Word of the Day

Feirie is a Scottish dialectal term that comes from Old English fēre, “able-bodied, fit,” from the noun fōr, “journey, act of going.” Fōr, in turn, is based on the verb faran, “to go on a journey,” meaning that feirie is closely related to English fare, farewell, and wayfarer. Feirie was first recorded in English around the turn of the 15th century. EXAMPLE OF FEIRIE USED IN A SENTENCE The cyclist was hale and feirie once more after his bout of illness had passed.

In Latin, scintilla means “spark.” Because Latin c often corresponds to English h, scintilla may be related to English sheer and shine, though scintilla may also be connected to Latin scindere “to split,” the source of rescind and scissors. Scintilla was first recorded in English circa 1680. EXAMPLE OF SCINTILLA USED IN A SENTENCE After a thorough cleaning, only a scintilla of a splotch remained of the massive wine stain on the couch.

Macédoine is the French name of Macedonia, known today as North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe that borders Greece. An unconfirmed explanation for the definition of macédoine is a nod to Macedonia’s historical ethnic diversity. Macedonia is related to makednós, “tall,” in reference to human height or the region’s highlands. Macédoine was first recorded in English in the 1810s. EXAMPLE OF MACÉDOINE USED IN A SENTENCE The macédoine of citrus and melon proved to be a popular appetizer at the potluck.

Amethyst comes by way of Latin from Ancient Greek améthystos, literally meaning “not intoxicating.” Perhaps because of amethyst’s winelike hue, a common belief in the ancient Mediterranean was that the stone prevented drunkenness. The ultimate origin, méthy, “wine,” is distantly related to English mead, a liquor made from fermented honey. Amethyst was first recorded in English in the late 13th century. EXAMPLE OF AMETHYST USED IN A SENTENCE The deep purple amethyst in her necklace contrasted with her white dress.

Humicolous, “of or relating to organisms living in or on soil,” is based on Latin humus, “earth,” and colere, “to inhabit.” Humus comes from an Indo-European root found in numerous words related to land or humankind, such as Words of the Day chernozem, chthonian, and duniewassal. Colere also gives us colony and culture. Humicolous was first recorded in English at the turn of the 20th century. EXAMPLE OF HUMICOLOUS USED IN A SENTENCE As they dug through the soil in the garden, ants, worms, and other humicolous creatures kept appearing.