What new words have you learned recently?

[Ajustusdaniel]

Not really narrative, but iconography. The story isn't about the guy carrying his head as much as losing it, but the fresco will portray him carrying his head to show how he died.

EDIT: I correct myself: beside the iconography, there apparently also are legends of the body carrying the head post-mortem.

That's how you can tell they're a Saint!

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Simony, the selling and buying of religious offices and artefacts.

"The Knights Templar were charged, among other things, with simony and fraud."

Oh, a lot of weird crimes that used to be a lot more common have fun names. Eg:

Barratry: sinking your cargo ship to obtain the insurance money (these days the definition expands to anyone placed in charge of something and being negligent with it; for a while, it was a subtype of simony).

Grey Wolf

[SZbNAhL]

On the topic of crime:

Perfidy - the state of being deceitful and untrustworthy.

[understatement]

contumely (n): insolent or insulting language or treatment

arrack (n): an alcoholic liquor distilled from the sap of coconut palm or rice

polemic (n): a strong verbal or written attack on something

stertorous (adj): characterized by harsh snoring or gasping sounds

[Scarlet Knight]

self-abnegation : the denial of one's own interests

"A protagonist whose self-abnegation stems from a sense of bodily imprisonment."

[understatement]

A long, cold winter without words.

somnambulism (n): sleepwalking

vituperative (adj): bitter and abusive

cruller (n): a small cake of rich, sweet dough twisted or curled and fried in deep fat

eschatology (n): a part of theology concerned with death, judgment, and the final destiny of the soul and of humankind

kalimotxo (n): a French-Spanish mixed drink of red wine and a cola-based soft drink

[Xuc Xac]

In an old episode of the Simpsons, Homer is an amateur boxer managed by Moe. He wins a lot by taking a beating until his opponents are exhausted then he pushes them down. Then the manager of the heavyweight champion asks for an exhibition match because he thinks Homer won't win but he also won't get knocked out right away. Moe is concerned and says "Tatum'll fustigate him!" For years, I thought Moe just made up a word. I just learned that "fustigate" is a real word that means "(literally) beat with a stick or (figuratively) criticize severely".

A couple others I just learned:

Agathokakological: containing both good and bad.

Mammothrept: a child raised by their grandmother.

[Rynjin]

Apparently those concrete/metal posts they put up around stores and streets and whatnot to prevent people from ramming into buildings directly are called "bollards".

[Khedrac]

Apparently those concrete/metal posts they put up around stores and streets and whatnot to prevent people from ramming into buildings directly are called "bollards".

That's one use for a bollard yes, their main original use (afaik) is on docks and quays to tie ships and boats to.

[Fyraltari]

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is the phobia of long words.

[Scarlet Knight]

fabulism : A form of magic realism in which fantastical elements are placed into an everyday setting.

"While common in literature, I did not expect fabulism to guide a politician's policy."

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is the phobia of long words.

My word! He's not making this up!

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is the phobia of long words.

And floccinaucinihilipilification is the action or habit of estimating something as worthless, but like the above, those are coined words that exist primarily to be long, rather than for communication. Heck, even something like antidisestablishmentarianism (the political position that state churches should be supported by the state) and that I learnt was the longest "real" word in the English language isn't really that real.



Grey Wolf

[Keltest]

And floccinaucinihilipilification is the action or habit of estimating something as worthless, but like the above, those are coined words that exist primarily to be long, rather than for communication. Heck, even something like antidisestablishmentarianism (the political position that state churches should be supported by the state) and that I learnt was the longest "real" word in the English language isn't really that real.



Grey Wolf

I thought there was one longer that was a term for a fairly specific form of... i want to say lung condition? as a result of inhaling volcanic gasses or something?

[Grey_Wolf_c]

I thought there was one longer that was a term for a fairly specific form of... i want to say lung condition? as a result of inhaling volcanic gasses or something?

It's in the video: pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis*. You can also read the longest word, with ~100000 characters, if you pause.

GW

* From google: "The Oxford English Dictionary lists pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis as “a factitious word alleged to mean 'a lung disease caused by inhalation of very fine silica dust usually found in volcanos' but occurring chiefly as an instance of a very long word”."

[Fyraltari]

The sear h for the longest word on any Indo-European language* is a fool's errand whose result will be dependent on the dictionnary used. One can always make longer technical terms by appending enough stems together.

*And, I suspect, any langauge at all.

[Keltest]

The sear h for the longest word on any Indo-European language* is a fool's errand whose result will be dependent on the dictionnary used. One can always make longer technical terms by appending enough stems together.

*And, I suspect, any langauge at all.

I assume that German or one of its descendant languages would win that particular fight, if only because doing so is generally considered a feature rather than a bug when creating new compound words and is not restricted to technical terms of dubious qualification as an actual word.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

I assume that German or one of its descendant languages would win that particular fight, if only because doing so is generally considered a feature rather than a bug when creating new compound words and is not restricted to technical terms of dubious qualification as an actual word.

Not necessarily. Plenty of agglutinate languages of non-germanic origins. Heck, Aristophanes made fun of Ancient Greek agglutinate practices with his "λοπαδοτεμαχοσελαχογαλεοκρανιολειψανοδριμυποτριμμα τοσιλφιοκαραβομελιτοκατακεχυμενοκιχλεπικοσσυφοφαττ οπεριστεραλεκτρυονοπτοκεφαλλιοκιγκλοπελειολαγῳοσιρ αιοβαφητραγανοπτερύγων" (from his play Assemblywomen, according to wikipedia).

Grey Wolf

[Scarlet Knight]

Sui generis - one of a kind, singular, unique

"Our leader is sui generis—we can only hope that the world may never see his like again."

[Rogar Demonblud]

Literally, I believe that's self-created.

[Xuc Xac]

Literally, I believe that's self-created.

"Sui generis" is more like "its own thing" like David S. Pumpkins.

[Vinyadan]

Literally, I believe that's self-created.

Generis is actually the genitive of genus, so "of its own kind" .

Self-created would be similar, something like sui generationis or genitor sui.

[VoxRationis]

Suo creatus (for the masculine), I believe, for "self-created."

[Scarlet Knight]

Here's one I read today: Autodidact - a person who has learned a subject without the benefit of a teacher or formal education; a self-taught person.

"I live in a state of anxiety, which may be natural for an autodidact, afraid someone will ask me a question I 'should' know."

[Larbek24]

Today I learned the name of the 'ditch' between the nose and the upper lips: Philtrum.

[Ajustusdaniel]

Not a new word, but a clearing up of some confusion- Moot apparently has two different meaning depending on whether it's being used in British or American English, though in both cases it refers to an unsettled point (initially of law).

In American English, moot point is one that hasn't necessarily been settled, but where the circumstances have changed such that resolving it doesn't meaningfully affect whatever larger issue is under debate, so you might as well move on and stop arguing about it.

In British English, a moot point is one that's still up for debate.

[SZbNAhL]

Not a new word, but a clearing up of some confusion- Moot apparently has two different meaning depending on whether it's being used in British or American English, though in both cases it refers to an unsettled point (initially of law).

In American English, moot point is one that hasn't necessarily been settled, but where the circumstances have changed such that resolving it doesn't meaningfully affect whatever larger issue is under debate, so you might as well move on and stop arguing about it.

In British English, a moot point is one that's still up for debate.

Similarly, if an American "tables a motion", they end its consideration (presumably putting it back on the table after they're done holding it), but if a Brit "tables a motion" they're beginning its consideration (presumably taking it out of a case and putting on the table so that people can look at it).

[Fyraltari]

Okay, you English-speakers have got to be doing this on purpose at this point.

[Peelee]

Okay, you English-speakers have got to be doing this on purpose at this point.

A handy guide to the differences between British English and American English:

What the British say	What the Americans understand	What the British mean
That's quite good.	That's pretty nice.	That's disappointing.
That's not bad.	That's acceptable.	That's terrible.
That's not too bad.	That's disappointing.	That's good.
That's not too bad at all.	That's disappointing.	This is the single greatest thing ever.
I'm going for a stroll to walk off that dinner.	I'm going for light exercise.	I'm going to the pub.
I'm going to take the dog for a walk.	I am a responsible dog owner.	I'm going to the pub.
I love you.	This is a meaningful connection.	I'm going to the pub.
We should do that sometime.	We should make plans later.	I'm going to the pub.
You should come over.	They want to have me over.	You should never, ever come over.
Flat.	Apartment.	Apartment.
Lift.	Elevator.	Elevator.
Lorry.	Truck.	Truck.
Rubbish.	Garbage.	Manchester United.

[CheesePirate]

Rubbish.

Garbage.

Manchester United.

That's not bad. You should come over and watch some football.

[Rockphed]

That's not bad. You should come over and watch some football.

I've seen what you did do football. I don't think I would enjoy watching it.