Wondrous
Words Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Bermudaonion's Weblog where we share
words we’ve encountered in our reading. Join in the fun and be sure to leave a
link to your post over at Bermudaonion.
Here are
some of the words I came across while reading Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell:
This flag
was removed & presented to a chieftain, who wore it proudly until the
scrofula took him.
Scrofula: {origin: Middle English (1350-1400)}
~ primary
tuberculosis of the lymphatic glands, especially those of the neck
( no longer
in technical use ) Also formerly called: the king's evil tuberculosis
of the lymphatic glands
Autua
subsisted in his Polynesian Eden on wild celery, watercress, eggs, berries, an
occasional young boar (he risked fires only under cover of darkness or mist)
& the knowledge that Kupaka, at least, had met a condign punishment.
Condign: {adj. (origin late Middle English (1375-1425)}
~ Well-deserved;
fitting; adequate
Oh, we ate with Ayrs's daughter, too , the young equestrienne I'd glimpsed earlier. Mlle. Ayers is a horsey creature of seventeen with her mama's retroussé nose.
Retroussé: (adj.) (French)
~ (especially
of the nose) turned up
This
Oriental rug, battered divan, Breton cupboards crammed with music stands,
Bösendorfer grand, carillon, all witnessed the conception and birth of
Matryoshka Doll Variations and his song cycle, Society Islands.
Carillon: (noun) (French)
1. a set of
stationary bells hung in a tower and sounded by manual or pedal action, or by
machinery.
2. a set of
horizontal metal plates, struck by hammers, used in the modern orchestra.
Execrable: (adj.)
1. utterly
detestable; abominable; abhorrent.
2. very bad:
an execrable stage performance.
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