ETYMOLOGY | OLD ENGLISH | HISTORY | POLITICS

An Exploration of Forgotten English #38

Inspired by the daily calendar Forgotten English by Jeff Kacirk

Photo by Darren Halstead on Unsplash

Occasionally, when exploring English words no longer in common usage or no longer in use at all, you come across one that fits the moment and the person like a glove or a mask.

Facinorous is one such word. Sir James Murray, in his DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, 1818, defines facinorous as “extremely wicked, grossly criminal, atrocious, infamous, vile; said both of persons and their actions.

Sir James further indicates that facinorous comes to us from the Latin word facinus, which means “a bad deed.”

In America today, there is a candidate for the highest office in the country who is undeniably facinorous in both person and action. Not only him, but those around him are contemptibly facinorous with their constant barrage of lies, juvenile name-calling, blatant racism, and obvious ignorance.

Indeed, today’s word describes this man and his movement perfectly.

Article inspired by Jeff Kacirk’s Forgotten English © 2023 Jeff Kacirk.

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