Add some whimsy to your life
Malediction is defined as words that express the hope that someone will have bad luck or the utterance of a curse against someone or something. Malediction derives from the Latin maledictiō (reviling). Maledictions are denunciations that invoke a wish or threat of evil to someone or something. Maledictions are about as negative as can be… Continue reading Word Nerd: Malediction
Murky is characterized by a heavy dimness or obscurity caused by or like that caused by overhanging fog or smoke. Murky derives from the Old Norse myrkr (dark, darkness) and the Middle English mirk or murk (also dark or darkness). Murky can also be defined as vague, obscure, unclear or confused, like saying "That's a… Continue reading Word Nerd: Murky
Cachinnate means to laugh loudly or immoderately. Cachinnate originates with the Latin cachinnāre (to laugh boisterously, guffaw) and it's a word of imitative origin modeled after the sound of laughter. Cachinnate is similar to other imitative origin words about laughter that include khakha, which is Proto-Indo-European in origin, kachazzen, which is Old High German, kachazein,… Continue reading Word Nerd: Cachinnate
Ante Mortem means before death. Ante Mortem (sometimes antemortem) is derived from the Latin ante (before) and mortem mors (death). Ante Mortem is not necessarily morbid, it's more of a reminder of the time before death when life is still present and aware. Autumn is truly a season of ante mortem since it is the… Continue reading Word Nerd: Ante Mortem
Friluftliv (pronounced free-loofts-leave) is a Scandinavian word that translates literally as free-air life. Friluftliv was coined by the Norwegian poet Henrik Ibsen in his poem "On The Heights" in 1859. Friluftliv is a philosophical notion that broadly describes how a strong connection to nature unlocks a personal sense of vitality and freedom. For most Norwegians,… Continue reading Word Nerd: Friluftliv
Alamort means exhausted or half-dead. Alamort can also be used as an adverb with the meaning to the death. Alamort derives from the French à la mort (to the death). Alamort is a fairly obscure word these days. Perhaps it's time for a comeback since almost everyone has been feeling one form of alamort or… Continue reading Word Nerd: Alamort
