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Word of the day

orogeny

[ aw-roj-uh-nee, oh-roj- ]

noun

the process of mountain making or upheaval.

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More about orogeny

Orogeny is essentially a fusion of two Ancient Greek words: óros “mountain” and -géneia “origin.” While óros and its derivatives are largely technical terms, -géneia is related to numerous words pertaining to birth or family, such as gene, genesis, genetics, and genealogy.

how is orogeny used?

Two hundred and forty million years ago, waves left ripples in soft sands and silts. [S]ediments swept in and buried the ripples whole. They lay there under their blanket for hundreds of millions of years, as ages passed, an orogeny lifted the plateau, time turned ancient muds to rock, and erosion wore the blanket away. Now here we are, in the middle of a desert, looking at the echo of wetter days.

Dana Hunter, “Permanent Impermanence: or, How the Fudge Did That Fossilize?” Scientific American, June 27, 2017

Our reluctant heroine, Essun, is still on the search for her missing daughter in the Stillness but feels responsible for the community that she saved—yet partially destroyed—with her orogeny, the ability to harness the energy of the Earth.

Everdeen Mason, "Best science fiction and fantasy books in August," Washington Post, August 7, 2017

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Word of the day

Xanadu

[ zan-uh-doo, -dyoo ]

noun

a place of great beauty, luxury, and contentment.

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More about Xanadu

You may recognize Xanadu from the notorious cult classic film of the same name that starred Olivia Newton-John and spawned a Tony Award-nominated musical, but the word dates not to the ’80s but rather to 800 years ago. Xanadu is an English transliteration of the name of the summer palace belonging to Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan and emperor during the Yuan dynasty; the palace’s name in Mandarin is Shàngdū “upper capital,” and its remains are still visitable today in the Inner Mongolia region of northern China.

how is Xanadu used?

[T]he tiny town of … Marfa was also the perfect canvas for artist Donald Judd’s ambitious dream to create a Xanadu of contemporary art—an indoor-outdoor museum where artworks come alive beneath the wide blue skies and sharp Texas light.

Anne Goodwin Sides, “Donald Judd Found Perfect Canvas In Texas Town,” NPR, January 31, 2009

To most people, Britain is a mythological realm on par with Atlantis or Shangri-La or El Dorado, the Lost City of Gold. Does it even exist? … And much like any other fabled empire, this real-life Xanadu boasts its own elite class of pleasure dome-dwelling artists!

Price Peterson, "One Direction Is Now the Richest Boy Band in British Music History," The Atlantic, May 16, 2014

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Word of the day

mishpocha

[ mish-pookh-uh, -paw-khuh ]

noun

an entire family network comprising relatives by blood and marriage and sometimes including close friends; clan.

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More about mishpocha

Yiddish mishpocha derives from Hebrew mishpakhá “family,” as Hebrew is the source of a good portion of Yiddish vocabulary. Hebrew belongs to the Semitic family of languages and isn’t related to English, but we’ve nevertheless inherited numerous culture- and religion-related words from Hebrew, such as amen, cherub, jubilee, and hallelujah. Like its Hebrew source, mishpocha means more than just “immediate family”—it’s the collection of all blood relatives and relatives by marriage.

how is mishpocha used?

It’s only natural that they want to meet … their children are going to get married. They are going to be mishpocha for the rest of their lives, so they’re a touch curious about each other.

Judith Krantz, Princess Daisy, 1980

I’d done the Zoom dating, the bread baking, … and all the other socially acceptable coping mechanisms, but Rosh Hashanah was the first holiday I observed that I’d had to spend without the familiar mishpocha of friends and family all around me, yelling, telling jokes, squinting critically at my bangs, and generally filling the room with light.

Emma Specter, "My Jewish Holiday Plans This Year? Nora Ephron Movies and Smoked Fish, for One," Vogue, September 25, 2020

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