Finishing up February is amaranthine. This adjective lends a beautiful, ethereal feel to the concept of endless time. Amaranthine is derived from the myth of the amaranth, the legendary undying flower. Of course, amaranth is a real family of flowers, too, and a grain alternative. All this month, I have introduced and discussed words dealing…
Tag: Nietzsche
Otherworldly Words: Timorous
This month in #Otherworldly Words, I am exploring words to do with fear. Timorous continues the path of words that cast contempt on those who show fear. Exploring the nature of fear is important. Certainly, fear has many natural components, survival instinct and adrenaline for instance. But the meaning we place on fear as a…
Otherworldly Words: Poltroon
#Otherworldly Words explores words that deal with the frightening or supernatural. This month I’m exploring words that express cowardice. Poltroon derives from Old Italian meaning foal and Latin meaning young animal. This is similar to calling someone a “scaredy cat” to liken them to a young horse that startles easily. It’s important to note that the…
Otherworldly Words: Brocken spectre
April is a month for fools! From words that refer to natural phenomenon that have misled us to words to describe the things we do to make fools of others, this month I’ll explore words to do with some sort of trickery. First up is brocken spectre. This optical illusion caused by one’s own shadow…
Otherworldly Words: Obsess
Ah, amore! It’s February and our minds turn to St. Valentine’s Day and longing gazes and tokens of love. But what about when love crosses the line? #OtherworldlyWords returns with a look at four words that describe the downside of love and attraction. While marketed as a good thing for cologne, obsession can have its…
Otherworldly Words: Bewitch
Ah, amore! It’s February and our minds turn to St. Valentine’s Day and longing gazes and tokens of love. But what about when love crosses the line? #OtherworldlyWords returns with a look at four words that describe the downside of love and attraction. First up is bewitch. With its origin in Old English, this word…
Otherworldly Words: Banshee
I’m going to get personal for a moment. I have an ambivalent relationship with the word banshee. My partner’s younger brother, Matt, and I always watched horror movies together. I often introduced him to movies such as The Evil Dead. As he got older, he introduced me to many movies, too. One of our favorites…
Otherworldly Words: Baleful
Baleful derives from a word meaning pain. Interestingly, most cultures and languages, including English, are dominated by words to express feelings and thoughts like baleful, or negative emotions over positive ones. You know how they say, it takes 20 compliments to make up for an insult. Unfortunately, the compliments can start sounding rather identical while the…
Otherworldly Words: Amaranthine
I’ll admit it: I’m a word snob. I like some words just because I like the way they sound. Amaranthine is one of those words, because I think its sound matches its meaning. Just say it….Amaranthine…Does it make you feel like you’re floating in an endless sea or cloud? Have a favorite word you just love to…
Otherworldly Words: Abhorrence
What leads us to abhor something? I think our fears inform the things we hate and detest. And, I think some of the things we fear the most are the traits we abhor in ourselves. No one likes to see himself in a dark reflection. We know all too well what Nietzsche so succinctly said:…
ADRIANLILLY.COM 