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What's an obsolete or incredibly obscure word you think people should know? (leminal.space)

submitted 1 month ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

306 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Overmorrow refers to the day after tomorrow and I feel like it comes in quite handy for example.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (3 children)

I'm currently reading through all of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe mysteries, and one fun feature is that he almost always includes one or more very obscure words. It's a nice little thing to look out for.

In the one I'm currently reading it's, "peculate," meaning to embezzle or steal money. Others include:

Plerophory - Fullness, especially of conviction or persuasion
Apodictically - From apodictic: clearly established or beyond dispute
Usufruct - The right to enjoy the use and advantages of another's property short of the destruction or waste of its substance
Acarpous - Not producing fruit; sterile; barren
Yclept - By the name of
Eruction - A belch or burp

I had a look to see if I could find a full list but sadly not. However most Wikipedia entries for the individual novels include a section called, "The unfamiliar word," if you want to find more.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I had a look to see if I could find a full list but sadly not. However most Wikipedia entries for the individual novels include a section called, "The unfamiliar word," if you want to find more.

Be the change you want to see in the world.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Yeah, I was thinking I might. I ly thing is, I haven't got all the books, nor do I have a website on which to host such a list. However I might still have a go 👍

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

If you start it, just put a tag that the list is incomplete and the wiki crowd will finish it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

It’s curious to see how things merge between languages. In Spain, both usufruct (usufructo) and eruction (eructo) are quite common words.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Oh really? That's cool, thanks for the info. Language is so fascinating 👍

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Eruction - A belch or burp

There could be some wild confusion if a New Zealander were to say "I've got a massive eruction building up" 😆