When was the last time you learnt a new word and what was it?

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   Docmoposted 13 years ago

   When was the last time you learnt a new word and what was it?
   
   It is said that despite having a steep increase in vocabulary as a child and a young adult, we start losing the ability to learn new words as we just skip past them. Do you keep your vocabulary fresh by learning new words - what was your latest new addition?
   
   

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   MartieCoetserposted 13 years ago

   Homey, is a new word I've learned 3 days ago. I've used the word homely. Imagine, using the word 'homely' when you mean 'homey'? Traps like this scare the living daylight out of 'aliens' like me

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      Docmoposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      'whats up my homely'  will not be the same, lol!

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      MartieCoetserposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I am still confused. According to my dictionary 'homely' have some total opposite meanings = 1) [N. Amer] Lacking in physical beauty or proportion, 2) Having a feeling of home; cosy and comfortable, 3) Plain and unpretentious, 4)Without artificial re

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      RyanBudaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Ya, homely is a confusing word.
      
      if referring to a person it is a polite way to say that they are either ugly or simply unappealing
      
      If referring to an object, it means that the object reminds you of the warmth and comfort of home

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      MartieCoetserposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks A LOT RyanBuda

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      Docmoposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Homely is one of those words that was originally  used to describe ' a girl next door' look  or cosy, unpretentious surroundings originally but has since become a derogatory term. It is now used as a Euphemism for 'ugly' in polite society.

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      MartieCoetserposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks, Docmo! I'm going to post your comment in my FB as well - for all my Afrikaans friends and relatives to read and understand...

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   MickeySrposted 13 years ago

   I, some time ago, investigated the difference between 'Supralapsarianism' & 'Infralapsarianism'.

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      Docmoposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I hope you found some answers regarding the fall of man!

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   RyanBudaposted 13 years ago

   The last word I learned was the Spanish word tierno, Which means flavorful or tender.
   I honestly can't remember the last English word I learned. Maybe I've already learned enough words in English and would risk forgetting some of the ones I already know

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      Docmoposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Great word, tender/affectionate at one end, and tender/flavorful at the other!

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   sethpowersposted 13 years ago

   I learn new words every day from reading. Usually they are words I have heard before, but never really knew the definition so I look them up. Yesterday, I picked up the word "compunction" from a book. It means a feeling of guilt.

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   girlonfireposted 13 years ago

   Sapiophile. I think it was a month or so ago. Your question reminds me that I need to start learning more words!

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      Docmoposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      It is never too late to improve one's vocabulary- it is a bit like putting more colours onto your palette!

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   beaddve1800posted 13 years ago

   The latest word I learned is tebowing. It is not in dictionary, but it is at urban dictionary.

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   CriticalMessageposted 13 years ago

   Well my silly self has just learned the new word 'learnt'... As my ignorant self had thought it to be a typo... *blushes*... Obviously I need to get out more often... *more blushes*

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      Docmoposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      It can be confusing especially with learned.

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   Twilight Lawnsposted 13 years ago

   I've always been fairly good with words, and have tended to read a "new" word and then to work out its meaning by contextual clues. Nothing puts me off more than finding a word that I am not familiar with and  having to break off in a narrative to look it up in the dictionary.  But I am a Kindle owner and I just have to select the word and the definition comes up immediately.
   The word is natatorium found in 'Fillmore Saves the Day' by L.T.Fawkes
   http://www.amazon.com/FILLMORE-SAVES-TH … l+t+fawkes

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      Docmoposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Nice one - natatorium- I love the detection of word meanings from its roots as well as contextual clues, Ian.

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    thecrazzykylexposted 13 years ago

    Evanescent! Just the day before yesterday

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       Docmoposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Great word!

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    annartposted 13 years ago

    I am a retired English teacher and teacher of dyslexics and like to think my vocabulary is not too bad.  However, we should never stop learning and yesterday I came across a word in the book 'Salmon Fishing in the Yemen'; pelagic.  I thought it might have something to do with the word 'archipelago' and indeed it means 'of the open sea', thence archipelago means a group of islands in the open sea (or a sea which has scattered islands in it).  I love the word 'pelagic' so it'll stick with me now!
    I think it's very important to continue to enlarge one's vocabulary and always be willing to learn.

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       Docmoposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Brilliant- I knew archipelago but didn't realise pelagic meant 'of the sea'. That goes right into my list of new words learnt. I have written a series of etymology hubs called ' every word has a story' in which I link stories to words.

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       annartposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       I should have elaborated the meaning a little, in that it has to be the 'open' sea and refers mainly to the fish etc that live IN it; like salmon swimming miles to spawn.

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       Docmoposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks for clarifying ' of the open sea' it has a certain ring to it.

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