I know this is something that Teresa has written about in her blog (and probably on a thread, though I've not been able to find it quickly) but I thought it was opportune to raise it here with a slight twist.
We are writers. We seek to create worlds in which can our readers can become immersed, with characters to be admired, reviled, laughed at or pitied. The way we do this is by using words. They are our tools - our equivalent of an artist's paints or pastels. Moreover we are lucky enough to be writing in perhaps the richest and most flexible language on this planet with close to a million words at our disposal. I believe we should cherish this richness. We should be alive to the nuance and colour and association which every word brings with it.
I know that the reading age of the general public is something like seven and three-quarters and plummeting. I know there is a school of thought which says we shouldn't make things difficult for our readers because if they don't understand us they will refuse to read further. Yet I cannot believe that the way to combat stupidity is to surrender to it. We should be striving to use the best word we can in any given situation - and if that means the risk of upsetting the ignorant, so be it. We should not be seeking to decrease our vocabulary since that way lies a colourless life of 'the cat sat on the mat' illiteracy. The brain is like a muscle - it needs to be stretched, to be exercised, if it is to be fit.
But as well as preaching to the (I hope) converted, I'd like to start a kind of linguistic swap-shop where we can share words which we think should have a wider audience. Words which are strange, beautiful or intriguing. And because not all of the words will be familiar to all of us, they should come with a brief definition and an example of usage.
To begin, three adjectives which I like to use when I can:
EGREGIOUS Extremely bad or outrageous eg 'She spent some time correcting the egregious errors in his writing.'
ESOTERIC Obscure, likely to be understood only by specialists eg 'His life's work had been the study of the esoteric symbols painted on the sarcophagi.'
INEFFABLE Not able to be described in words eg 'The ineffable majesty of the Divine.'
Celebrate the effable - give us your words.
J
Writers have more at their disposal than language: just as any good artist or any good writer knows, words (or paint, pencil, etc.) are a material to capacitate the imagination and though they can be manipulated to produce awesome effects and beautiful works, they can certainly be outdone in the latter two respects by the techniques and structure they're utilized around-or in modern cases, the techniques and structure that are utilized around them (perspective, decisive placement, proper conveyance of emotion, imagination, and intent for example, all of which can be used in conjunction with simple and direct wording that most any reasonably educated elementary chap could understand to produce a work of
quality).
Moreover, many would agree with me in saying English isn't among the more rich and flexible languages, but that is a matter of opinion and beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
As for exploring or getting to know the 'original purpose' or nuance of every word, which makes every word distinct (if in a small but crucial manner), I'd suggest hitting the dictionary and finding that meaning for yourself, which involves sifting through etymologies and the perceptions of others (not limited to writers) whom influenced the development of the words in question and which also involves personal commitment and time. In less gentle words, I believe more people who want to explore such delicate affairs should spend less time on an internet forum and more time in the books; since this is an internet forum though, why not have the poster of a word also post the word's etymology alongside it so that the word can be better understood? Anybody can read a book and jot down words and proceed to research the meanings of the words to increase his vocabulary, but not everyone cares for the specifics of a word. So, by posting the etymology of a word alongside the word itself, you may not only increase the reader's (of this thread) vocabulary but also further his understanding of his vocabulary.
Being unmotivated today, I opt to not post the etymologies for the words I'm about to post, which I believe fill the roles of strange, beautiful and intriguing at once.
elan - A feeling of strong eagerness (usually in favor of a person or cause).
asben - Air.
aestival/estival - Of summer.
hiemal/brymal - Of winter.
vernal - Of spring.
By the way, does anyone know the word that represents 'Of fall'? I've never been able to find it, disappointingly enough. I seem to have a season fetish.
cruor - Coagulated blood; gore.
eidolon - A phantom; apparition; image.
demilune - A crescent; crescent-shaped outwork of a fortification (French in origin or at least I'm under that impression).
dendroid - Treelike in form.
lucre - Profit.
arcance/arcanum - A secret; mystery; a secret remedy; elixir.
catholicon - A medicine to cure all diseases; anything all-inclusive.
panacea - A supposed remedy, cure or medicine for all diseases or ills; cure-all.
lamina - A thin flake, scale, or layer, as of metal, animal tissues, etc.; the flat, expanded part of a leaf; blade, as distinguished from the stem.
pelage - The coat or covering of a mammal, as hair, fur, etc.
protean - Of or like space; very changeable; readily taking on different shapes and forms.
silva/sylva - The forest trees of a certain area; a book or treatise descriing the trees of a certain area.
fey - [archaic and Scot.] Fated; doomed to die; in an unusually excited or gay state, formerly believed to portend sudden death.
paean/pean - A song of joy, truimph, etc.; in ancient Greece, a hymn of thanksgiving to the gods, especially to Apollo.
savant - A learned person; scholar; person famous for his knowledge and wisdom.
maven - an expert or knowledge enthusiast.
factotum - A person hired to do all sorts of work; handy man.
magian - Of the magi or a wizard.
inveigle - To lead on with deception.
monad - a unit; something simple and indivisable.
cantrip - [Scot.] A magic spell; prank.
myopic - Nearsighted.
euroclydon - Any stormy wind.
foehn - A warm, dry wind blowing down into the valleys of a mountain.
halitus - An exhalation; vapor; breath.
feria - Holidays; festivals; any weekday, especially one not designated by the church as a holiday.
enchiridion - A handbook.
plat - A small piece of ground; a map; plan; a braid' plait.
menhir - A tall stone, usually rough, standing upright )either as part of a circle or row, or alone) erected probably as a prehistoric monument; megalith.
torsin - An alarm bell; its sound; any alarm or sound of warning.
svelte - Slender and graceful; lithe.
gleg - [Scot. & Dial] Quick in perception or action; sharp; keen; alert.
I think Teresa already mentioned Eldritch; I like that word too.
