Word of the Day
More about aegis
Aegis “protection, support” comes by way of Latin from Ancient Greek aigís “shield of Zeus or Athena,” which may derive from aíx (stem aig-) “goat” in reference to a type of cloak or shield made of goatskin, plus -is, a noun-forming suffix. Because the stem of aigís is aigíd-, aegis may be pluralized in English either as aegises or, more traditionally, as aegides. Ancient Greek aíx does not have any clear relatives in modern English, and it remains uncertain whether aíx is of Indo-European origin or is a borrowing from a Middle Eastern source. Be sure not to confuse aíx with Latin agnus “lamb,” which looks similar but is not related. Aegis was first recorded in the mid-15th century.
how is aegis used?
Longtime home of the Anasazi and inhabited by the Navajo since at least the 1700s, Canyon de Chelly is now a national park in Chinle, Arizona, and is operated by Navajos under the aegis of the National Park Service. The guides, who are all Navajo, speak of the remarkable geology of what is the second largest canyon in the United States, and about what has been learned from artifacts found in the 84,000-acre archaeological sanctuary.
The history of the towns that became Roman is known to us very imperfectly and unevenly …. Further, great mystery shrouds the particulars of their overthrow when the aegis of the Roman authority was withdrawn. There are but few survivals of towns to the present day, and parallels must be sought rather in Pannonia and North Africa than in the Western European Empire.
cherubic
adjective
of or having the nature of a cherub, or an angel represented as a rosy-cheeked child with wings; angelic.
More about cherubic
Cherubic “of or having the nature of a cherub” is based on the noun cherub (plural cherubim or cherubs, depending on the context), plus the adjective-forming suffix -ic. Cherub derives via Latin from Ancient Greek kheroúb, which was adapted from Hebrew kərūbh. The Hebrew plural kərūbhīm was far better known than the singular kərūbh was, and earlier versions of English (compare Old English cerubim) as well as many Romance languages (compare French chérubin and Spanish querubín) based their singular words for cherub on the Hebrew plural. This singular–plural confusion even appears in literature; Madeleine L’Engle, in A Wind in the Door, includes a character who introduces itself, however paradoxically, as a “singular cherubim.” Cherubic was first recorded in English in the early 17th century.
how is cherubic used?
The designing duo of Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana constructed a Baroque Sicilian church façade as the background for their “King of Angels” collection. The show opened with a tableau of young stars in formalwear, including elaborately embroidered military-style jackets and floral suits, walking beneath a pair of cherubs. The colorful knitwear that featured cherubic putti in oval frames looked inspired by church ceilings, and angelic visages also graced motorcycle jackets.
Alexander Lingas, a musicologist and the music director of Cappella Romana [a vocal ensemble based in Portland, Ore.] …. said that some pieces only “made sense” inside the simulated acoustics. One example featured on the album is a cherubic hymn that likens the singers to angels …. [A]s the group rehearsed it with the virtual acoustics, a pattern of repeated undulating motifs built up rippling momentum until, as he described it, “the sound essentially achieved liftoff.”
toxophilite
noun
a devotee of archery; archer.
More about toxophilite
Toxophilite “a devotee of archery” is based on the term Toxophilus “bow-lover,” which Roger Ascham coined for his book of the same name published in 1545. Toxophilus is based on Ancient Greek tóxon “bow” and phílos “loving, dear,” the latter of which we learned about from the recent Word of the Day philtrum. If you were wondering whether tóxon is related to the English word toxic, you have good instincts! Toxic ultimately comes from Ancient Greek toxikòn (phármakon) “bow (poison),” that is, poison used on arrows. Tóxon may be related to or derived from an Iranian source; compare Persian takhsh “cross-bow, arrow.” Toxophilite was first recorded in English circa 1790.
how is toxophilite used?
Apollo used to be an Olympic-class archer, a toxophilite of the first rank, until he took a bribe from a betting syndicate and blew a contest he should have won easily.