Yvonne
… Is a weekly meme where we share new (to us) words that we have encountered in our reading.It is hosted by Kathy, over at ‘BermudaOnion’s Weblog’.You can either stop by and leave a link to your own ‘mystery’ words of the week, or just browse the eclectic mix of words that others have discovered, there is always a great selection.
Don’t forget that Kathy and the rest of us, all love to read your comments as well, so that we can visit and share your words of the week!
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My first word this week is the final selection from my most recently finished book ‘Zaremba, or Love in the Rule of Law’, by Michelle Granas, an excellent work of literary fiction, set in Poland …
SYBARITICALLY
And some time later, after she had eaten a small meal, sybaritically, in bed …
SYBARITICALLY … Devoted to or marked by pleasure and luxury.
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The remainder of my words this time, come from the book I am currently reading, ‘The Mine’ by John Heldt
PRESCIENT
He knew events had already reached a point where even a prescient time traveler could do little more than make the best of a bad situation.
PRESCIENT …
Having or showing knowledge of events before they take place.
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DAMASCENED
Even the horn-ringed steering wheel and damascened chrome panel, with driver-side gauges and a glove box mounted clock, screamed original equipment.
DAMASCENED …
(of iron or steel) Given a wavy pattern by hammer-welding and repeated heating and forging.
(of a metal object) Inlaid with gold or silver decoration.
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SALUTATORIAN
I have since discovered that this word is widely used in the USA and Canada, so many of you out there will undoubtedly know of it. However, for myself and my fellow British bloggers, this is probably a new word and is not a term used commonly on this side of the Atlantic …..
The salutatorian of the class of 1996 gazed at his school from across the street as a bell rang.
SALUTATORIAN …
The student ranking second highest in a graduating class who delivers the salutatory.
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What new words have you discovered this time … I can’t wait to stop by and check them out!
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LOL…good one. Learnt new words today 🙂
Hi Kathy,
A good exchange of words can never be a bad thing, surely?
I always look forward to learning a few new words each time I take part in this meme, and perhaps recalling a few that I had long ago forgotten I even knew!
Thanks for stopping by and I hope that all is well with you.
They say you learn something new every day, I’ve learnt two things today so far – Markus Zusak is an Australian and four new words… Technically I’ve learnt five new things, all before noon. It’s a good day!
🙂
Hi Jade,
‘The Book Thief’ is one of those titles firmly on my TBR list, but isn’t one I have gotten around to so far and I probably wouldn’t have guessed at the author being Australian, so I’ve learnt something new today, without even leaving Fiction Books!
I have spent all day researching prices for some very vintage ‘western’ books we had donated in and came across a couple of gems in amongst them, so yes, it has been a good day here as well.
Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of the week.
I will make a point of noting words I look up for future posts. (you participate in some really fun memes!)
I always read with my phone (or a dictionary) nearby so I can look things up. With historical fiction (which is a favorite of mine), I’m constantly checking wiki and other sites for more information on the characters/events I’m reading about.
Hi Kelly,
I don’t read an awful lot of historical fiction, however I know what you mean about checking out people and events as you go, otherwise it is so easy to become confused by facts and dates, isn’t it?
I am constantly looking up words and phrases as I read, as I know that if I simply made a note of them and looked them all up at the end, it just wouldn’t be the same. Similarly, simply guessing at the definition of a word isn’t enough for me, as I am always worried that I may have it totally wrong, or in the wrong context for the particular passage I am reading.
It would be great if you decided to play along with WWW sometimes. It really is a fun meme and Kathy does a fantastic job of hosting. I really must start making a list of the words I have featured in previous posts, as it is quite often that I find myself looking up a word for a second, or even third time … Definitely an age and memory problem there I think!!
Thanks for the interesting comments, I always appreciate your visits.
Great selection and all new to me apart from sybaritically which I seem to remember looking up.
Hi Tracy,
It would be good to wallow in sybaritic splendour right now, after being on my feet all day … Dream On!! LOL
Damascened is the word I would never have been able to even guess at. It sounds as though it has more to do with fabric and upholstery, rather than metal. I guess that’s because the first word that comes to mind when I see damascened written down, is damask.
Thanks for stopping by, I always appreciate your comments.
Thanks for sharing your words. I had heard the first on your list but I didn’t know the meaning. the last two are new.
Hi Jane,
Sybaritic seems to be one of those words which most people have seen before, or looked up before, but obviously doesn’t have a definition which sticks in the mind. Mind you, I have come across quite a few words like that during the course of participating in WWW, although much of that I put firmly down to age!
Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate the visit and comment.
I read The Mine by John Heldt, but don’t remember damascened. Obviously, I skipped over it as I was engrossed in the story. Or I just has a senior moment and forgot! You pick!
I did not know sybaritically at all. But I like it and want to experience a sybaritic moment while eating in bed. *sigh*.
Hi Judy,
I could really have done with having a sybaritic moment of my own this evening, however it is now 10:20pm and I have just this second sat down after washing the dinner dishes. The only sybaritic moment I am going to get, is the thought of my head hitting the pillow very soon!
I really enjoyed ‘The Mine’ by John Heldt, although I am so far behind in writing up my reviews, that goodnes only knows when it will be published. I stopped by your site to see if I could find your own review of the book, to see what your thoughts and opinions about it were, however I found reviews of ‘The Journey’ and ‘The Show’, but not ‘The Mine’
If you did publish a review of ‘The Mine’, I would love to read it, so if you get the chance can you please forward the link?
Thanks for taking the time to read the post and leave such an interesting comment, I appreciate it.
My daughter was the salutatorian of her high school class, didn’t know the others.
Hi Mary,
I didn’t realise that ‘salutatorian’ was predominantly a US and Canadian term until I checked it out. That’s the great thing about a meme such as WWW, it makes me read each and every word of a story much more closely and thoroughly and introduces words from the four corners of the blogging world, which I might otherwise have never come across, or even known existed!
Well Done to your daughter, it must have been a moving and emotional occasion for you all!
The only one of those I’ve heard of before is “prescient”. It is quite fun to learn new words while reading a novel 🙂
Hi Nikki,
With the increase in overseas authors presenting books to the marketplace, the world is definitely shrinking and it is sometimes good to find new words from those countries, which may not be in use in other parts of the world, a good example of which is my featured word this week, salutatorian.
I always stop reading to check out any words I come across which I am not too sure about the meaning of, so that I understand them correctly in the context of the story.
It seems ages since we last spoke and I hope that all is well with you and that you have been enjoying this sudden burst of springlike weather.
Yes, salutatorian is widely used in the US so I knew that word. I can picture a damascened object but never knew there’s a name for that kind of ironwork. Thanks for playing along!
Hi Kathy,
I must admit I am struggling to find the UK equivalent of salutatorian, but I shall keep working on that one!
Somehow the word damascened just doesn’t fit a piece of metalwork, does it? This is probably the one of my words which surprised me the most, when I checked it out.
Thanks for being such a gracious host, as always and enjoy the rest of your week.
I knew most of your words today but not damascened. I was thinking something religious because of the Israeli town of Damascus. I never would have guessed metal. You got me on that one.
Hi Margot,
It just goes to show you the many ways in which different people will interpret the same word, doesn’t it?
Your first thought was that the word had religious connotations and I really thought that it would be something to do with upholstery. You connected the word with Damascus the place, whereas my word association led me to think of damask the material.
As it is, we are both miles away from the truth, although I think that damascened is one of those words which just doesn’t fit its definition somehow.
It is interesting to see just how a story might be changed, simply by two people interpreting a word or phrase so differently …. That’s what makes WWW such an excellent meme!
Thanks for the interesting comment, I always look forward to your visits.
Nice words Yvonne. I do like the sound of prescient. Enjoy reading The Mine and have a happy Sunday 🙂
Hi Naida,
I have been trying out a little of the sybaritic treatment today …. It has been a beautiful day down here in the South of England. The sun has been shining since first light, with barely a cloud in the sky and temperatures rising nicely. We have been out checking trails in Avebury and Salisbury, topped off with a lovely pasta meal in Prezzo’s.
Now a little of the prescient therapy, because I know exactly what tomorrow is going to be like!!
I have finished ‘The Mine’, which I thoroughly enjoyed and have moved on to a ‘western mystery romance’.
Thanks for stopping by and for the lovely email, which was very much appreciated.
Damascened is beautiful and I don’t think I’d come across it before. It sounds vaguely familiar, maybe like something I might have read in a ballad about knights.
I laughed when reading about sybaritically because it sounds like it’s referring to a disease you could pick up while being too hedonistic.
Hi Hila,
I can see where you are coming from about sybaritically being aligned to hedonistic, but I still prefer the sound of sybaritically, despite my mind working overtime on the disease aspect you mention … It doesn’t bear thinking about!!
Damascened is such an eloquent sounding word and not one I would have immediately associated with something as hard or unyielding as metal. The wavy patterns the definition refers to, are pretty spectacular and very tactile though.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by, your comments and observations are always so interesting.