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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What new words have you discovered this time? … I can’t wait to stop by and check them out!
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I recently finished reading ‘The Diabolist’ by Layton Green and the book offered up so many excellent new to me words for sharing, that I have found myself with a post this time, made up exclusively of these excellent examples, although this selection only scratches the surface of material I could have quoted… my review will be posted very soon!
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SIGIL
A sigil-inscribed door loomed opposite where Grey was standing, and the rounded ceiling, painted to resemble a star-filled galaxy, lent an illusion of depth.
SIGIL …
An inscribed or painted symbol considered to have magical power.
A seal
A sign or symbol
THAUMATURGE
An hour remained before Viktor’s 7pm meeting with Gareth Witherspoon, chief thaumaturge of the York circle.
THAUMATURGE …
A worker of wonders and performer of miracles; a magician.
DICHOTOMIES and SISYPHEAN
Grey was also well aware of his isolating dichotomies: A born fighter who abhored violence, a wanderer who yearned for a place to call home, someone trying to accomplish the sisyphean task of creating a future while still erasing the past.
DICHOTOMIES …
What new words have you discovered this time? … I can’t wait to stop by and check them out!
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Your first two words were new to me, also. And though I’m familiar with “dichotomy”, I didn’t know the astronomical definition. Sisyphus (from which your word is taken) actually came up in my reading this week as well as in a comment on a blog post!
It’s always a pleasure to learn new words! (and additional meanings) Thanks for sharing yours.
Hi Kelly,
I too, love discovering new words, although it can be a little disconcerting to realise just how much I don’t actually know!
I had a hunch about the general meaning of ‘Dichotomy’, although I probably couldn’t have actually put it into words, however the others were definitely all completely unknowns for me.
I think that my favourite word was probably ‘thaumaturge’. I would never have got that one in a million years of guessing!!
Thanks for taking the time to comment, I always love hearing from you.
The only one I didn’t know is thaumaturge ……… and I have to admit that I know sigil from watching Game of Thrones! One of my English teachers at school said that when you look up a word in the dictionary you should read the whole page, to help expand your vocabularly ……… I still do it!!
Hi Anne,
Fantasy isn’t one of my most favourite genres, so I have to admit to never having watched ‘Game of Thrones’. ‘Sigil’ is one of those words that I could have probably had a good stab at guessing the meaning of, although like yourself, I am something of a stickler for learning the exact meaning of new to me words, as I come across them. Thank goodness for being able to call on Google anytime, so much more convenient than having to keep a physical dictionary close at hand!
English was one of, if not the, favourite of my subjects at school and I shall always be grateful to the English teachers who encouraged me and nurtured my love of reading and the written word!
It was good to have you visit and I appreciate your comments.
I Read this book, some great new words to be found.
Hi Mary Ann,
Although I have finished this excellent book and thoroughly enjoyed it, I haven’t quite formulated my thoughts into a review suitable for publishing yet, but I am working on it. I searched for your own review and get the impression that ‘The Diabolist’ is a book that you would also recommend.
There were just so many great new to me words included, enough to fill several WWW posts.
Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment, I appreciate it.
Lots of new words from one book. This week one of my new words came from the title of a Layton Green book, The Metaxy Project. I figured that, if the title was an unknown word, the whole book must be loaded with them. Based on this post of yours, I’d say Layton Green has a vast vocabulary!
Hi Margot,
I too have ‘The Metaxy Project’ in my TBR pile, although I hadn’t got as far as examining any relevance of the tiile. I shall have to remember not to use it again in a WWW post, because as you so rightly say, Layton certainly has a very extensive vocabulary, with all three of his books I have read to date, throwing up some pretty unique and interesting words, which I have needed to check on. I generally tend to stop reading and do this as I come across them, or there is a real possibility that I might lose the thread about what is happening in the story.
Thanks for stopping by and I hope that you enjoy Layton’s writing as much as I do.
All new to me but…dichotomies. Learned much from your posting, thank you. I love words, especially new ones !!
Hi Melinda,
Thanks for deciding to stop by Fiction Books today. I love meeting new people, so your visits will always be welcome and your comments appreciated.
If you enjoy discovering new words, the Layton Green’s books are not to be missed. I have never come across such an avid wordsmith before, however you need to be prepared to read his novels for their educational value, as much as for an entertaining and engrossing storyline.
Enjoy the rest of your week.
I knew dichotomy from college English classes and Sisyphean from (don’t laugh) an old episode of Leave it to Beaver. The others are new to me. I have to admit that there are times I wish sigils really worked and I had one!
Hi Kathy,
I had to check out ‘Leave it to Beaver’, as I hadn’t heard of this show before. One thing led to another and before I knew it, I had watched 4 YouTube clips, although none of these featured ‘sisyphean’ in them!
I wonder why it is that some words will stick in the memory from years ago, when I could learn a new word right now and have completely forgotten its meaning in a few days time …. Oh Dear! That sounds a little ominous doesn’t it? … LOL!
A symbol endowed with special powers that could bring me some good luck, sounds like a great idea right now, although I am none too sure that I really believe in magic or magical powers!
Thanks for the entertainment and your valued comments.
Very interesting words Yvonne!! And as for Leave It To Beaver, that was one of my favorite shows when I was little! It went off the air when I was around 5yrs. old but I still remember it.
Have you heard of Mister Ed or My Mother The Car? They were favorites of mine too..
Hi Vicki,
I am sure that some of these shows would have made it to UK television even way back then, although I have to say that the only one I can remember clearly from your selection, is ‘Mister Ed’.
I can also recall watching ‘Bewitched’ and ‘The Beverly Hillbillies’ on a regular basis, although I would have been quite young at the time.
I love it when one line of conversation leads so easily into another, it makes for such interesting exchanges, so thanks for the memory rush!
Thaumaturge – what a great word, I love the way it trips off the tongue.
Hi Tracy,
‘Thaumaturge’ was my favourite word this week, although I am not so sure that it is a word which really seems to suit its definition.
I can see it fitting quite nicely into a conversation though, without it being an easy one for someone else to work out …..
“So! You think I can cook the dinner, clean the house, wash and iron, all at the same time? I am not a thaumaturge you know!
…. LOL!
Have a great weekend, despite the weather forecast. We are supposed to be off to a garden party tomorrow!
Interesting words, I was most interested in the sis…… word. Have to practice the spelling.:)
Hi Tea,
If you think that ‘sisyphean’ is bad for spelling and pronunciation, I came across a great word the other day, the likes of which I have not seen or heard before …. I am saving that one for the next WWW post, so watch this space!
Thanks for stopping by and have a good weekend.