenting, conflagration, hubris, bruschetta (Italian accent a must!), inanimate, cedar, exsanguinate, malodorous, mellifluous, yuck, reckless....and on and on I could pretentiously go!
5
Shkivoos, one of my all time favorites. Thank you.
Oooo, yes! Changeling!!!
From Pride and Prejudice, two words that won my respect- "delicacy and rectitude"
4
Grandma - Wow!! Congratulations on this - you are amazing! Two of my favorite words are potato and marshmallow. I like words that end in the long O sound.
Love, your Grandson, Ben!
Love, your Grandson, Ben!
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You are so dear to me. Thank you for your comment. I love marshmallow too.
1
You are the dearest boy in the world to me.
Thank you for your comment.
I like the word "marshmallow" too.
Thank you for your comment.
I like the word "marshmallow" too.
1
Thank you Sara Jane, beautifully and delicately handled without over thinking.
Certainly this flavor of word appreciation is a breath of fresh air in contrast to the effete vocabulary-bullies whose who take pleasure in the aggressive use of words others don't know (or can't be bothered to remember).
I like the sound of "ignoble" and it just might be increasingly useful these days!
Certainly this flavor of word appreciation is a breath of fresh air in contrast to the effete vocabulary-bullies whose who take pleasure in the aggressive use of words others don't know (or can't be bothered to remember).
I like the sound of "ignoble" and it just might be increasingly useful these days!
6
Further on theatres: "Biograph," "Translux," "Orpheum, "Paramount." "Pavilion," "stalls,"
"loge," "promenade."
"loge," "promenade."
3
Two words that always seem to grab me: Serendipitous & Bodacious
And a phrase: "He shoots, he SCORES!!!"
And a phrase: "He shoots, he SCORES!!!"
3
Wonderful piece! I have never heard this put into (no pun intended!) words so perfectly. As we go through life, we rarely give thought to such mundane things as "words" but they do push buttons of memory. emotion - sometimes beautiful, sometimes not. (I will add only a few since my list is far too long: Rodin, bagel, The Growing Tree, The Little Prince, iris, Sacre Coeur.....)
1
WONDERFUL! Don't forget 'spatula' (aka for a 2 yr old......spalatula!)
2
I learned the word disfruta in Costa del Sol. I means enjoy! So keep on reading and DISFRUTA!! My husband learned the word Mantequilla-- butter. I finally learned the word for crispy as in bacon. But now I've forgotten it. I also learned the word for Hello in Turkish and on my last visit said it to everyone .
And finally palachintas (probably mispelled ) but it's those delicious pancakes made by my Hungarian grandmother.
And finally palachintas (probably mispelled ) but it's those delicious pancakes made by my Hungarian grandmother.
3
In the Algarve orchards they say, "DISFRUTA tastes great!" De nada.
2
Thank you for your beautiful post.
My mother used to collect words. She did crossword puzzles, word searches and fill-ins. Any time she came across a word she liked, she would write it in her notebook. She created sections in her book dividing the words by size. When I was in fourth grace and started participating in spelling bees, she coached me and wrote down every word that I missed on a list which I studied diligently. She most definitely passed down her passion for words to me. I have passed it along to my sons, one of whom has been a talented poet since third grade. As a young adult he has won poetry slams and gone on to national competitions.
My favorite word is onomatopoeia and all onomatopoetic words.
My mother used to collect words. She did crossword puzzles, word searches and fill-ins. Any time she came across a word she liked, she would write it in her notebook. She created sections in her book dividing the words by size. When I was in fourth grace and started participating in spelling bees, she coached me and wrote down every word that I missed on a list which I studied diligently. She most definitely passed down her passion for words to me. I have passed it along to my sons, one of whom has been a talented poet since third grade. As a young adult he has won poetry slams and gone on to national competitions.
My favorite word is onomatopoeia and all onomatopoetic words.
4
Whinny and neigh; reminds me of Wilbur the Talking Horse in the b/w TV long ago. And Poe's "The tintinnabulation of the bells."
5
I first learned about onomatopoeia when reading The Bells in school. I have always been a big Poe fan, and was thrilled to learn there was a name for that magical effect. Of course alliteration was pretty high on my list as well. There are several words in Hebrew that have that same onomatopoetic attribute. My favorite one was for bottle: bok-book, the sound it makes as you pour. I can't help but smile as I write this.
1
So many of these words would score "bigly" in a game of "Scrabble," but for the "sheer" "glee" of a sneaky play, "adz" over a triple word score is one of my favorites.
Ok, so it is an "alternative fact" that "bigly" is actually a word.
Ok, so it is an "alternative fact" that "bigly" is actually a word.
4
Very funny. Thank you.
ANTHRACITE
Anthracite: A wondrous name for high-carbon, high-shine black coal.
Evoking the history of rough hewn ages in its making.
No hint of its usefulness to man, destruction to mankind.
Anthracite: Beauty in its evil, evil in its beauty.
Anthracite: A wondrous name for high-carbon, high-shine black coal.
Evoking the history of rough hewn ages in its making.
No hint of its usefulness to man, destruction to mankind.
Anthracite: Beauty in its evil, evil in its beauty.
3
Evil, it's everywhere in late-stage Amerika.
Did you wake up on the wrong side of bad, or did religion make you this way?
Thank you for this wonderfully written reminder of the simple pleasures of special words. It conjured up the moments in my past when the first encounter with a wonderfully turned word added life and meaning to being part of something special. You picked some great words!
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Thank you so much.
Someone once said the most beautiful words in the English language....cellar door
3
It was Gertrude Stein, who also liked "urinal."
Thank you so much. Words connect me to life. They still fascinate me even as my math and science skills wane.
2
Me too. My romance with words never ends...also great sentences. Thank you.
2
Evolution. Genes. Memes. Humanism. Secularism. Theocracy, wait, no, not that one.
9
Always the PC casuistry, gratuitously.
Perhaps this fits into the Metropolitan diary section only obtusely, but I loved reading it. We are united by what we love, perhaps by the subject of our love, and quite often by the sheer intensity of it. Thank you for sharing.
When it comes to writing driven by the love for words, for language, John Banville immediately comes to mind.
When it comes to writing driven by the love for words, for language, John Banville immediately comes to mind.
3
Growing up: "nightingale", "kaboom", "rhythm", "almond" and "picturesque" (which I mispronounced "pictures" + "queue")
Later: "Snegurochka", "Intermezzo", "nacelle", "Clevenger", and "penultimate"
Later: "Snegurochka", "Intermezzo", "nacelle", "Clevenger", and "penultimate"
3
Nicely written! Liked it a lot.
My favorite word is a Spanish one "peluqueria" that means hairdresser. I love the sound of it!
My favorite word is a Spanish one "peluqueria" that means hairdresser. I love the sound of it!
4
Your beautiful name itself belongs with all these mellifluous words!
Peluqueria actually means hair salon. Peluquera(o) is hairdresser.
How about "alternative facts"?
How about "alternative facts"?
Lovely! Did you grow up in my universe? I have just handed down my grandmother's platinum and diamond chip lavaliere to my daughter for her wedding. Learning to sew on my mother's treadle sewing machine the names of fabrics I couldn't handle- peau de soie, devore ,sateen were mysteriously romantic: I dreamt of women in bias cut gowns descending brownstone steps to waiting limousines. The Neapolitan names of food- scarpetta, sanguinaccio, mortadella! (what happens if you eat that) still fascinate me. Wines- Lacrima Christi and Montepulciano d'Abruzzi and pasta shapes- orecchiette and radiatore-so evocative. In school I was taught by nuns in wimples the difference between ellipses and eclipses and later in drama walking down towards the proscenium to deliver a soliloquy to an anticipated ovation! On vacation we would pack a valise with pedal pushers, boatneck raglan sleeve tops and espadrilles. Let's have lunch! No one will know what we are talking about.
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How could I have forgotten "wimple"?
1
"antidisestablishmentarianism", then, if not still, "the longest word in the dictionary". and "rendezvous", properly pronounced, not phonetically.
4
There is definitely great fun in pronouncing French words English-style, not just rendei-voo, but deija-voo, etc. And French names in English are marvelous sources of hilarity. Once, an American tourist asked where the "champs iliseez" were.
Shagreen. Pusillanimous. Caracole. Magniloquent and orotund.
4
Gargoyles and rhapsody
4
A wonderful post!
What a wonderful universe our words create!
Our jobs, our families, our loves, our enemies, etc.
All defined by our language, our words.
Our favorite words!
Love it!!
What a wonderful universe our words create!
Our jobs, our families, our loves, our enemies, etc.
All defined by our language, our words.
Our favorite words!
Love it!!
6
Words Trump Love
It's not just the sound of the word but the physicality of the throat, tongue and lips as the word comes forth that gives us pleasure. I love the list of words Sara Jane gives us here, including the historical arc they represent. I have several myself with a favorite being "Jacaranda". In these difficult times such simple pleasure is truly welcome.
17
Thank you.
You have something in common with Colette (never a bad thing). I think the story is called "The Priest on the Wall" from "My Mother's House" She writes of falling in love with the sound of words without knowing their meaning.
8
Thank you.
I liked "Volare" by Bobby Darin and "Danke Schoen" for the foreign words, and My Fair Lady for the dropped 'aitches and Rex Harrison's pedantry. Mom had all the Broadway hits on the RCA stereo in mid-60s after school, I knew all of Irma La Douce, West Side Story, The King and I, Camelot, The Sound of Music, Frankie Laine, the Ink Spots, Moon River, the lyrics were so rich. Was proud in grammar school never to have lost a spelling bee, including when the principal's know-it-all daughter mis-spelled "doller" for "dollar" and I did not. A cliffhanger. Could spell antidisestablishmentarianism and interdenominationalistically rapid fire, from memory. Knew that zyzsygy or similar was the last word in the dictionary, and what it meant, too. One day the English teacher challenged me, superciliously, to name each of E. A. Poe's novels, and I did, breezily. He later became a mentor at the local tavern while getting his Ph D at Rutgers. I learned many words from Updike, W F Buckley Jr and Safire too. Became a HS English teacher myself to get paid for reading in the guise of teaching. Read all of Mailer until he went off the rails. Got a Random House Unabridged, and H K Fowler, and pored thru them, bought a set of Encyclopedia Britannica when a salesman rang the doorbell of my Swarthmore rental one Saturday; $750 and worth it. At age 66 my wife (Penn '76) and I read all the livelong day, though regrettably she's been enamored of trash fiction since forever. Birds must fly!
13
ah, the sound of words and not one of them a "s'up". I am restored. Thank you.
FYI, it's "syzygy." It means "yoking together," from greek "syn" (with) and "zygos" (an ox-yoke). Eucharistically yours, C. Kent.
1
Homer nods, Florida. But it's close enuff for government work.
Born around the midpoint of the last century, my understanding of the word, 'penultimate' only came about in this one. Now I try to use whenever it is appropriate, such as now!
3
Onomatopoeia. Lush. Precious.
5
flummox, filipendula, acetate, encaustic
4
In grade school P.S. 197 on Kings Highway in Brooklyn in the 1950s we learned to compose Haiku poetry.I remember learning the most beautiful English words for Japanese speakers. "Cellardoor" and "butterfly" topped the list.
3
Tintinnabulation
3
Indubitably.
6
This is a delightful piece; thank you for it. My favourite word and the most beautiful when spoken is "crystal". "Kodak" is a distant second.
4
Beautiful and true for so many of us. I wish it so for all .
3
Thank you for the words. When I took Spanish, I was happy to learn "oropéndola." I still love to say it.
1
Piezoelectric effect
Tuna noodle casserole