Word of the Day
aegrotat
noun
an unclassified degree granted a university student who has fulfilled all requirements for graduation but was prevented by illness from attending the final examinations.
More about aegrotat
Aegrotat, “a graduate degree given because of illness,” is a British English term that was borrowed from Latin, in which aegrōtat literally means “(a person) is sick.” Unlike English, Latin typically uses -re to mark the infinitive, therefore, the infinitive counterpart of aegrōtat is aegrōtāre, meaning “to be sick,” which comes from aeger, “sick.” Despite the similar spelling, aeger is not related to Latin ager (stem agr-), “field,” or the recent Word of the Day eagre. Aegrotat was first recorded in English in the early 1860s. Learn more about the differences between British English and American English here.
EXAMPLE OF AEGROTAT USED IN A SENTENCE
With an unusually nasty flu making its way around the university, the vice-chancellor granted aegrotats to several sick students who were otherwise set to graduate midyear.
shillelagh
noun
a club or stick, traditionally of blackthorn or oak.
More about shillelagh
Shillelagh, “club, stick” has two possible origins. Though it may not seem like one at first, shillelagh may be an example of a toponym, or a word derived from a placename. While English has no shortage of food-related toponyms, this origin of shillelagh is not found in the kitchen. Instead, shillelagh comes from the Irish town name Síol Éalaigh, which is located in County Wicklow, Ireland, next to a forest that once provided wood for the clubs. In the name Síol Éalaigh, síol means “seed, descendant,” while Éalaigh is a form of the given name Éalach. Alternatively, shillelagh may derive instead from Irish Gaelic sail, “willow” (compare English sallow), and iall, “strap, thong.” Shillelagh was first recorded in English in the 1670s.
EXAMPLE OF SHILLELAGH USED IN A SENTENCE
Despite its simple appearance as a curved or knobbly cane, the shillelagh is a centerpiece of an Irish variety of martial arts.
arrivederci
interjection
until we see each other again; goodbye for the present.
More about arrivederci
Arrivederci, “goodbye for the present,” is a loanword from Italian composed of several elements. The first of these is a, “to,” from Latin ad. The second element is ri-, “back, again,” from Latin re-, which is found in the recent Words of the Day refractory, revenant, and revitalize. Next is vedere, “to see,” which is also an element in the Word of the Day belvedere. Arrivederci is almost an exact cognate of French au revoir; a key difference is the final additional element in Italian, ci, “us, each other.” In this way, while French au revoir literally means “to the seeing again,” Italian arrivederci literally means “to seeing each other again.” Arrivederci was first recorded in English circa 1670.
EXAMPLE OF ARRIVEDERCI USED IN A SENTENCE
In the closing minutes of the last class of the semester, the professor bade her students a warm “arrivederci” and began thinking about her vacation.