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

tmesis

[ tuh-mee-sis ]

noun

the interpolation of one or more words between the parts of a compound word, as be thou ware for beware.

learn about the english language

More about tmesis

Tmesis is not a misspelling of thesis; 喧鳥礙莽勳莽 cutting is a Greek noun, a derivative of the verb 喧矇鳥紳梗勳紳 to cut, prune, castrate. Tmesis is a feature of the archaic epic syntax of the Iliad and Odyssey, in which there is a separation of an adverb (which becomes a prefix in Classical Greek) from its verb by an intervening word or phrase, as in the Iliad en 餃a喝喧簷莽 梗餃羸莽梗喧棗 n廜ropa chalk簷n and he himself put on his gleaming bronze, where the adverb en is separated from its verb 梗餃羸莽梗喧棗 by the phrase 餃a喝喧簷莽 and he himself. Tmesis is rare and archaic in modern English, as in Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words (that is, Beware of him, yourself色), 2 Timothy 4:15, Authorized Version. More than a few of us may admit familiarity with tmesis as it occurs in such adjectives as fantastic 棗娶泭unbelievable or in adverbs like absolutely, in which the fan-, un-, and abso– are separated from the rest of the word by an overworked vulgarism.

how is tmesis used?

You may remember Matt Foley, the in-your-face motivational speaker played by the late comedian Chris Farley onSaturday Night Live, whose Well, la-dee-frickin-da was all the funnier for its tmesis.

Rebecca Cohen, "How I Met Your Mother's 'LegenWait for itDary' Is More Compli-Freaking-Cated Than You Think," Slate, April 16, 2014

Tmesis … means the insertion of one word into the middle of another word, as in abso-bloody-lutely or to-very-day. Most often we insert four-letter expletives, which cannot be printed in a newspaper but can only be suggested by substituting something like the British “bloody.”

Carl Strock, "Spirit Of Tmesis Lives To-Very-Day," Schenectady Gazette, February 4, 1989
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

orgulous

[ awr-gyuh-luhs, guh ]

adjective

haughty; proud.

learn about the english language

More about orgulous

The English adjective orgulous has about as many spelling variants in Middle English (orgeilus, orgeyllous, orguillous, etc.) as its Old French source (orguillus, orguilleus, orgueilleux, etc.). The base of the French word is a Germanic (Frankish) noun, cognate with Old English orgol, orgel pride, and akin to the Old High German adjective urguol outstanding. Shakespeare uses orgillous once, in Troilus and Cressida, but the adjective was obsolete by the mid-17th century, only to be resuscitated by Sir Walter Scott and Robert Southey in the first half of the 19th century.

how is orgulous used?

The princes orgulous, their high blood chafed / Have to the port of Athens sent their ships …

William Shakespeare, Troilus and Cressida, 1623

Ah, he is an orgulous man!

Georgette Heyer, My Lord John, 1973
51勛圖 of the Day Calendar

51勛圖 of the day

jubilate

[ joo-buh-leyt ]

verb (used without object)

to celebrate a joyful occasion.

learn about the english language

More about jubilate

The verb jubilate sounds as if it must have a Hebrew origin from its being the first word of Psalms 65 and 100 in the Vulgate: 斑贖莉勳梭櫻喧梗 Shout for joy. But the Latin verb 轍贖莉勳梭櫻娶梗 is a derivative of the Proto-Indo-European root 聆贖-, yu– to shout in exultation, from which Greek derives 勳羸堝梗勳紳 to shout aloud (with several derivatives), and Middle High German derives 轍贖 and 轍贖ch, expressions of joy. Jubilate entered English in the early 17th century.

how is jubilate used?

… spectators mill around, dance, and jubilate in Imeldas rise to power, while feeling uneasy about how much fun theyre having.

Michael Schulman, "Bling Ring," The New Yorker, May 6, 2013

Then there were their children, the sabras, blond, husky women, and men: earnest people for all that they could dance and jubilate.

Belva Plain, Evergreen, 1978
51勛圖 of the Day Calendar
51勛圖 of the Day Calendar