Weekly Wonderful Words

English is a truly impressive language, with a vast array of words that are interesting and quirky. Or, as I like to say, wonderful.

Words have fascinated me for a long time. They are the natural tools of the most magical occupation ever created – writing. I find it a huge privilege to spend all of my time creating artwork that both informs and entertains people.

Here are some of my favourites. Unlike most other articles, I’ve gone into more than the basic definitions of the words, including what I have been able to find out about the history of the word and how it has developed over time. Language is never static while it is living, and I would argue that there has seldom been a language quite as ‘alive’ as English.

Squishy

The dictionary definition of squishy is ‘easily squashed; resembling a sponge in having a soft porous texture and compressibility’.

The earliest version of this word I could find was 1847, although the root word of ‘squish’ seems to date back much further. That seems to date from the 1640s and could have developed from the obsolete word squiss which meant ‘to squeeze or crush’.

Adding the ‘y’ ending is a common suffix in English, denoting that the word it is attached to means ‘full of or characterised by’ whatever the root word happens to be.

I like this word because of how tactile it is. Saying it feels squishy in the mouth, and in my case at least that translates into a desire to squish something.

Scrofulous

The dictionary definition of scrofulous is simply ‘diseased or affected with scrofula’.

The word comes from the early 15th century, through Medieval Latin scrofa, which meant ‘breeding sow’. It is a swelling of the glands in the neck, caused by a form of tuberculosis. It used to be called the king’s evil, because it was said that being touched by a royal was a cure.

Like many words in English, scrofulous has other definitions. It can also mean ‘having an unkempt, unhealthy appearance’, and ‘being morally degenerate; corrupt’. I can completely understand this word having become an insult. Not just because the original disease was a disfigurement, which always makes for a good insult, but because the word has a firmness that makes it satisfying to shout.

Oomph

The dictionary definition of oomph is either ‘strength, power, passion or effectiveness; clout’ or ‘personal charm or magnetism; sex appeal’.

As far as I can tell, this word comes from the 1930s, and is from the grunt that is produced when someone truly exerts themselves – listen to any professional tennis match to get an idea of that sound.

It seems to have had the sexual attractiveness added on during the career of an actress called Ann Sheridan, who has been described as the original Hollywood oomph girl.

Guru

The dictionary definition of this word is ‘teacher, priest’.

It first made its way into English from Sanskrit in the 1800s. The Sanskrit guru meant ‘one to be honoured, teacher’, from a root word – guruh - that meant ‘venerable or worthy of honour’. However, in pan-Indian traditions, the word has a much deeper meaning than the English definition, carrying with it a deep sense of reverence.

I like the word because of the shades of meaning between a guru and a teacher. To me at least, the word guru suggests a spiritual element to the teaching, a side of education that is not often considered in the modern Western world.

Loony

The dictionary definition of this word is ‘crazy; silly and eccentric’.

It seems to come from some time in the 1850s as a shortened form of lunatic, although I have also heard that it could have been a reference to the cry of the loon. Loons are a bird with a very loud cry, but I find the idea of it being a short form of lunatic far more convincing.

Adding the ‘y’ ending is a common suffix in English, denoting that the word it is attached to means ‘full of or characterised by’ whatever the root word happens to be.

It has a softer meaning than lunatic, as calling someone loony doesn’t automatically suggest they are actually mentally ill. More often, it means that they are annoying or eccentric.

Zenzizenzizenzic

The dictionary definition of this word is ‘the eighth power of a number’.

The only time I can ever find this used is in a book called The Whetstone of Wit by a mathematician called Robert Recorde and published in 1557.

It comes from a German word zenzic, which is also obsolete. It came from the Latin censo, which was the square of a number. I assume that Robert Recorde just added zenzic onto itself often enough to make sense for the meaning he needed.

It’s included on the list because I love words that I will never use, and it might prove useful if any of the readers of this article need an interesting trivia question. I also felt that this list needed at least one word that I had to constantly check to make sure it was spelt correctly.

Curmudgeon

The dictionary definition of this word is ‘a churlish, miserly fellow; mean man’.

It seems to originate sometime in the 1570s, although I do love the story that it was a misreading by Samuel Johnson that it comes from coeur mechant ‘evil heart’, but that is doubtful. Another suggestion is that it comes from ‘corn merchant’, but I think that might be a mishearing of the story about Johnson.

I find the argument that it comes from cur – ‘dog’ – and the Gaelic word muigean, which means ‘disagreeable person’. Otherwise, it’s a fun word to say.

There you have it. A word for every day this week. Let me know if you have words that you’d like me to include in future articles in the comments.