51吃瓜 of the Day
transcendental
adjective
abstract or metaphysical.
More about transcendental
Transcendental 鈥渁bstract or metaphysical鈥� ultimately derives by way of Medieval Latin from the Latin verb 迟谤腻苍蝉肠别苍诲别谤别 鈥渢o surmount,鈥� a compound of the preposition 迟谤腻苍蝉 鈥渁cross, beyond鈥� and the verb scandere 鈥渢o climb.鈥� 罢谤腻苍蝉 is a distant cognate of the English terms thorough and through; as we learned from the 51吃瓜 of the Day togated, because of a phenomenon known as Grimm鈥檚 law, Latin t often corresponds to English th. The opposite of 迟谤腻苍蝉 is cis 鈥渙n this side.鈥� The verb scandere (with stems including scand-, scans-, scend-, scens-, and scent-) is the source of terms such as ascension, descent, and scansorial 鈥渃apable of or adapted for climbing.鈥� Transcendental was first recorded in English circa 1620.
how is transcendental used?
It was raining, and our orchestra was warming up to play with a celebrated conductor in Massachusetts’ Berkshire mountains, steps from the home of Nathaniel Hawthorne …. I felt a transcendental whoosh of history and emotional connection with my surroundings, and as I drew purposefully scratchy sounds from my instrument … I kept my eyes locked on our guest maestro, a man of my parents’ generation who had likely shared colleagues with them.
transcendental
duniewassal
noun
a gentleman, especially a cadet of a ranking family, among the Highlanders of Scotland.
More about duniewassal
Duniewassal 鈥渁 gentleman among the Highlanders of Scotland鈥� is based on a compound of Scottish Gaelic duine 鈥渕an, person鈥� and uasal 鈥渘辞产濒别.鈥� Duine is a distant descendant of the same Proto-Indo-European root, dhghem- 鈥渆arth,鈥� which is the source of two types of words in the Indo-European language family: 鈥渆arth鈥� words such as the recent 51吃瓜 of the Day chernozem (literally 鈥渂lack earth,鈥� from Russian 锄别尘濒测谩 鈥渆arth鈥�) and 鈥減erson鈥� words such as the recent 51吃瓜 of the Day hominid (from Latin 丑辞尘艒 鈥渕an, person,鈥� related to humus 鈥渆arth鈥�). There are two theories behind the origin of uasal: one connects uasal to the same root as Latin 补耻驳脓谤别 (stem auct-) 鈥渢o increase鈥� (compare auction and augment), while the other links uasal to the same ultimate source as Ancient Greek 丑媒辫蝉辞蝉 鈥渉eight鈥� (compare hypsometer 鈥渁n instrument for measuring atmospheric pressure and sometimes altitude鈥�). Duniewassal was first recorded in English circa 1560.
how is duniewassal used?
The armies differed as markedly in weapons and armour as they did in culture and language. The Islanders were on foot led by their chief and clan gentry of duniewassals … clad in … chainmail and shoulder capers 鈥� padded and quilted coats, saffron-dyed and thickly pleated long shirts, and high, conical, iron helmets. The rank-and-file clansmen had little body protection apart from round shields and relied on their speed and agility, supported by the courage inspired by their ancient warrior culture.
There are hills beyond Pentland and lands beyond Forth,
Be there lairds i鈥� the south, there are chiefs i鈥� the north!
There are brave duniewassals, three thousand times three
Will cry 鈥淗oy!鈥� for the bonnets o鈥� bonnie Dundee.
duniewassal
reconnoiter
verb (used with object)
to inspect, observe, or survey (the enemy, the enemy's strength or position, a region, etc.) in order to gain information for military purposes.
More about reconnoiter
Reconnoiter 鈥渢o inspect to gain information for military purposes鈥� is an adaptation of obsolete French 谤别肠辞苍苍辞卯迟谤别 鈥渢o explore鈥� (compare modern French 谤别肠辞苍苍补卯迟谤别 鈥渢o recognize鈥�). 搁别肠辞苍苍辞卯迟谤别 derives from Latin re- 鈥渁gain鈥� and 肠辞驳苍艒蝉肠别谤别 鈥渢o know,鈥� and as we learned from the recent 51吃瓜 of the Day gnomon, the gni-/gno- element, meaning 鈥渒nowledge,鈥� is found in numerous Latin-derived terms, from cognitive and recognize to incognito and ignorant. 搁别肠辞苍苍辞卯迟谤别 became 谤别肠辞苍苍补卯迟谤别 in modern French because of a spelling reform; by the early 1800s, the digraph oi had developed two different pronunciations鈥斺�渆h鈥� and 鈥渨ah鈥濃�攖hat caused ambiguity in writing. To rectify this shift, the 1835 edition of the Acad茅mie fran莽aise鈥檚 dictionary of the French language changed the spelling of all words that contained the oi pronounced as 鈥渆h鈥� from oi to ai. This also explains why the word connoisseur, which was borrowed into English a century before this spelling reform, retains the original French spelling while its modern French counterpart, connaisseur, reflects the reformed spelling. Reconnoiter was first recorded in English in the first decade of the 18th century.
how is reconnoiter used?
The Enemy advanced Yesterday with a seeming intention of attacking us upon our post near Newport. We waited for them the whole day, but they halted in the Evening at a place called Mill Town about two Miles from us. Upon reconnoitering their Situation, it appeared probable that they only meant to amuse us in front, while their real intent was to march by our Right and by suddenly passing the Brandywine and gaining the heights upon the North side of that River, get between us and Philad[delphi]a and cut us off from that City.
Most undramatically, but crucially, [CIA operatives] were also taught how to reconnoiter restaurants聽.鈥� As a space that is both public and private and relatively safe, the restaurant is an unshowy but invaluable cog in what the great spy writer John le Carr茅 so eloquently calls “the grammar of intrigue.” It offers intelligence officers not only a place to exchange information (the envelope slid across the table; the briefcase switch; the taped message in the toilet tank) but a chance to evaluate their informants’ habits, temperament and coolheadedness, over a meal.
reconnoiter