Back2wordsnightmare, fresco, ansible, artifice, eremite, irenic, alacrity, pun, humectant, commodious
nightmare [n. NYT-mair]
A nightmare is a dream that arouses feelings of intense fear or horror, or it can be any experience that is intensely distressing. Example: "The traffic today was a real nightmare."
A nightmare used to be a creature, but it was nothing like the female horse called a mare. In Old English, a maere was an incubus or night- hag, a kind of evil goblin that came at night and sat on the chest of a sleeper. The maere would press down with its weight, making it difficult to breathe, and bad dreams would come. In French, the word is cauchemar, where the first half is derived from caucher (to press). In the mid-16th century, the old superstitions began to fade. Today the frightening dream is the nightmare, and the evil incubus has been mostly forgotten.
fresco [n. FRES-koh]
Although most frescoes are murals, not all murals are frescoes. A fresco is a painting that was created by applying water-based pigments to freshly spread lime plaster, while a mural is a large painting made directly on a wall or ceiling.
Fresco is also the art of creating frescoes. It's a very ancient art, the second oldest form of painting known (only cave painting is older). Michelangelo's beautiful paintings in the Sistine Chapel are frescoes.
In Italian, fresco means fresh, like the plaster to which the paint is applied. If the plaster is on the dry side when it is painted, then the method is called "fresco secco" (dry fresco). If the plaster is brand new and still quite wet, then it's "buon fresco" (true fresco).
The art of fresco is experiencing a modern revival
ansible [n. AN-sih-bul]
Although ansible does not appear in any dictionary we could find, the word is known to science fiction fans, especially readers of Ursula K. Le Guin, who invented it. An ansible is a device that allows instantaneous communication across interstellar distances of many light years -- something that violates the laws of physics as we know them today, but fits well in some science fiction tales.
No one is sure how Le Guin came up with the word. It was apparently first used in her book "Rocannon's World," published in 1966. Since then it has appeared in other Le Guin books, and also in a book by Orson Scott Card. The ansible device, by other names or without a name, is now commonplace in science fiction, including the TV shows "Star Trek" and "Babylon 5." If such a wonderful device ever becomes a reality, we hope it will be called the ansible.
artifice [n. AR-tuh-fis]
If someone displays artifice, they are either being cleverly ingenious or cleverly devious. The two meanings shade into each other, making this a tricky word. Example: "Harriet's sewing skills were more artifice than actual talent, as customers discovered when their shirts began to fall apart."
In its best sense, this word implies a kind of artful genius, but in its worst sense, the person showing artifice is a complete fraud, who would only fool a casual observer. Which is it? The context (surrounding words and sentences) usually gives a clue to the specific meaning.
This word came through Old French from Latin artificium (craftsmanship), based on ars- (art) and -fex (maker). From the same roots, an artificer [n. ar-TIF-ih-sur] is a skilled craftsman or a deceptive trickster, depending on the context.
eremite [n. AIR-uh-myt]
An eremite is a hermit, one who withdraws from society and lives as a recluse, especially if that person withdraws for religious or spiritual reasons. Such a person is eremitic [adj. AIR-uh-MIT-ik] and is behaving eremitically [adv. AIR-uh-MIT-ik-lee].
Both eremite and hermit derive from the same root, Late Latin eremita (hermit), from Greek eremia (desert), which in turn came from eremos (solitary). Notice how the word's meaning evolved from aloneness to the desert (where one is often alone), then back to aloneness. More words from the same root:
eremic [adj. ee-REM-ik]: relating to deserts or sandy areas
eremophilia [n. AIR-uh-muh-FIL-ee-uh]: love of solitude
eremophobia [n. AIR-uh-muh-FOE-bee-uh]: fear of being alone
irenic [adj. eye-REN-ik, eye-REEN-ik]
If you are irenic, then you prefer peace, or you are a peacemaker. Example: "After months of bitter labor disputes, the compromise proposal was an unexpectedly irenic gesture from management." According to Greek mythology the seasons, the hours, and the order of nature were supervised by the Horae, the daughters of Zeus and Themis and the guardians of the gates of heaven. Among them was Eirene, the goddess of peace, whose name means peace. Eirene was the nurse of Demeter, the goddess of fertility.
Eirene's name gave us irenic as well as irenics [n. eye-REN-iks], a term for the advocacy of unity among Christians. Also from Eirene is the modern name Irene, and a genus of Asian bluebirds named Irena. From Eirene's Latin name of Pax we have peace, pacify, pacific, and appease. More about the Horae
alacrity [n. uh-LAK-rih-tee]
This word usually appears in the phrase "with alacrity." If you act with alacrity, then you are responding promptly and cheerfully. Alacrity can also be readiness, willingness or eagerness. Example: "When the prize committee sent me a mysterious note, I replied with alacrity." Someone who acts with alacrity is alacritous [adj. uh-LAK-rih-tus].
Since the 15th century, alacrity has been cheerful responsiveness, either physically or emotionally. It always carries a positive, upbeat quality. The word is based on Latin alacritas (liveliness), from alacer (lively).
A near-synonym is celerity [n. suh-LAIR-ih-tee], which carries the sense of acting quickly but without the overtone of cheerfulness. It's from Latin celer (swift). Other near-synonyms include dispatch, expedition, hurry, and haste.
pun [n. PUN]
A pun is a witty play on words. Sometimes it is a story or sentence including a word that has two meanings, but most often a word is substituted for one that sounds similar, giving a funny or ironic twist to a sentence.
In the 17th and 18th centuries in England, it was fashionable to create short one-syllable words from longer ones. One such word was mob, which was short for mobile. Another may have been pun, from pundigrion, a fancy name for a witty play on words. Pundigrion was probably inherited from Italian puntiglio (nice point; quibble), which also gave us punctilious [adj. pungk-TIL-ee-us] (meticulous; precisely proper).
More recently, these new words have emerged from pun:
punster: one who writes or utters puns
punnology: the study of wordplay involving puns
punnigram: a short witty poem or statement including a pun
We resisted the temptation to include a pun. But if you must have them, here are more than you may ever want
humectant [n., adj. hyoo-MEK-tunt]
If something is a humectant, then it promotes retention of moisture. Such a substance is a moistening agent. Example: "Among the finest humectants for potting soil are the polymer hydrogels, which take up water and keep it available for the roots of thirsty plants." This word's Latin lineage traces back through humectare (to moisten) and humectus (moist) to humere (to be moist). From the same root we have humid (moist, usually of air), and humidity (dampness of air). There is also the humidor [n. HYOO-mih-dor], a tight-lidded container designed to preserve a moist interior environment, and the humidistat [n. hyoo-MIH-dih-stat], a sensor and controller that maintains a set level of humidity.
commodious [adj. kuh-MOE-dee-us]
If something is commodious then it is comfortably spacious. Example: "The new sleeper cars feature commodious cabins with private showers and tables large enough for four to play cards."
The meaning of this word has changed somewhat from Middle English, when something commodious was convenient, suitable, or handy. The word is from Latin commodus (convenient), a compound of com- (together) and modus (measure).
Other words from commodus include these:
commode: decorated cabinet; toilet stand; tall headdress for women
commodity: useful article of trade or commerce
incommode: disturb, cause to be inconvenienced
accommodate: do a favor; make suitable; allow for; adapt to
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