Word of the Day

Mansuetude, “mildness, gentleness,” comes from Latin mānsuētūdō, which is equivalent to manus, “hand”; suēscere, “to become accustomed”; and -tūdō, a noun-forming suffix similar to English -hood and -ness. Manus is also the source of manacle, manicure, manual, and the Word of the Day mano a mano. Suēscere, which contains the common element -sc-, “to become” (see the Word of the Day opalesce), is related to Ancient Greek êthos, “custom, habit,” as in ethics. Mansuetude was first recorded in English in the late 14th century. EXAMPLE OF MANSUETUDE USED IN A SENTENCE Every day on the job, teachers have to balance strictness with mansuetude as they lead their students through lessons.

Trothplight, “engagement to be married,” is a compound of troth, “faithfulness, truth, promise,” and plight, “pledge.” Troth, which is also found in betroth, “to arrange for the marriage of,” shares an origin with truce, true, truth, and trust and comes from a root meaning “firmness,” both literal and figurative. This literal sense is why the root also appears in words relating to wood, such as English tree as well as Ancient Greek déndron, “tree” (as in rhododendron), and drŷs, “tree, oak” (as in dryad). Trothplight was first recorded in English in the early 14th century. EXAMPLE OF TROTHPLIGHT USED IN A SENTENCE After a trothplight of unclear length, Anne Hathaway and William Shakespeare were married in 1582.

Zinfandel, “a dry red wine,” is of uncertain origin, but there is one promising explanation. Perhaps through an intermediary such as Czech or Hungarian, the idea is that zinfandel is a corruption of Zierfandler, a variety of Austrian grape. Though the change from the original Zierfandler to zinfandel is a little unusual, there is a phonological basis for this; what remains mysterious is how zinfandel came to refer to a black grape used to make red wine when Zierfandler is a red grape used to make white wine. Zinfandel was first recorded in English in the late 1890s. EXAMPLE OF ZINFANDEL USED IN A SENTENCE As the dinner guests arrived, he broke open a bottle of zinfandel to welcome them to his home.

Succotash, “a cooked dish of corn and beans,” is adapted from msíckquatash, “boiled whole kernels of corn,” in Narragansett, which is an Algonquian language with roots in what is now Rhode Island. Narragansett and its close Algonquian relatives, including Massachusett and Maliseet, are the sources of many loanwords in American and Canadian English, such as mugwump, toboggan, and the Word of the Day wampum. Succotash was first recorded in English circa 1750. EXAMPLE OF SUCCOTASH USED IN A SENTENCE They loved going over to their grandmother's for dinner because she always served some variation of succotash.

Génoise, “a light yellow cake,” is the feminine form of French génois, “of Genoa.” Genoa, known as Gênes in French, Genova in Italian, and Zêna in the local Ligurian language, is a major city in northwestern Italy. The city’s name has multiple possible origins. The Latin name, oppidum Genua, may reflect a connection to genū, “knee,” or gena, “cheek,” perhaps because of its location in a corner of the Gulf of Genoa or near the mouth of an ancient waterway. However, in the Middle Ages, Genoa’s Latin name was changed to Janua, and this alternative may stem from Janus, the two-faced Roman god of beginnings and doorways, or the noun jānua, “door” (compare janitor and January). Génoise was first recorded in English in the early 1930s. EXAMPLE OF GÉNOISE USED IN A SENTENCE The pastry chef made the most exquisite génoise that we almost didn't want to eat it!