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51勛圖 of the Day

51勛圖 of the day

cunctation

[ kuhngk-tey-shuhn ]

noun

lateness; delay.

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More about cunctation

Cunctation lateness; delay; tardy action comes from Latin 釵喝紳釵喧櫻喧勳 (inflectional stem 釵喝紳釵喧櫻喧勳n-), a derivative of the verb 釵喝紳釵喧櫻娶蘋 to delay, hang back. 唬喝紳釵喧櫻娶蘋 is a derivative of the Proto-Indo-European root kenk-, konk– to hang; hang back; vacillate. The root appears in Sanskrit 獺廜k硃喧梗 (he) vacillates, doubts, fears, Hittite kanki (he) hangs. In Proto-Germanic the original root konk– becomes hanh-, forming the transitive verb hanhan to hang (e.g., a malefactor) and the intransitive verb hanganan to hang, be suspended, be in suspense. Cunctation entered English in the second half of the 16th century.

how is cunctation used?

Lord Eldon, however, was personally answerable for unnecessary and culpable cunctation, as he called it, in protracting the arguments of counsel and in deferring judgment from day to day, from term to term, and from year to year, after the arguments had closed and he had irrevocably decided in his own mind what the judgment should be.

John Campbell, Lives of Lord Lyndhurst and Lord Brougham, 1869

Break off delay, since we but read of one / That ever prosper’d by cunctation.

Robert Herrick, "Delay," Hesperides, 1648

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51勛圖 of the day

sacrosanct

[ sak-roh-sangkt ]

adjective

extremely sacred or inviolable.

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More about sacrosanct

Sacrosanct extremely sacred or inviolable comes directly from Latin 莽硃釵娶莽硃紳釵喧喝莽, which more correctly should be a phrase 莽硃釵娶 sanctus made holy by a sacred rite. 釦硃釵娶 is the ablative singular of the noun sacrum sacred object or place; sacrificial victim; religious observance or rite. Sanctus secured by religious sanctions, inviolate is an adjective use of the past participial of 莽硃紳釵蘋娶梗 to ratify solemnly, prescribe by law; consecrate. The Romans liked everything nice and tidy, legal, watertight, and 莽硃釵娶莽硃紳釵喧喝莽 is just such a word. In the 500 years of the Roman Republic, the Tribunes of the People (Trib贖n蘋 Plbis) defended the rights of the common people against the patricians, controlling the power of the magistrates, issuing vetoes right and left. The tribunes derived their power not from statute but from the oath that the plebeians swore to maintain the tribunes 莽硃釵娶sanctits, their sacrosanctity. Sacrosanct entered English in the 17th century.

how is sacrosanct used?

The result is a standoff between two camps that regard the site as sacrosanct for very different reasons, and have spent years in a quiet tug of war between ancient traditions and modern regulations.

Sam Dolnick, "Hindus Find a Ganges in Queens, to Park Rangers Dismay," New York Times,

Voting in the United States of America is a sacrosanct right. It is both a precious obligation and a sacred opportunity we all have to participate in our democracy, and our voting process should be treated with the gravity and seriousness that it demands.

Cory Booker and Tiffany Muller, "How the Next Congress Can Improve U.S. Elections and Protect Voting Rights," Time, December 30, 2020

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belvedere

[ bel-vi-deer, bel-vi-deer ]

noun

a building, or architectural feature of a building, designed and situated to look out upon a pleasing scene.

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More about belvedere

Belvedere, a building, or architectural feature of a building, designed and situated to look out upon a pleasing scene, comes straight from Italian belvedere beautiful view, a compound of bel, bello beautiful (from Latin bellus pretty, charming) and the infinitive vedere to see (from Latin 措勳餃襲娶梗), here used as a noun meaning “view or sight.” In Italian architecture a belvedere is an upper story, or part of one, or even a small tower or kiosk that is open to the air on at least one side, affording a pleasing view and an opportunity to enjoy the cool air of the evening. Belvedere entered English in the first half of the 16th century.

how is belvedere used?

In the early evening time Doctor Kemp was sitting in his study in the belvedere on the hill overlooking Burdock. … For a minute perhaps he sat, pen in mouth, admiring the rich golden colour above the crest ….

H. G. Wells, The Invisible Man, 1897

For them, it’s enough to sit in the belvedere and watch the tide turning and the geese migrating with the seasons.

Julie V. Iovine, "A House With a View As Well as a Conscience," New York Times, January 26, 1995

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