This week: Logophiles Unite! Edited by: fyn  
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Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'! ~~Audrey Hepburn
Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace. ~~Buddha
Everything starts with one step, or one brick, or one word or one day. ~~Jeremy Gilley
Before the scene, before the paragraph, even before the sentence, comes the word. Individual words and phrases are the building blocks of fiction, the genes that generate everything else. Use the right words, and your fiction can blossom. The French have a phrase for it - le mot juste - the exact right word in the exact right position. ~~Nancy Kress
When written in Chinese, the word 'crisis' is composed of two characters.
One represents danger and the other represents opportunity. ~~John F. Kennedy
He who wants to persuade should put his trust not in the right argument, but in the right word. The power of sound has always been greater than the power of sense. ~~Joseph Conrad
A word is dead
when it is said, some say.
I say it just begins
to live that day. ~~Emily Dickinson
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We are, poets, authors, writers all - word-o-philes, wordsmiths. Having access to a large vocabulary lets us take advantage of language and use it to the best of our abilities. Sure, sometimes a more accessible word works well, but there are times using the more unusual word might be preferable to express ourselves better.
Some fun words I have stumbled across recently are as follows. Sometimes even knowing the etimology of a word can add depth and nuance to our writing. Plus, they are just fun words to know!
Because I am feeling a tad bit on the older side today rather than the 'spring chicken my mind seems to think I still am:
Senescence - noun
The state of being old : the process of becoming old
Senescence can be traced back to Latin senex, meaning "old." Can you guess which other English words come from senex? Senile might (correctly) come to mind, as well as senior. But another one might surprise you: senate. This word for a legislative assembly dates back to ancient Rome, where the Senatus was originally a council of elders composed of the heads of patrician families.
Speaking of 'back in the day,' did you know that the word 'salary' came from the word 'salt' which is how Roman soldiers were paid? Nothing like, ah, being 'worth your salt!'
Here's a fun one for Shakespear fans:
Bardolator
The word bardolater, which George Bernard Shaw coined by blending Shakespeare's epithet—"the Bard"—with an affix that calls to mind idolater, has stuck with us to this day.
If you are having 'one of those days,' try:
Strikhedonia (n.) Origin: Greek. Definition: The pleasure of being able to say “to hell with it!”
I like this next one simply because of the sound of it!
Concinnity
kŏn-sǐn'ǐ-tē n. Skillful blending; harmony
Seems to be what we stive for in wording our poetic endeavors!
Uhtceare - something I suffer from far too often! It is when you wake up in the hours just before dawn, your brain kicks in and you can't get back to sleep because you are worried about something. It is from the Scots word 'oht (pronounced oot) and cease means care. Nice to know there's a word for this thing we've all experienced!
Here's one we should all be familiar with -
quire which is two dozen sheets of paper.
The philtrim is that dented area beneath your nose. An aglet is that piece of plastic that keeps your shoelace from unraveling and a tittle is the dot on an 'i'.
Here's a word we've all used or said - wrongly!: Argh.It actually means timidly or cowardly!
Ever used an infinity symbol? You were, in reality, using a lemniscate.
Finally, another word we poets work with all the time, even if we don't actively think about - especially when working with assonance: we also seek out mellifluous words. These are words that we like the sounds of or have a particularly beautiful or intricate sound. Funny how the very word is a perfect example. As are lullaby, quixotic and mesmerizing!
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Casey  writes: Ah, you say it so well re your "Distillation" poem. Am going to copy and make a poster of your list to place above my computer. All the prepositions and determiners (the, she, he, it) that we poets should learn to do without when it might be said in a more interesting way! Thank you!
Fivesixer  comments: Thank you for this newsletter...I'm always semi-conscious about word economy and trying to trim the fat. This is a helpful guide! |
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Poetry: February 20, 2019 Issue [#9395]
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