Words…
What are we without our words?
Even as I sit to write this post, I am overwhelmed by the gravity of finding the right words to use. What is anyone without their words? More pressingly, though, what is a writer without her words?
The world of words has always fascinated me simply because of the power they wield. Consider what Emily Dickinson said:
“A word is dead when it is said, some say. I say it just begins to live that day”.
Indeed. Words come alive when we speak them, write them, and read them. It’s how authors capture our hearts and minds. It is how they draw us in and keep us there. Exactly where they want us to be. Words have the capacity to transport us to an alternate reality. Almost like having an out-of-body experience.
The more seasoned the author, the more powerful the impact of his or her words. I’ve always wondered what that must be like. To write things that move people to listen. So much so that governments believe your books should be burned in public book burning ceremonies! (Reference to the multiple book burning ceremonies in Hitler’s time) What must have been in those books?
One can spend a lifetime reading and exploring the vast and varied world of words and still stumble on a word they may have never seen before. I know I have! And then it’s a mad rush to find the dictionary! I have an issue with words I don’t know, as in, I don’t like not knowing. You know? I absolutely need to know!
So, I’m going to take you along on a journey, and together we’re going to discover some of the most fascinating words I have come across.
Let’s begin with one of my absolute favorites.
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia
Did you know that one of the longest words in the dictionary is also, ironically, the name for the fear of long words? How’s that for a doozy? Do you know anyone with this phobia? Or better yet, I think the question is: did you know such a phobia even existed?
Up next —
Librocubicularist (n)
Any idea what this one means? It’s the word for “A person who reads in bed”. Back in the day, this WAS me! But I had no idea there was an actual word for it. I remember the many, many days I spent cuddled up in bed with a cup of tea and a book!
And you know what’s beautiful about words? It doesn’t always have to be in a language you know or understand, but it can still move you and stir something inside you. I found that in the Portuguese word — saudade.
saudade (n)
Have you ever felt a nostalgic or melancholic longing for an absent something or someone that you love? In Portuguese, you would be experiencing what they call ‘saudade’. Wikipedia says that it is a word that claims no direct translation into English. Which means it’s a word that cannot be explained in English, perhaps only felt by understanding it in Portuguese? Isn’t that beautiful?
Take the word déjà vu. We’ve all heard it, read it, and used it at some point in our lives. The word used to describe the feeling of already having experienced something before. However, it’s a French word, is it not? It has been borrowed in English (the English equivalent being deja vu — no accent marks) and used so many times over that it has become, for all intents and purposes, an English word! It has come to be a part of a set of words called loan words in English! Words that have origins in other languages that we use in English and do not question anymore.
Take for example words like — bungalow (origins in Hindi), caravan (origins in Persian), tomato (origins in Spanish)!! Tomato!
Fascinating! Utterly fascinating!
Recently, on one of my regular Instagram prowls, I came across a page, and the owner was talking about a word I had never heard before. It sounded like something I knew, but meant something else entirely. My mind immediately went to meanings like feminine and soft. You know the word? Effeminate.
But the word was — effete. Do you know what it means?
effete (adj.)
A word that is used to describe something that has become weak and without much power. “With nothing to do all day the aristocracy had grown effete and lazy.”
Wonderful, wonderful world of words.
Ever since I can remember, I’ve been a pluviophile. I learned that there was a word to describe what I felt when it rained only much later in life.
A pluviophile. A lover of the rain. Someone who finds joy and peace of mind when it rains
And what do most pluviophiles love about rainy days?
Petrichor (n)
The earthy smell that permeates the air moments before the rain hits the ground. The word itself was coined by Australian scientists in 1964 to describe the musty, unique smell associated with rain. Being a pluviophile and loving petrichor go pretty much hand in hand.
So, one can easily imagine a librocubicularist pluviophile cuddled up in bed on a rainy day with a book and a hot cup of tea, reveling in the scent of petrichor and exploring unseen and distant worlds.
That could quite easily be me, if only I found the resolve to sit and finish a book!
I could go on and on. I really could, but I suppose the point of this post was to tell you that if you keep your eyes open, I’m sure you’ll come across a word or two that will stay with you. And if you have, share them with me, perhaps?
I’ll be keeping me eyes on the comments.
Thank you for stopping by. Thank you for reading.
