Kavanot: Glossary

There’s nothing I like more than obscure sesquipedalian words.

abjure

To renounce or reject (from the Latin, “swear away from”)

abrogate

Repeal a law or evade a responsibility (from the Latin “propose going away from a law”)

adduce

Offer as evidence (from the Latin, “bring into”)

ad hoc

For a single purpose (Latin, “for this”)

adjure

To command as under oath (from the Latin, “swear to”)

adumbrate

foreshadow (from the Latin, “cast a shadow toward”)

aegis

protection or sponsorship (from the Greek, “goatskin”)

aggrandizement

The act of making something appear greater than is actually warranted (from the French, “magnification”)

akrasia

A lack of self-control; acting against one’s better judgment (Greek, “lacking command”)

amanuensis

One who takes dictation (from the Latin, “from the hand”)

anaphora

Repetition of a word or expression at the beginning of successive phrases (from the Greek, “to carry back”)

anathema

Something hated (from the Greek, “set up [for evil]”)

antanaclasis

repeating a word with a different meaning (as “Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana”) (from the Greek, “echo”)

antediluvian

before the Flood (from the Latin)

antimetabole

The repetition of words in successive clauses, but in transposed order (a type of chiasmus) (from the Greek, “turning against”)

antinomian

Rejecting law or rules; in Christianity, the idea that the Law of Moses no longer applies (from the Greek, “against the law”)

apodictic

Beyond dispute; presented without justification (from the Greek, “demonstrate”)

apologia

A formal defense of an opinion, position or action (not the same as an apology, even though they come from the same Greek, “speaking in defense”)

aposiopesis

An unfinished thought or sentence suddenly broken off (from the Greek, “maintaining silence”)

apothegm

A short, witty, instructive saying (from the Greek, “speak out”)

asteism

A genteel and ingenious insult (from the Greek, “urban”, similar to “urbane”)

atavistic

Concerning a reversion to a more primitive state, throwback (from the Latin, “ancestral”)

avonymic

A name derived from the name of a grandfather (from the Latin {:la}/avus/, “grandfather” and the Greek, ὄνυμα, “name”)

beshrew

to corrupt, make depraved (shrews were felt to have a venomous bite, hence figuratively “a spiteful person”)

bespeak

Indicate or signify (from the Old English, “speak about”)

bowlderize

Modify a work by removing vulgar or inappropriate parts (from Thomas Bowlder, who published a “Family Shakespeare” in 1807)

concupiscence

Lust (from the Latin, “strong desire”)

calque

Compound word or phrase translated literally from another language (as “flea market” from marché aux puces or תפוח אדמה from pomme de terre) (French, “copy”)

chiasmus

An inverted relationship between elements of parallel phrases (from the Greek, “marked with the letter chi, χ”)

coda

A final section of a musical piece that adds dramatic energy to the work as a whole (Italian, from the Latin, “tail”)

cognate

Related by descent (from the Latin, “born together”)

consequentialist

A theory of ethics that the rightness or wrongness of behavior is based on the result of that behavior (from the Latin, “that which follows”)

cri de coeur

An impassioned outcry (French, “cry of the heart”)

cryptozoology

The study of legendary creatures (from the Greek, “study of hidden animals”)

de rigueur

Strictly required (French, “out of strictness”)

denouement

The final part of a narrative in which matters are explained or resolved (French, “unknotting”)

deontological

A theory of ethics that is based on rules (from the Greek “study of duty”)

detente

The easing of strained relations, especially in a political situation (French, “loosening”)

diegetic

Happening within or being the created world of a story (from the Greek, “narration”)

disingenuous

Pretending to be unaware or unsophisticated (from the Latin, “not candid or noble”)

droit du seigneur

The putative right of a feudal lord to have relations with his vassals’ brides (French, “right of the lord”)

epistemological

Relating to the theory of knowledge (from the Greek, “words about knowledge”)

epistrophe

Repetition of a word or expression at the end of successive phrases (from the Greek, “turning about”)

equanimity

A state of psychological stability undisturbed by emotions or pain (from the Latin, “even-minded”)

eschatological

Having to do with the end of the world (from the Greek, “farthest”)

ethnonym

A name applied to a given ethnic group (from the Greek, “nation name”)

exemplar

One that serves as a model that deserves to be copied (from the Latin, “that which is taken out”)

exoteric

Intended to be understood by the general public, as opposed to esoteric (from the Greek, “external”)

foofaraw

Fuss or attention given to a minor matter (origin unknown)

frisson

A sudden strong feeling or emotion (French, “shiver”)

gainsay

Declare to be untrue or invalid (from the Old English, “say against”)

gyre

A circular or spiral motion or form, especially a circular ocean current (from the Greek, “circle”)

hapax legomenon

A word or phrase that occurs only once (making it hard to translate) (Greek, “said once”)

harbinger

A herald, something that is a sign of what is to come (from the Middle English, “one sent ahead to find lodging”, from the French héberger, ”host, harbor“)

hendiadys

The expression of an idea by the use of usually two independent words connected by and (as “nice and warm”) instead of the usual combination of independent word and its modifier (as “nicely warm”) (from the Greek, “from two to one”)

hermeneutics

The study of interpretation (from the Greek, “of Hermes, the messenger of the gods”)

heuristic

Discovered experimentally or by trial and error, rather than reasoned out (from the Greek, “find”)

hoi polloi

The common people (Greek, “the many”)

hylic

Relating to the physical world, as opposed to the spiritual (from the Greek, “matter”)

ignominious

Shameful (from the Latin, “of no name”)

in extremis

At the point of death (Latin, “in the farthest reaches”)

incipient

Coming into existence (from the Latin, “taking in”)

inclusio

A literary device which consists of creating a frame by placing similar material at the beginning and end of a section (Italian, “inclusion”)

incongruous

Inconsistent or not in harmony (from the Latin, “not agreeing”)

inexorable

unstoppable (from the Latin, “not able to be prevailed upon”)

kerygmatic

As used by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, relating to man’s role as the bearer of the Divine message (from the Greek, “proclamation”, via Protestant theology, the proclamation of the Divine will)

kismet

Fate (from the Arabic, “portion, lot”)

lacuna

An unfilled space or gap (from the Latin, “lake”)

lèse-majesté

An offense violating the dignity of a ruler (French, “injured majesty”)

leitwort

A repeated word or phrase in a text that draws attention to the meaning of the text, in Hebrew מִילָה מַנְחָה (German, “leading word”; in modern German it means “slogan”, which is very different from its meaning in Tanach study)

liminal

Of a transitional stage or threshold (from the Latin, “threshold”)

livery

A servant’s uniform or other distinctive garb, (from the old French, “to deliver”)

mellifluous

Having a pleasant and fluid sound (from the Latin, “flowing with honey”)

memetic

Learned by imitation or direct observation (from the Greek, “imitation”)

menhir

A large upright standing stone (from the Celtic, “long stone”)

merism

Referring to a thing by enumerating its parts, as “day and night” for “always” or “ladies and gentlemen” for “everyone” (from the Greek, “division”)

metonym

An expression used as a poetic substitute for something else with which it is closely associated, as in “White House” for “president' (from the Greek, ”change of name")

milieu

Social environment (French, “central place”)

monistic

The view in metaphysics that reality is a unified whole (from the Greek, “alone”)

monolatry

The worship of only one god although other gods are recognized as existing (from the Greek, “single worship”)

muster

To assemble or call up soldiers (from the Old French, “showing”, from the same Latin as “monster”)

natality

As used by Hanna Arendt, the human ability to create new ideas, institutions and frameworks (from the French, “birth rate”)

necromancy

The practice of communicating with the dead, especially in order to predict the future (from the Greek, “prophecy of the dead”)

neoteny

The retention of immature characters in adulthood (from the Greek “extending youth”)

noetic

Related to the intellect (from the Greek, “of the mind”)

nomos

The philosophical concept of law and jurisdiction (Greek, “law or custom”)

nonce

Used on one occasion (from Middle English as a mis-division of “then anes”, meaning “the one”)

numinous

Having a mysterious, holy quality (from the Latin, “divine will”)

ontic

Dealing with reality (from the Greek, “of that which is”)

pace

With due respect, used to express polite disagreement or contradiction (Latin, “peace,” pronounced pa-kay)

paean

A song of praise or thanksgiving (from the Greek, “physician, healing chant”)

panacea

A solution or remedy for all difficulties or diseases (from the Greek goddess of remedies)

paragon

A perfect example (from the Greek “side of a whetstone”, used to test metal)

paralipsis

The rhetorical strategy of emphasizing a point by seeming to pass over it (from the Greek, “neglect”)

parturition

Childbirth (from the Latin, “desiring to bring forth”)

patronymic

A name derived from the name of a father or ancestor (from the Greek, “father name”)

peregrination

A wandering journey (from the Latin, “travel abroad”)

perfidy

Treachery (from the Latin, “faithless”)

pericope

A selection from a book (from the Greek, “section”)

peroration

A rhetorical speech, especially the conclusion (from the Latin, “to declaim at length”)

perseverate

To repeat insistently (from the Latin, “be very strict”)

phatic

Relating to speech used for social or emotive purposes rather than for communicating information (from the Greek, “speech”)

phronesis

Wisdom that is relevant to practical action (Greek)

picayune

Petty, worthless (from the French picaillon, a small coin)

poetaster

A person who writes inferior poetry (from the Latin, “like a poet”; the “-aster” suffix denotes incomplete resemblance)

polyptoton

Using the same word in different forms, as Al Franken’s Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them (from the Greek, “having many cases”)

polysemous

Having multiple meanings derived from one basic origin (as “total”, meaning “add a list of numbers” and “completely destroy”), as opposed to homonymous, which implies multiple meanings of different origins (as “tire”, meaning “fatigue” and “car wheel cover”) (from the Greek, “many signs”)

preterite

The simple past tense, which indicates that the action described happened in the past, as opposed to the past perfect which indicates action before the context (which itself happened in the past). “He ran” is preterite; “he had run” is perfect past (from the Latin, “past”)

prolepsis

Anticipation, such as the representation or assumption of a future act or development as if presently existing or accomplished (from the Greek, “take beforehand”)

quodlibet

a philosophical or theological point or a disputation on such a point (from the Latin, “whatever you want”)

quotidian

Of or occurring every day (from the Latin, “daily”)

ratiocination

The process of thinking (from the Latin, “reasoning”)

rectitude

Morally correct behavior or thinking (from the Latin, “straight”)

redux

Brought back, repeated (from the Latin, “returning”)

reification

The process of regarding something abstract as a material or concrete thing (from the Latin res, ”thing“)

running dog

One who blindly follows orders, lackey (calque from the Chinese)

samizdat

The clandestine distribution of banned literature (from the Russian, “self-published”)

semiotic

Having to do with signs and symbols as elements of communication (from the Greek, “significance”)

semiotics

The study of signs and symbols, as above

sesquipedalian

Characterized by long words; long-winded (from the Latin, “one-and-a-half feet long”)

soporiferous

Inducing sleep (from the Latin, “bearing sleep”)

status quo ante

The state of affairs that existed previously (Latin)

stich

A verse of poetry (from the Greek, “a row”)

sui generis

unique (Latin, “of its own kind”)

supererogatory

Morally good but not obligatory (from the Latin, “pay or do additionally”)

suzerainty

A situation in which a powerful state controls the foreign affairs of a tributary state while allowing it internal autonomy (from the Latin, “overlord”)

synecdoche

Referring to something by a part, as in “hungry mouths to feed” (from the Greek, “received together”)

telos

The ultimate purpose (from the Greek)

tergiversation

Evasion or desertion (from the Latin, “turning back”)

terminus ante quem

The latest possible date for something (Latin, “the end before which”)

theurgy

The act of compelling a supernatural power to do something (from the Greek, “god-working”)

transgressive

Involving a violation of socially accepted boundaries (from the Latin, “step across”)

triptych

A picture in three panels, or figuratively, a set of three associated artistic, literary, or musical works intended to be appreciated together (from the Greek, “three-fold”).

unshriven

Not having obtained absolution by confession and penance (from un- and from the Old High German, “to prescribe”).

vagaries

Unexpected and inexplicable changes in a situation (from the Latin, “wandering”)

vestment

A garment, especially a ceremonial or official robe (from the Latin, “clothing”)

vicissitude

A difficulty or hardship beyond one’s control (from the Latin, “turning”)

vignette

A short scene (from the French, “little vine”, as the decorative border around an illustration)

vociferous

Loud and insistent (from the Latin, “shout”)

volta

A rhetorical shift or dramatic change in thought or emotion (Italian, “turn”)

weltanschauung

A comprehensive understanding of the world from a specific viewpoint (German, “world view”)