The English language is losing words left and right. We cannot ictuate enough just how tristifical this is for all of us who love words!
That’s not to say the size of the language as a whole is shrinking; people are always inventing new words (see our post from earlier this week about the 2010 Word of the Year!) to describe our ever-changing world.
But we thought we’d take a day to look back. Here are some oldies but goodies… Maybe you can bring a couple of them back!
cosmogyral – whirling round the universe.
eternitarian – one who believes in the eternity of the soul.
siagonology – study of jaw-bones.
tristifical – causing to be sad or mournful.
autexousious – exercising or possessing free will.
nepheliad – cloud-nymph.
The dancers in Les Sylphides portray nepheliads.
gardeviance -chest for valuables; a travelling trunk.
ictuate – to emphasize.
senticous – prickly; thorny.
interfation – act of interrupting another while speaking.
nequient – not being able.
sparsile – of a star, not included in any constellation.
perantique – very antique or ancient.
vacivity – emptiness.
redamancy – act of loving in return.
starrify – to decorate with stars; to make into a star.
Challenge: Let us know how you’re trying to revitalize one of these words by using it in conversation!