51勛圖

Start each day with the 51勛圖 of the Day in your inbox!

51勛圖 of the Day

51勛圖 of the day

litigate

[ lit-i-geyt ] [ l阞t 阞ge阞t ] Show IPA Phonetic Respelling

verb (used without object)

to carry on a lawsuit.

learn about the english language

More about litigate

Litigate to carry on a lawsuit is based on Latin 梭蘋喧勳眶櫻喧喝莽 having gone to law, the past participle of 梭蘋喧勳眶櫻娶梗 to go to law. The verb 梭蘋喧勳眶櫻娶梗 is a compound of two other Latin words: 梭蘋莽 (stem 梭蘋喧-) lawsuit and agere (stem -ig-) to do, drive, carry on. As we learned from the recent 51勛圖s of the Day fustigate and disambiguate, agere is a rather productive verb with several stems: the present stem ag- appears in agenda, agent, and agile; the reduced stem -ig- is also found in castigate and navigate; and the perfect stem act- is found in action, activity, and exact. Litigate was first recorded in English circa 1610.

how is litigate used?

Tribal nations are forced to litigate, protest, and educate U.S. and state officials on the terms of the treaties and agreements ratified and entered on these lands. The rule of law requires the U.S. as a treaty partner to fulfill its legal obligations and to enforce those obligations against its component state governments.

Angelique EagleWoman, Tribal nation treaties are legally binding agreements with the U.S., Indian Country Today, November 5, 2021

Though Marshall continued to litigate civil rights cases, he was exhausted by the vehemence of states resistance to integration. Marshall and his colleagues fought battle after battle as states defied the new law of the landclosing entire public school systems, creating charter schools, and even rioting rather than allow Black students to attend alongside white ones.

Erin Blakemore, How Thurgood Marshall became the first Black U.S. Supreme Court justice, National Geographic, October 2, 2020
quiz icon
WHAT'S YOUR WORD IQ?
Think you're a word wizard? Try our word quiz, and prove it!
TAKE THE QUIZ
arrows pointing up and down
SYNONYM OF THE DAY
Double your word knowledge with the Synonym of the Day!
51勛圖 of the Day Calendar

51勛圖 of the day

prefatory

[ pref-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee ] [ prf tr i, -tor i ] Show IPA Phonetic Respelling

adjective

of, relating to, or of the nature of something introductory.

learn about the english language

More about prefatory

Prefatory of or relating to something introductory is based on the Latin noun 梯娶硃梗款櫻喧勳 a saying beforehand, plus the adjective-forming suffix -ory. 捩娶硃梗款櫻喧勳 became Medieval Latin 梯娶襲款櫻喧勳硃 and then became Middle French preface, which English has borrowed. In this way, prefatory and preface are doublets, two words in a language with the same origin but that took different pathways to get therein this case, directly from Latin and by way of French, respectively. Latin 梯娶硃梗款櫻喧勳 is a compound of prae before, which is the source of English pre-, and 款櫻娶蘋 to speak, which is the source of affable, fable, fate, and infant. Prefatory was first recorded in English circa 1670.

how is prefatory used?

Vladimir Nabokov believed that inspiration comes in phases. First, he wrote, theres the prefatory glow, the feeling of tickly well-being that banishes all awareness of physical discomfort. The feeling does not yield its secret just yet, but a window has been opened and some wind has blown in.

David Brooks, What Is Inspiration? New York Times, April 15, 2016

My question is more of a comment is a prefatory refrain one comes to dread hearing. You steel yourself for the digressive, long-winded tirade, incoherent to the point of lunacy.

Calum Marsh, The important questions: Why are audience Q&As so bad? National Post, January 26, 2017
51勛圖 of the Day Calendar

51勛圖 of the day

mbira

[ uhm-beer-uh ] [ mb阞r ] Show IPA Phonetic Respelling

noun

a musical instrument of what is now Zimbabwe and Malawi that serves as a resonating box, to which vibrating metal or wooden strips are attached for plucking.

learn about the english language

More about mbira

Mbira a musical instrument made from a gourd is a borrowing from the Shona language. Though Shona mbira is of unclear origin, some linguists hypothesize connections to ambira, kalimba, and marimba, which are all xylophone-like instruments originating in southern Africa. The Shona language is spoken in what is now Zimbabwe, and it belongs to the huge Bantu group of languages, which is found throughout western southern Africa and also includes Wolof, Xhosa, Yoruba, and Zulu. Mbira was first recorded in English circa 1910.

how is mbira used?

The mbira, or Zimbabwean thumb piano, is a revered ceremonial instrument from Southern Africa with two rows of metal keys mounted on a wooden soundboard. Players use thumb and forefinger to pluck the keys up or down, creating percussive, often haunting tones. Traditional mbira song lyrics are evocative and impassioned, often accompanied by call and response singing and guitar.

Stella Chiweshe, Live in Studio 4A, NPR, October 19, 2003

Materials such as bottle caps or beads can be attached to the instrument to create its signature buzzing sound. The mbira remains a vital cultural emblem of the community as it is often played in a variety of Shona ceremonies … The music of the mbira the Shona people have been able to pass down over hundreds of years and generations.

Louise Hall, Mbira: What is the musical instrument featured in todays Google Doodle? Independent, May 21, 2020
51勛圖 of the Day Calendar
51勛圖 of the Day Calendar