Speaking of Words
Speaking of Words
Here's what comes of studying Latin at ages 12 and 13. Around age 16 I started using the word equanimical. #
Meaning: Adj. of balanced and unperturbed mind, from Lat. aequanimitas,
My friends knew what I meant. Ok, they are often multi-degreed, multi-disciplinary, ex-Jesuit, just moved here from Texas with my music and speakers and Umberto Eco collection in the trailer behind the pickup, kind of folk. But they understood my meaning.
This evening Google alerted me with the dotted red underline that the word was unrecognised. I looked it up online, then resorted to my trusty OED (Oxford English Dictionary) tome.
#notaword
Peter Hatherley, and anyone else who wants to chime in, should I remove this #notaword from my working vocabulary?
# I'm not the only one. Someone is listing himself as "Equanimical" on a number of dating sites. :)
Zara Altair I'm a great believer in retaining older words but unfortunately they're dropping like flies these days. My latest version of Brewers Phrase and Fable was missing plenty in its latest edition. I still prefer my 50's edition that I picked up secondhand.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that Merriam-Webster still has equanimity , but has dropped equanimical from it's list of words associated with it!
ReplyDeleteInteresting Dave Pipe I'm checking other less well-known dictionaries too. It's quite intriguing
ReplyDeletePeter Hatherley Unfortunately all my Oxford dictionaries (small and large) are still in store. Otherwise I would be looking at the 4" plus thick version handed down from my father.
ReplyDeleteWell Zara Altair I was surprised as you were not to find it. Albeit a derivative was found in the Free Dictionary "equanimically" but not the root word.
ReplyDeletePurely out of curiosity Linux has a very sophisticated dictionary by default that sources many dictionaries at once and presented an alternate spelling which came up with this:
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)
Ecumenic Ec`u*men"ic, Ecumenical Ec`u*men"ic*al, a. [L.
oecumenicus, Gr. ? (sc. ?) the inhabited world, fr. ? to
inhabit, from o'i^kos house, dwelling. See Economy.]
General; universal; in ecclesiastical usage, that which
concerns the whole church; as, an ecumenical council.
[Written also [oe]cumenical.]
[1913 Webster]
Ecumenical Bishop, a title assumed by the popes.
Ecumenical council. See under Council.
[1913 Webster]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 (moby-thesaurus)
82 Moby Thesaurus words for "ecumenical":
all-comprehending, all-comprehensive, all-covering, all-embracing,
all-encompassing, all-filling, all-including, all-inclusive,
all-pervading, allover, broad, broad-gauged, broad-minded,
catholic, coacting, coactive, coadjutant, coadjuvant, coefficient,
collaborative, collective, collectivist, collectivistic, collusive,
combined, commensal, common, communal, communalist, communalistic,
communist, communistic, communitarian, comprehensive, concerted,
concordant, concurrent, concurring, conniving, cooperant,
cooperating, cooperative, cosmic, cosmopolitan, country-wide,
ecumenic, ecumenistic, fellow, galactic, general, global,
harmonious, harmonized, heaven-wide, inclusive, international,
joint, mutual, national, noncompetitive, nondenominational,
noninsular, nonsectarian, planetary, reciprocal, spacious of mind,
symbiotic, synergetic, synergic, synergistic, total, unbigoted,
uncompetitive, unfanatical, unhidebound, universal, unparochial,
unprovincial, wide, wide-minded, world-wide, worldwide
Aside from the ineptness of today's perceived lexicon found in online dictionaries, the word in question IMO is a keeper :)
See this is prima facia evidence that proves the superiority of OpenSource Projects freely available and included with Linux.
Ready to trash your over priced windowz yet? :)
Justin Case Hahaha. The follower of Origen
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origen I do have certain ecumenical leanings, anathema though I may be. :)
Dave Pipe I looked in the 4" OED with no luck. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the varied and wonderful responses Peter Hatherley Dave Pipe Justin Case. I am still stunned that this is #notaword :)
ReplyDeleteNice digging Justin Case thanks for the detail :)
ReplyDelete