Word of the Day
ataraxia
noun
a state of freedom from emotional disturbance and anxiety; tranquillity.
More about ataraxia
Ataraxia “freedom from anxiety” is a borrowing from the Ancient Greek noun ataraxía “impassiveness, calmness,” which is based on the adjective ataráktos “unmoved.” Ataráktos, in turn, is a derivative of the verb tarássein (stem tarak-) “to disturb,” plus the prefix a- “not, without.” One major proponent of ataraxia is the philosopher Epicurus, the inspiration for the recent Word of the Day epicurean. When we discuss the “Ancient Greek” language, we usually mean the Attic dialect of Ancient Greek spoken in the 5th and 4th centuries BC. However, where other Ancient Greek dialects have -ss-, Attic has -tt-, and for these words, Ancient Greek dictionaries opt for the more generic tarássein over the Attic taráttein. This means that, if your name is Melissa, from the Ancient Greek word for “honeybee,” you would be known throughout most of Ancient Greece as Mélissa but in Attica as Mélitta. Ataraxia was first recorded in English in the first decade of the 17th century.
how is ataraxia used?
Epicurus (341–270 B.C.) led an eponymous school of thought–Epicureanism—that believed a happy life requires two things: ataraxia (freedom from mental disturbance) and aponia (the absence of physical pain). His philosophy might be characterized as “If it is scary or painful, work to avoid it.” Epicureans see discomfort as generally negative, and thus the elimination of threats and problems as the key to a happier life. Don’t get the impression that I am saying they are lazy or unmotivated—quite the contrary, in many cases. But they don’t see enduring fear and pain as inherently necessary or beneficial, and they focus instead on enjoying life.
Ataraxia should act like a slow-release drug, accumulating over days and weeks. Ancient philosophers believed achieving ataraxia created an emotional homeostasis, where the effect wouldn’t just be a more stable base-level mood, but one that would hopefully flow out to the people around you. If you are more tranquil, you will be less likely to react or combust. So not only do you not ruin your own day, you avoid ruining other people’s too. In a tranquil state you may even make better decisions.
ungulate
noun
a hoofed mammal.
More about ungulate
Ungulate “a hoofed mammal” derives from Late Latin ungulātus “having claws or hoofs.” The root of this word, Latin ungula “claw, hoof, talon,” may sound a little familiar if you speak a Romance language because it is also the source of many modern words for “fingernail,” such as French ongle, Italian unghia, and Spanish uña. Ungula, literally meaning “little nail,” is a compound of unguis “nail” and the suffix -ula, which is one of several common diminutive affixes in Latin; another such affix is the element -ill-, as featured in the etymology for the recent Word of the Day selection cantillate. Ungulate was first recorded in English circa 1800.
how is ungulate used?
A coronavirus vaccine for deer is … a possibility—scientists have already created them for zoo animals — but the practicality of inoculating millions of free-roaming ungulates would be daunting, to say the least. In the meantime, several states have advised deer hunters to take precautions when dealing with white-tailed deer.
The growing population of wolves in eastern Washington state does not appear to be hurting the populations of deer, elk and other ungulates. A report issued this week by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife looked at ungulate populations between fiscal 2015 and 2017. The report concluded that none of the ungulate populations in the assessment appeared to show clear signs of being limited by predation from wolves.
forfend
verb (used with object)
to defend, secure, or protect.
More about forfend
Forfend “to defend, secure, protect” comes from the Middle English verb forfenden, a compound of the prefix for– and the verb fend. The first element, for-, was frequently used in Middle and Old English to create words with the sense “off, away, extremely” or to imply a negative or prohibitive force, such as forbid, forget, and forgo. The second element, fend, is a reduced form of defend, which derives via French from the Latin verb dēfendere “to repel, ward off” and is a distant relative of bane (from Old English bana “slayer”) and the recent Word of the Day bezoar (from Persian pād-zahr “counterpoison”). Forfend was first recorded in English in the late 14th century.
how is forfend used?
Jellies do not actively hunt but instead use their tentacles as drift nets. Should a fish brush against the often invisible extensions, the pressure prompts the tentacles’ stinging cells to release tiny harpoons packed with neurotoxins. In the most venomous jellyfish, the toxins are designed to work quickly and unequivocally, to forfend any damage to the predator’s delicate tissue.
Ah! do not shrink from thy friend,
If love thou reverest,
But know ’tis for thee to forfend
The fate which thou fearest.
The lot thou hast here to deplore,
Is sad evermore to maintain,
And hardship in sickness is sore,
But sorest in pain.