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Hello, I'm Widsith, I'm an administrator here and I'm English. I currently live in Zürich. I work on English pages as well as several foreign languages, and I'm particularly into etymologies, especially for non-English words.
Here I call myself Widsith, which is an Old English word that means literally ‘long journey’, but it's used as a poetic name for someone who's travelled widely. I use it because I've lived abroad quite a lot, at various times in Morocco, Ecuador, and parts of Europe. There's an Old English poem called Widsið, too - someone at Wikipedia wrote an article about it here.
In real life I am a video journalist.
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Some historical French dictionaries
- 1816, Thomas Nugent, The New Pocket Dictionary of the French and English Languages (Paris)
- 1849, Boyer's French Dictionary (Boston)
- 1855, Alfred Elwes, French-English Dictionary (London)
- 1862, Smith & Hamilton, The International English & French Dictionary ("all words in common use or to be found in polite literature"...damn), (Paris)
Word of the day
Word of the day
for April 24 | |
| slings and arrows n (plural only) (idiomatic) | |
Today is the International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace, which is recognized by the United Nations to emphasize the importance of multilateralism and international co-operation to promote peace and security, development, and human rights. | |
| ← yesterday | About Word of the Day • Nominate a word • Leave feedback | tomorrow → | |
Wonderful OE words
My accent
South-East England, "modern RP" / weak Estuary:
- tissue but tuna: [ˈtɪʃjuː], [ˈtjuːnə] invalid IPA characters (][) (some yod-coalescence!)
- me: [mɪi] (diphthongisation of /iː/)
- you: [jʊu] (diphthongisation of /uː/)
- man: [man] (open short a-sound)
- water: [ˈwɔːtə] (I don't usually glottalise intervocalic Ts)
- poor: [pɔː] (poor and paw are homophones)
- put your umbrella up: [pʊʔjəɹʌmˈbɹɛləɹʌp] (tendency to use intrusive R)
Interesting (English) words
For a few years now I've been making a note of any word I have to look up while I'm reading (I read a lot). I'm putting them all into Wiktionary. Edit: All done! (Apart from a few dodgy forms that need some verification). I can maintain the list here at Wiktionary now – hurrah.
A
abactinal abeam aboulia absalonism achromatic acker acuminate acushla adeling adumbrate aeolipyle aerolite aetiology (ætiology) afferent agenbite aggiornamento agora agraffe agrise aiel aithochrous akasha akousma akroposthion albedo alcaic aleatory alectoria alembicated/alembic algedonic alidade aliquot alkahest almoner aludel amanuensis ambages amblyopia ambsace ament amort amphisbaena anabasis anaclitic anacoluthon anacrusis anadem anagnorisis anagogy anankastic anastomosis anatine ancillula anent anfractuous angstrom anhelation anile aniline animadversion anneal anomie antrum aorist aperient apodosis apograph apologue apophthegm aposiopesis apotropaic appetence appoggiatura aprosopia arblast archiepiscopal archimandrite archon argillaceous arietta arruginated ashkenazi ashlar assafoetida assay assegai assoilzie asthenia ataraxy athanor athel atomy atrabilious audile aul aurum Auster autochthon azan
B
ba backfisch baff barbitos bartisan batrachian baubon beccal bedight bedizen béguin benison benthic berceuse berm besprenge bever bibulous bilboes bistoury blee blivit blood-wit boanerges bobance bombinate bondieuserie boodle boreen bosquet bourdon boustrophedon brail branks brattle breme Brennschluss brewis Brobdingnagian bruit brumal brumby brumous buccal buss
C
cabaletta cachou cacothymia cadastre caduceus caecum caitiff calculus calumet calvity cantharis canthus cantilena cantle cantrip capacious caple captious captious carabao carcanet carillon carl carom caseifaction casuistry catalexis catamenia catamount catastasis cate catechumen catenary caul cecity cerulean cess cessile chaffer chalybeate cham charact charivari chasuble chela chine chitin chiton chlamys chloral chordee chorographer chrism chrysostomos chumble chyle ciborium cicatrise cilice cingle circumvallate clabber claque clart claudication claviger cleanskin clerestory clew clinal clonus coenobite coenonymphic coign coll collimate colloid collop colophon coloratura columbine coma comedo comitatus comity comminate compline concatenation condign congee congeries constuprate contrail contumacious contumely contuse copacetic copula corf corposant corroboree costive cotyledon crambo crinal crined cromlech croup crupper crural crwth ctenophile cucurbitaceous cullet culm culverin cupola curtal curule curvet cuspidor custrel
D
dacha daedal dagga debouch deckle decoction defalcation desiderate desipience dessiatine destrier desuperpollicate deva dhikr dhoti diapason diaphane diastasis diastema diastole dight ding dingus dipsomania dirk disembogue distich divaricate dolent dolichophallic dormer doucet douth doxy drageoir drogue droshky drupe duar dunam duodene dup durzi dwale dwimmer dyne
E
eagre ecdysiast ecstatica eidetic eidolon ejido eleemosynary elutriate elver elytron embonpoint embouchure embrocation emetic emmet emollient emolument encomium encyclical endue enfilade englyn engouement ennead entasis entelechy Entscheidungsproblem epenthesis ephebe epideictic epigone epiphonema epitasis epithalamium/epithalamion erlking erotesis erysipelas eschar escheat escrow esculent Essene estop Etesian ethel etiolate euphroe eutripsia evanescent excursus eximious exordium
F
fackeltanz faena faitour falciform fantod farl faro farraginous fascinum fatidic fatiloquent faubourg favonian fellah felloe felsite ferial ferly fescue fewter fianchetto fideism fiduciary fimble finagle finical flack flavid fleer flet flinder floccinaucinihilipilification flocculent fluminous focative foin foison foofooraw foramen fother fremde freshet friable fribble frith fuliginous fungible furfur furlough furshlugginer fustian futter
G
gadrooned galena gallimaufry gallinaceous gallous gamahuche gamelan gangue gar garçonnière garth gaw gelid gematria gemel gemütlich Gesellschaft gesiþ gesso gewgaw ghazal ghazi giaour giglet gilgai gimcrack glabrous gladial glair glaucous glaur gleed gleet gloak gloaming glom gloze gnathic godi goetic goffer goitre gombeen goniolatry gowk gowpen goy goyal graben gralloch gram#Old English gramarye graminivorous gravid gree gregale grig grike grimly (adj) groyne grue grummel guiche guimpe gunsel gymnosophist
H
hachure hackamore hafiz haggadah hagiography hale#Verb halidom hallux halse hamadryad hance haptic hardpan harl hastate hebetude helot helve hend hership hetaera hilding hirundine hithe hogo homer horst hough housel howdah hoyden hyaline hydræmia hydroponic hyoid hypaethral hyperborean hyperdulia hypergolic hypogeum hypostasis hysteresis
I
ibrik ichabod ictus ignicolist ikey illaqueation illation imago imbricated immanent immiserate impleach impostume impuberal inanition incalescent incarnadine incunabulum/incunable indigent induration ineluctable inenubilable inesculent infangthief infibulation inhere inquinate insessorial instar intaglio integument inukshuk inunction inverecund involution inwit iridal irruent irrumation ivorine izba
J
jabot jacal jaconet jaunce jejune jess jibe jildi jobe jollop
K
ka kanaka kastoranthropy katzenjammer kerf khaibit khan khu kibe kish kishka kithe klatsch knackle knog knout koan kopje kouros kouxinaphobia krummhorn kultur kvetch kynodesme
L
lagniappe lahar lakh lakin laminar languet lansquenet lanterloo lanugo Laocoontic Laodicean lar larboard larrup latah latifundium latigo laton latria laund lave (noun) lede leet legate legerous leiotrichous leonid leucodermic leucotomy levant levigate levin lictor ligula limmer lipoid litharge lixiviate Locrian lorelei lorn losel loupe loxodromic lubra lucubrate lumbar lune lunt lustrum luthier lutulent lyart
M
mægþ malar malic malkin malversation mammetry mammock mammothrept mancia mangonel Manichaeism maniple manometer mansard manse mansuetude mantissa manumit maquette marae marasmus margaric margrave mari complaisant marmoreal martel mastupration mathel mathesis mattock matutinal maunder mavourneen mavrodaphne mavrone maya medulla meed megillah mehmandar meiosis melisma mell melleous menarche menhir menorah mentula meshuga mesial messuage metastasis metathesis metempsychosis metheglin mezuzah milt miskal misoneism mistral mixolydian moble mohel moil moliminous monism monteith morganatic morphew motet motile motrix mozo mucopus muhakkak mujik mulct murgeon musaceous muscal mycterism myronic myxoid
N
naevus naker naphtha nates neap nefandous nemoral nenuphar neophyte newel nexus nictate nictitation nidor nief nisei niveous nixie nome nonius noosphere nostrum novena numen nunatak nystagmus
O
oblate oblation obloquy obstruent obtund occiput ocker oedema oeillade oenophile oestrus ofay ogee oka olisbos olla ollamh omophagia oncer onomastic ord ordure oreibasia orexis orgone orgulous oriflamme orle orpiment orrery ort orthogonal ostinato otacousticon otic otiose outfangthief outrecuidance ovoblastic
P
pabulum pachinko pachuco Padishah pakeha palilogy palliard palliation pallium palp paludal palustral pandar pantechnicon paraclete paraenetical parallax paramecium paranymph paregoric paresis parhelion parison paronomasia parure passacaglia pathic patibulary pawl paynim peculation peen pelf pellicle pellucid pelorus pelosity pelurious penthos penury peri pericarp peripeteia periplus perizoma perlection perlustration peroration perrisodactyl perscopate perse persiflage pertussal petechia petrary phalera phatic philippic phlebotomy phlogiston/phlogistic phocine phthisis phylarch phyllotaxis pilgarlic pinguid pinto pishogue pismire placket plangent plapper plastron pleach plenipotentiary plenum pleonasm plexus plute pneuma pococurantism poculum poetaster pollicate polymastia polyphiloprogenitive ponent pontifex pottle pralaya prasine praxis prebendary preominate prepuce preterist pretermit procacious profluence proparoxytone propinquity prosopopeia protasis prurition pschent psi ptomaine ptosis pucelle pudic pudor puerperal punkah purfle pygephanous pygostyle pyknic pyorrhoea pyx
Q
qibla quaere quaestor quaquaversal quarrons querencia quern quinquecostate quirt quisling quondam quop quotinoctian
R
rachitis raddle raihani rallentando ramada rand rann rapacious rappel rath ratiocination rax reave rebus recidivist recusant rede reechy refocillate relict remontoir remuda ren rennet repine replevy reticule rhabdomancy rhipidos rhombencephalon rhotic riata rika rime riparian risp roborate rother roun rowel ruckle ruga runnel rutilant
S
sabir sabkha saccade sacring sadhu sagan sagittary sain saltimbanco samisen sanhedrin sanjak sawney scherzo schlemiel schlep schlimazel schmegeggy schrecklichkeit schuss scialytic sciamachy scombroid scortation screeve scrim scrimshaw scrip scriþan scumble scutch scuttlebutt scye seine sejunct sekhem sekhu sele sempiternal semy senescence seneschal septentrional sequela serape sesquipedalian sesterce shadoof shagreen shalwar shaughraun shawm sheeny shend shikse shill shim shive shoah shoat shofar shoneen shtetl shtup sib sidereal simony sinnet sistrum Sitzfleisch siþian sjambok skep skirl skoramis slane sleekit slot-hound slunk smaragd sny sodality sordes sorrel sortilege soubrette sourdine spahi spall spaug spavin specie specular spicule spilth spintrian spiracle squamous Stagirite Stakhanovite stang stannum steatopygous stein stela stentorian steven stichomythia stillicide stochastic stook storiation stound stoup stravaig streel stretto stridulate strigulous strod stupa styptic subfusc succedaneum sull supererogatory superfetation supernal sussultatory sutler swale swart swink swipple swith sybarite synartesis syncope syncretism syndic synecdoche syrinx systole
T
tabes taedium vitae talion talus tanist tantara tapu tare teg telesma telestic tellurian tenesmus teratoma tergiversation termagant terpsichorean terrene tertulia tessitura testudo tetrevangelium tetter tettix tewel thanadar thanatomania thanatopsis þurfan thenar theodolite theopneust theurgy thew thirl thole tholos thrasonical thrawn threne throstle thrum thuluthi thurible thyrsus tib tilak timenoguy tinaja tisane titubation tocsin toise tonitruate tope torchecul tormina torquated tovarish toxophilite tralatitiously trascine travois trental tribade trichion trichology trig trinal tripudium triturate trivet truchman trull tulgey tumbrel tump tunicle
U
ubicity ubiety ukase ukiyo-e umbrel Umwelt undinism unheimlich uraeus uranism uropygial Ursprache urus ushabti usquebaugh ustulation uxorious
V
vatic vavasour vaward veld velleity venality venery ventral venturi vermiculation vernissage veronica verst vertex vesica vesical vestiary videlicet viga vinolent virago virgular virid vitiate vitrify vocable voivode volitation volplane
W
waddy wampum wanhope wanion weasand welk Weltanschauung Weltschmerz wem wen wickiup wite withe wittol wlonk wone wood (adjective)
X
xanthocroic xebec xeriscape xiphias