Words for the Day; please share

by compound complex 182 Replies latest jw friends

  • compound complex
    compound complex

    Cachinnate . . .

    has been whooping it up in English since the 19th century.

    The word derives from the Latin verb cachinnare, meaning "to laugh loudly," and "cachinnare" was probably coined in imitation of a loud laugh. As such, "cachinnare" is much like the Old English "ceahhetan," the Old High German kachazzen, and the Greek kachazein - all words of imitative origin that essentially meant "to laugh loudly."

    Our word cackle has a different ancestor than any of these words (the Middle English "cakelen"), but this word, too, is believed to have been modeled after the sound of laughter.

    https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cachinnate

  • snowbird
    snowbird

    Imitative - onomatopoeia - Yitzchaq (Isaac), meaning laughter.

    CoCo, you are stirring some memories!

    Sylvia

  • compound complex
    compound complex

    I'm glad to do my part, Sylvia!


  • snowbird
    snowbird

    Blackguard ...

    Hah, hah.

    Sylvia

  • compound complex
    compound complex

    I prefer the pronunciation "blag-gard," but I have heard "black-gard."

    Will look further.

    THANKS!

  • snowbird
    snowbird

    LOL.

    I knew that would draw a response from you.

    Either way is ok, I'm thinking.

    Sylvia

  • compound complex
    compound complex

    One of my faves:

    We live in a scary world, one full of rouge nations that threaten world peace.

  • snowbird
    snowbird

    One letter transposed makes a sometime humorous difference.

    I remember Untied Nations.

    Sylvia

  • LoveUniHateExams
    LoveUniHateExams

    How about the following German noun: Schildkroete (means 'tortoise' or 'turtle').

    The German word for toad is die Kroete so die Schildkroete literally means something like 'shielded toad' ... not strictly accurate if you've studied Biology but I like the thinking behind this German word.

  • snowbird
    snowbird

    Dystonia and dystopia.

    Sylvia

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