The words that are new to me this week, are taken from my ARC copy of a great book, which is not due for release until 27th August 2011 and is an author request for review.
The book has no pre-release details on Amazon as yet, so you can click here to peruse a full synopsis, as supplied by the author.
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‘The Egyptian’ by Layton Green
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Senescence: “Are you knowledgeable about senescence at the cellular level?”
Senescence:
or biological aging is the change in the biology of an organism as it ages after its maturity. Such changes range from those affecting its cells and their function to that of the whole organism. There are a number of theories as to why senescence occurs, including ones that claim it is programmed by gene expression changes and that it is the accumulative damage of biological processes.
The word senescence is derived from the Latin word senex, meaning old man, old age, or advanced in age.
I really don’t like the sound of this word, as it is too close to senile, or senility, for comfort!!
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Golem: “The golem grew too powerful, and the rabbi deactivated the golem by erasing the first letter of the name of God. “
Golem:
In Jewish tradition, the golem is most widely known as an artificial creature created by magic, often to serve its creator. The word “golem” appears only once in the Bible (Psalms139:16). In Hebrew, “golem” stands for “shapeless mass.” The Talmud uses the word as “unformed” or “imperfect” and according to Talmudic legend, Adam is called “golem,” meaning “body without a soul” (Sanhedrin 38b) for the first 12 hours of his existence. The golem appears in other places in the Talmud as well. One legend says the prophet Jeremiah made a golem However, some mystics believe the creation of a golem has symbolic meaning only, like a spiritual experience following a religious rite.
I love the sound of this word, although it isn’t the ‘prettiest’ word in the world!
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