Yvonne
Wondrous Words Wednesday …
Is a weekly meme where we share new (to us) words that we have encountered in our reading and elsewhere
My first two words this time, I discovered in a book I have recently read in preparation for a Blog Tour Review
“A cry pierced the silence and a V-shaped squadron of geese passed over the eyot where, the osier trade long gone, reeds grew dense and tall”
OSIER –
Salix viminalis, the basket willow, common osier or osier, is a species of willow native to Europe, Western Asia, and the Himalayas. It is usually coppiced, being a major source of the long flexible shoots (withies) used in basketwork.
“Wrangling with his conscience, Jack concluded that, although Stella didn’t want them to be a team on Roddy March’s murder in Tewkesbury Abbey, she’d said nothing about the case featured in March’s putative podcast”
PUTATIVE –
Generally considered or reputed to be – putative is almost always used in front of a noun, the modified noun being that which is assumed or supposed to be. The putative cause of a death, for example, is the one widely believed to have caused it, even when it hasn’t been proven or made certain. However, one does not say “the cause was putative.”
My final word this time is another of those random words which appeared as an answer to one of my regular online puzzles, and which left me scratching my head…
To be honest, I never realised there were so many three letter words in the English language!
LUM –
In Scottish architecture, a lum is a chimney
That’s three new to me words this time
How many of them do you recognise?
Wondrous Words Wednesday … Is a weekly meme where we share new (to us) words that we have encountered in our reading.
It is hosted by Mareli, over at ‘Elza Reads‘
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 Mareli and the rest of us, all love to read your comments as well, so that we can visit and share your own words of the week, or simply say Hi!
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The only word I’ve heard before is putative, but I don’t think I could have put a definition to it. Given the other two are not common to my area, I don’t feel bad for not knowing them. 😉
Hi Kelly,
Like yourself, I had heard of putative before, but when I actually saw it in the text of the book, I couldn’t quite see how it fitted into the sentence, then realised that I wouldn’t have been able to pin down a definition of the word, had I been asked.
I quite like the colloquialisms which crop up from time to time and whilst it is probably a little mean of me to feature them, I still enjoy discovering the definitions and history surrounding some of these often archaic words. I just hope that I am not boring people too much! 🙂
I had to google to see how osier looks like…ok, I even have a couple of them..even a big basket for cat. A lum is a chimney…that’s so much easier to remember.
Hi Angie,
As a child, I can remember being given wicker basket with a handle long enough to enable it to be carried over the arm, when mum sent me to the local shop for groceries. In these days of no plastic bags allowed, I can see this style of basket making a comeback, then perhaps the art of basket weaving will return too! It is a shame how some of these beautiful crafts are all but lost in the modern world!
The Scots in particular, do have their own unique language, with some amazing words and sayings for things. I think that ‘lum’ is quite an archaic word, but as you say, it just sounds so good!
Thanks for taking the time to stop by, I really appreciate that you are such a regular visitor and I always value your comments 🙂
Hi Yvonne! I like the word ‘putative’. It sounds as if some or other clever detective, like Poirot, will use it quite regularly.
Osier doesn’t sound like a tree at all. It should rather be a type of bird. Don’t you think?
Oh I like lum! It sounds very Scottish indeed!
Thanks for sharing all these new to us words today!
Hope you are doing well otherwise and thanks for always taking part in WWW!
Lots of Love,
Mareli & Elza
Hi Mareli,
Wow! I never thought about the ‘osier’ sounding birdlike before, but you are so right. I kind of sounds like Osprey, doesn’t it – or maybe ‘oiseau’ the French for bird? 🙂
Putative sounds like something to do with punishment, not something quite so literary. I know just the detective who might have used the word –
Nathaniel Parker played “Inspector Lynley”, who was very aristocratic, educated and well spoken. I watched just about every episode of this series when it was on television and was always jealous of his on-screen partner, “Barbara Havers”, who was definitely too common for him!! 🙂
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Inspector_Lynley_Mysteries
Thanks for hosting and taking the time to visit. Enjoy the rest of your week 🙂
Interesting words. I knew about the Romanian word for osier and I have had this kind of baskets before, but I had no idea of its name in English. I’m not sure that I will remember it though.
Hi Anca,
Given that all the supermarkets are doing away with plastic bags, I can see us all taking up our wicker baskets to go shopping soon – although canvas bags seem to be all the rage right now!
The same is true for so many of the words I feature, or which are featured in posts others publish – they are so very interesting and I enjoy doing the research, however remembering them for the future, or using them in conversation, just never seems to happen. I guess they are right when they say that the best time to learn is when you are as young as possible – the little grey cells definitely begin to disappear at an alarming rate when you get older – although you have plenty of time left yet, so make the most of it 🙂 🙂
I think I’ve heard of “putative”, but I could be thinking of “punitive”!
Hi Nikki,
I have to say that I was a little surprised when I found the accurate definition for “putative”. Even given the context in which the author used it in a sentence, I would still have assumed it had something to do with punishment. A great word, but probably one I would struggle to use in everyday conversation – or perhaps I am just having the wrong kind of conversations! ?
Thanks for taking the time to stop by and add your own thoughts. I always value your support and comments.
Here’s hoping that all is well with you 🙂
All interesting and all new to me words! Thanks for sharing. Stay well.
Hi Naida,
I seem to go through spells of finding lots of new to me words, especially now I have become addicted to my daily online crossword.
To be honest I never knew that there were so many three letter words, I have plenty more to share!
Thanks for stopping by and I hope that all is well with you 🙂