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Domingo, 12 / 05 / 19

23 Weird Words That Have Different Meanings to Those You Imagine ~ Janey Davies.

8 CBT Techniques for Anxiety That Will Calm Your Anxious Mind.

By Janey Davies.

May 11th, 2019.

 
 
 
 
 

 


 

Our language is full of weird words that look as if they mean one thing but actually imply something completely different.

 
For example, take the word bucolic. If you didn’t already know what this word meant, you might surmise that it was a medical word connected to an illness of the lungs perhaps. In actual fact, bucolic means rural or countryside and it used to portray a lush, green and pleasant rural setting. Not something that immediately springs to mind when you first read the word. This is just one example of weird words and how they can throw you off balance in delightful ways.
Here are 23 weird words that mean something different to what you might imagine:
 
Abditive
 
You might think I’ve forgotten to put my spellcheck on, but I assure you this is an actual word. The meaning of abditive is to have the power of hiding away or tending to conceal from others.
 
 
Cabotage
 
This has nothing to do with sabotaging cabbages. It is a nautical term that refers to the transportation of passengers and goods within the same country.
 
Callipygian
 
This is a word you might get confused with calligraphy and therefore think it has something to do with handwriting. However, it derives from Greek words kallipūgos, to describe a famous statue of Venus, and pūgē, which mean “buttocks.” It means to have shapely buttocks.
 
Crepuscular
 
You wouldn’t want to have a severe case of the crepuscular, would you? This word sounds like some disgusting skin disease that requires a strong dose of antibiotics. It actually means animals or being active at twilight. It comes from Latin crepusculum, meaning “twilight.”
 
Dinomania
 
Dinomania has nothing to do with dinosaurs, it means to have a passion for dancing.
 
Eclipsis
 
Have you ever seen an eclipsis? One might think it has a connection with the sun and moonand the natural phenomena of eclipses, but it doesn’t. Eclipsis are omissions of words or sounds in speech.
 
Encomiast
 
This word is nothing to do with the economy. In fact, it means a person who praises or delivers a eulogy.
 
Foison
 
The word foison looks so much like poison that surely, it must have a similar meaning, right? The truth could not be further. Foison means plenty or a plentiful yield.
 
Formication
 
Steady on! This isn’t what you think! Formication is very similar to fornication but the start of the word might give you a little clue.
 
 
The Latin word for ants is ‘Formica Farris’ and formication means the sensation of ants crawling over your body. It comes from the Latin word formīcāre, which means “to crawl like ants.”
 
Gravid
 
This is one of the weird words that looks like it means stern or serious. Actually, it is a medical word for pregnant.
 
Illutation
 
Illutation looks like a misspelling of the word illustration. It sounds like it could have something to do with diction or dialect, but its meaning is far more basic. It means to smear the body with mud or to take a mud bath.
 
Impignorate
 
You’d be forgiven for thinking this word had similarities with an ignorant person or a lack of intelligence. Actually, it’s a verb that means to pawn or mortgage something.
 
Jentacular
 
Unless you know this word, it’s virtually impossible to guess its meaning. Jentacular means eating breakfast as soon as you get up. It’s from Latin ientaculum (“a breakfast taken immediately on getting up“).
 
 
Lamprophony
 
Wasn’t there a king that died of a surfeit of lampreys? Perhaps this is a word that describes his fate? I’m wrong again. This word means to speak clearly and loudly.
 
Macrosmatic
 
Don’t managers micro-manage stuff so perhaps this word is something to do with that? I’m not even close. Macrosmatic means having a good sense of smell.
 
Nocent
 
This word looks so much like innocent that you’d think it should mean the same thing, but it is the opposite. Nocent means guilty or tending to do harm.
 
Noisome
 
Don’t use this word to depict noise, you’ll end up looking less clever than you want people to think!
 
Noisome comes from an old English word ‘noy’ to annoy and means disagreeable or offensive. This can be in several ways including smelly.
 
Nudiustertian
 
Any ideas about this word? The beginning sounds like it could have some connections to people who like lounging about on nudist beaches. But no, this is a fabulously weird word that means ‘the day before yesterday’.
 
Nugatory
 
Personally, I love nougat and would imagine that this word describes the tasty confectionary in some manner. Of course, this is an article about weird words, so it has nothing to do with candy. It means of no value or importance. It comes from the Latin word nugari “to trifle.”
 
Obstriction
 
Obstriction sounds like obstruction so the chances are they have similar meanings. However, obstriction is a word to denote an obligation or a duty.
 
Pulchritude
 
This word sounds like a type of fungus you would expect growing at the foot of a tree, but it is a particularly ugly word to describe exquisite beauty, especially of a woman.
 
Roscid
 
This is another one of those weird words that could be mistaken for a similar-sounding word like rancid and therefore put you on the wrong track. But roscid means moist or dewy.
 
Sinister
 
We all know that this word means evil or to have harmful intentions, but its true meaning from heraldry is ‘towards the left-hand side’ on a coat of arms.
 
Do you have any weird words you’d like to share? Let us know!
 
References:

 

About the Author: Janey Davies.

Janey Davies has been published online for over 8 years. She is the head writer for Shoppersbase.com, she also writes for AvecAgnes.co.uk, Ewawigs.com and has contributed to inside3DP.com. She has an Honours Degree in Psychology and her passions include learning about the mind, popular science and politics. When she is relaxing she likes to walk her dog, read science fiction and listen to Muse.
 
COPYRIGHT © 2018 LEARNING MIND. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. FOR PERMISSION TO REPRINT, CONTACT US.
 
 
 



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publicado por achama às 05:19
Domingo, 05 / 05 / 19

27 Foreign Words You Didn’t Know You Were Using Every Day ~ Janey Davies.

18 Famous People with INFJ Personality Traits.

By Janey Davies.

May 5th, 2019.

 
 
 
 
 

 


 

Some words are so intrinsically embedded into our unconscious that we don’t even realise they are foreign words.

Take the internationally-known distress call of ‘May Day!’ for example. It derives from the French verb for help – ‘aider’.
In the 1920s, people were getting used to new international radio communications. A senior air traffic control officer was asked to come up with a word that was easy to pronounce and remember to signify an emergency. He thought of ‘Mayday’ which comes from the French meaning ‘help me’ or ‘m’aidez’.
Mayday is just one of many foreign words we use without realising their origins.

Here are 27 other foreign words you didn’t know you were using every day:

FRENCH

Curfew
Curfew comes from the French word ‘couvrefeu’ which means to cover fire. It originates from a 13th-century European law. At a certain time, a bell would ring and all fires had to be extinguished or covered.
Denim
I’ve always associated denim with America but the origins of the word denim originate in France. A hard-wearing blue twill cloth was originally made in a small French town called Nîmes in the 17th-century. The word denim is a contraction of ‘serge de Nîmes’ (a sturdy cloth from Nîmes).
Mortgage
Have you ever signed a mortgage? Then I hate to tell you that you’ve signed a death pledge. ‘Mort’ means death in French and the whole word describes the promise (or pledge) you have agreed to pay back borrowed money in the future.
Prairie
You wouldn’t think this word could make it onto a list of foreign words as it sounds like it is from America’s Midwest. However, it is a French word for meadow.
Portrait
This foreign word comes from the French word ‘portraire’, or to portray, particularly the face.

SPANISH

Alligator
Surely an alligator is just an alligator? No one invented a word for it? In actual fact, they did. The word comes from the Spanish ‘el lagarto’, or lizard.
Canyon
This is another word we associate with the US but has its origins in Spain. It comes from the Spanish word ‘cañón’ which means tube. It was used by 19th-century Americans who were exploring Spanish territory in the west.
Cigar
The Spanish call the dried tobacco leaves rolled in a tobacco leaf a ‘cigarro’ which actually originates from a Mayan word ‘sicar’.
Mosquito
The name of this annoying biting parasite means ‘little fly’ in Spanish.
Guerrilla
The word guerrilla is full of connotations around the world. However, it is a Spanish word that means ‘little war’.

ITALIAN

Corridor
Corridor derives from the Italian word ‘corridoio’ which means hallway or passageway.
Confetti
This foreign word comes from Italy and the custom of throwing candy (confetto) on festive occasions.
Graffiti
This word comes from the plural of ‘graffito’ which means ‘scratched’.
Mascara
You’ll never wear mascara in the same way again after you realise its origins. The word mascara comes from the Italian verb ‘maschera’ which is ‘to disguise’.

SWEDISH

Moped
The moped is a contraction of ‘motor’ and ‘pedaler’ and comes from Sweden.

DUTCH

Cookie
Cookies are practically synonymous with the US but did you know their origins are firmly in Europe? The word cookie is derived from the Dutch word ‘koekie’ which means ‘little cake’ or ‘like a little cake’.
Sketch
Sketch is another Dutch word that comes from ‘schets’ or ‘to make a rough drawing’.

GREEK

Anonymous
Anonymous is from the Greek word ‘anōnumos’ and means someone or something without a name.

GERMAN

Noodle
Most of us think of noodles and Eastern countries such as China or Japan, but the word originated a lot closer to home. As a matter of fact, the word comes from the German ‘nudel’which translated means a long, thin strip of dough.
Rucksack
This is another one of those words you wouldn’t think has foreign origins, but it comes from Germany. In German, ‘rücken’ means ‘back’ and sack means bag. Hence a sack worn on the back.

JAPANESE

Tsunami
Unfortunately, we have all heard of tsunamis and we can even pronounce them properly now. We understand them to be those huge destructive waves you get in extreme weather conditions. But in Japanese, they simply mean ‘harbour wave’.

CHINESE

Ketchup
How can this be one of our foreign words? But it’s true, this common western condiment originated in China. It was first called ‘Ke-stiap’ and was a blend of pickled fish and spices. Then tomatoes were added and it became ketchup.
Kowtow
Have you ever had to kowtow to someone? We know it means to act in a subservient way, but the actual meaning comes from ‘Kòu tóu’ which is a respectful bow that involves touching your head to the floor.
Gung-ho
The English and Chinese have very different meanings attached to this word. English translate gung-ho as an ‘overzealous attitude’, but in China, it means ‘to work together’.

MEXICAN

Chocolate
Chocolate arrived in the English language after travelling through Spanish but it originated in Mexico as ‘xocolatl’.

ARABIC

Lemon
The humble lemon is a word derived from the Arabic for yellow citrus fruit which is ‘laimun’. It caught on and now lemon is synonymous with the colour as much as it is with the fruit.
Sofa
My final foreign word is sofa. Sofa is surely an English word? But no. Described as a ‘long seat full of cushions’, it comes from the Arabic word ‘uffa’.
What foreign words do you know that are now part of our English language? Let us know in the comments box!
References:
  1. http://mentalfloss.com
  2. http://www.ruf.rice.edu
  3. https://www.academia.edu

 

About the Author: Janey Davies.

Janey Davies has been published online for over 8 years. She is the head writer for Shoppersbase.com, she also writes for AvecAgnes.co.uk, Ewawigs.com and has contributed to inside3DP.com. She has an Honours Degree in Psychology and her passions include learning about the mind, popular science and politics. When she is relaxing she likes to walk her dog, read science fiction and listen to Muse.
 
COPYRIGHT © 2018 LEARNING MIND. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. FOR PERMISSION TO REPRINT, CONTACT US.
 
 
 



Compiled by http://violetflame.biz.ly from: 




Archives:



Please respect all credits.

 
Discernment is recommended.

 

All articles are of the respective authors and/or publishers responsibility. 

 

No religious or political belief is defended here. (Investigate yourself)

 

Individually you can be helped to find your Truth that is different of everyone. 

If you use discernment you are free to research with an open mind. 


More @ http://violetflame.biz.ly and 
https://rayviolet.blogspot.com/




 

Like this! please bookmark. It is updated daily

 


 
 
 
Free counters!

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publicado por achama às 23:20
A Luz está a revelar a Verdade, e esta libertar-nos-á! -Só é real o AMOR Incondicional. -Quando o Amor superar o amor pelo poder, o mundo conhecerá a Paz; Jimi Hendrix. -Somos almas a ter uma experiência humana!

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