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A Chama Violeta (The Violet Flame)

Sítio dedicado à filosofia humana, ao estudo e conhecimento da verdade, assim como à investigação. ~A Luz está a revelar a Verdade, e a verdade libertar-nos-á! ~A Chama Violeta da Transmutação

06.09.20

15 Beautiful and Deep Old English Words You Need to Start Using.

Janey Davies, BA (Hon).

https://www.learning-mind.com/

September 5th, 2020.


 
There are two people I credit for my love of old English words. They are my dad and an English teacher in high school.
 
Whenever my dad would read me and my siblings a bedtime story, he’d occasionally come across a word we didn’t recognise. Instead of simply telling us what the word meant, he would give us clues to its meaning.
 
 
We would race to guess the answer and whoever got it right would feel this immense sense of pride as dad would point to the winner and say ‘That’s it!’
 
As for my high school teacher, well, she had a real problem with the word ‘nice’. Anyone using the word nice would be severely berated.
 
 
“’Nice’ is boring, it’s lazy, it doesn’t add anything to the reader,” she would explain. “I want you to think of any other word, but do not use nice!“
 
It’s funny the things you remember when you are writing.
The Importance of Using Old English Words
 
For me, there’s something about the way words add a deeper level of understanding. It’s like a secret code of sorts. I feel the same way about music. Typically, you have a drum beat, a bass line, maybe a piano, a lead guitar, and vocals. Every instrument adds a layer which makes up a complete melody.
 
It’s the same with a sentence. You have the nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and so on. But you can go even further and tweak the sentence, adding further meaning with metaphors and symbolism.
 
Then there are the actual words you use. This is where I remember my old English teacher’s words ringing in my ears because it is here that you can really add intrigue and spice.
 
You can elevate your text and content. You can hopefully take your reader with you into your world. Share some of your insight and hope that they are as delighted as you are.
 
Now that I’ve explained where my love of old English words comes from it is time to share of my favourites:
 
15 of My Favourite Old English Words
 
Apricity (Ah-pris-i-tee)
 
Sun’s warmth in winter
 
First used in 1623 by Englishman Henry Cockerham, apricity describes the feeling of the sun’s warmth in winter. It derives from the Latin aprīcitās which means ‘warmed by the sun’.
 
Cockalorum (koka-law-rum)
 
A small man with an incorrect high opinion of himself
 
This is just such a delightful word, isn’t it? It captures the essence of the meaning perfectly. You could say a jobsworth is a cockalorum.
 
Cynosure (see-no-shur)
 
Someone or something that is the centre of attention or admiration
 
This word has a really interesting origin. It comes from the constellation Ursa Minor, or Pole Star, which was known as a navigation guide for sailors.
 
Elfock (elf-lok)
 
Hair tangled as if by elves
 
 
Dating back as far as 1596, this word comes from the old English word ‘aelf’. It is one of my favourite old English words. It denotes a mass of matted hair supposedly tangled by elves.
5. Expergefactor (ex-puh-gee-fak-tor)
 
Anything that wakes you up in the morning
 
It doesn’t matter whether it is the chirruping of the birds, the trash collectors, the postman, or your alarm clock. All of these are expergefactors because they wake you in the morning.
 
Grubbling (grub-bling)
 
To grope or feel about in the dark
 
 
 
Anyone who has watched Silence of the Lambs may remember Clarice Starling grubbling around in the dark when Buffalo Bill kills the lights. But to honest, the word ‘grubbling’ doesn’t have such sinister connotations.
 
It merely means to feel or grope in the dark for something. A little like putting your hand in your bag without looking and feeling for your car keys.
 
 
Languor (lan-gah)
 
A state of pleasant tiredness
 
Imagine lying on a beach with the sun warming your skin and you have just received a soothing massage. You are now in a state of languor. Languor is that dreamy, sleepy, state your body feels when it has no energy. You are completely and utterly relaxed.
 
Limerence (lim-er-rents)
 
An obsessive need to be romantically linked with someone
 
This is a state of overwhelming need and lovesickness. You ache to be with a particular person. Some call it love addiction, others call it infatuation. It involves obsessively reading into the behaviour of the other person and a desperate need for reciprocal love.
 
Paraprosdokian (para-pross-doke-ian)
 
A paraprosdokian is a figure of speech or a sentence where the ending is surprising or unexpected
 
Now, this is not another one of those old English words for a joke. This word literally means a sentence where you are expecting a particular ending but are then surprised when it finishes a different way. So the first part is usually a figure of speech and the second part is a twist on the first part.
 
 
For example:
 
 
“Change is inevitable, unless you are a vending machine.”
 
Or
 
 
“On the other hand, you have different fingers.”
 
Petrichor (pet-ree-cor)
 
The pleasant, earthy smell that follows rainfall particularly after a dry spell of weather
 
This is an old English word deriving in two parts from the English word ‘petri’ meaning rocks and the Greek word ‘ichor’ which means fluid from the Gods.
 
Riparian (rye-pear-ree-an)
 
Situated on or relating to a river
 
This word comes from common English law and originates from the Latin word ‘ripa’ meaning bank. Riparian water laws are pretty important. Water is seen as a public human asset, the same as sunlight and air, and as such cannot be owned. Therefore, a person has a right to use water flowing through their land no matter where it originates from.
 
Sempiternal (sem-pit-er-nall)
 
Everlasting, unchanging, eternal
 
 
This is one of those odd-looking words that doesn’t resemble its actual meaning. To me, it looks as if it should mean a temporary state of being, but the opposite is true. In fact, US marines will already know that their motto of Semper Fidelis means ‘Always Faithful’.
 
Therefore, this word derives from the Latin words of semper (always) and eternus (eternal).
 
Susurrus (soo-sur-us)
 
Whispering or rustling
 
Susurrus or susurration comes from the Latin noun meaning a hum or a whisper. It is thought to be related to the word ‘swarm’. Nowadays susurrus can be used to describe any kind of whispering, rustling, murmuring, or humming sound.
 
Syzygy (sizz-er-gee)
 
An alignment of three or more celestial bodies
 
In astronomy, the word syzygy denotes a fairly straight line which can consist of any type of celestial body. For example, the word would be used when the Sun, Moon, and Mercury lie in a straight line.
 
Uhtceare (ut-see-ar)
 
Lying awake before dawn worrying
 
I bet you didn’t know there was a word for that awful feeling of dread and panic you feel when you can’t sleep and it is just getting light? Perhaps now that you know there’s a word for it, you might feel better?
Final thoughts
 
I’m always on the hunt for interesting words. If you know of any old English words, or indeed, any unusual words that you’d like to share, please do let me know.
 
 
Janey Davies
 
 
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Janey Davies, B.A. (Hons)
Sub-editor & staff writer at Learning Mind
Janey Davies has been published online for over 10 years. She has suffered from a panic disorder for over 30 years, which prompted her to study and receive an Honours degree in Psychology with the Open University. Janey uses the experiences of her own anxiety to offer help and advice to others dealing with mental health issues.
Copyright © 2012-2020 Learning Mind. All rights reserved. For permission to reprint, contact us.
 



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All articles are of the respective authors or publishers' responsibility. 
 


 
No religious or political creed is advocated here.

Organized religion is unnecessary to spirituality.

Excellent teachings of the masters have been contaminated by the dogmatic control of these religions.

Discernment yes; judgment does not.
If you use discernment you are free to research with an open mind. 

With discernment, it is possible to reach the spirit of the letter of any writing and it is also much easier to listen to the voice of the soul that comes from the heart.
Individually you can be helped to find your Truth that is different from everyone. 


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Discernment is recommended.
 
 

 

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18.03.20

 

The Raw Reality of Today’s Society in Eye-Opening Illustrations.

Sherrie Hurd

learning-mind.com

Posted March 17th, 2020.

 
 

 
If you don’t pay close attention, you will miss the truth of our society today. Things aren’t what they seem.
 
I talk quite a bit about the eighties mainly because it seemed like a simpler time. However, older people may feel the same about the earlier decades as well. I guess it’s just the way you look at it, the generation that raised you. One thing is safe to say is that this day and age is certainly much different.
 
A generation that reveals deep truths
 
Our modern times reveal dark revelations about us as human beings. No matter how rosy we paint everything, there’s something brown and ugly underneath. The worst part is that most people don’t even notice the truth of our reality. Argentina-based illustrator Al Margen is here to show you those eye-opening truths.
 
The rawness of society shows its face in Al Margen’s eye-opening illustrations
 
1. We’re fake people
 
That’s right, I said it. Most of us are fake people. We never wanted to be, we just ended up hiding so many emotions that we started wearing a mask. We do this so easily now that we’ve taught ourselves to believe these lies are truth. It’s quite the opposite actually. We are so fake that we don’t even remember our true identity. This is one reality.
 
 
When this mentality enters the intimate relationship, it becomes worse than divorce. After happiness and any hope of connection disappear, masks go on and couples start to pretend. This happens more than you can imagine.
 
2. Most of us have closed minds
 
 
 
 
As soon as society realizes that you have ideas from outside the box, they work to silence that creativity. They even go as far as to call you crazy when you express those different views. Although they don’t always literally put you away in an institution, it feels like you aren’t part of the society you used to love. If they ever succeed in silencing your creativity, you become like a zombie, just like the rest.
3. The lure of television has us trapped
 
 
Television has been around for quite some time, long before some of the other technology which beguiles us. From the beginning, movies, shows, and even commercials have lured us in and held us there for hours at a time.
 
Other things like reading, painting, and outdoor activity took a backseat to this constant form of entertainment. The screen has us trapped, and most of us are affected.
 
4. High expectations for children
 
 
 
 
It’s wonderful when children partake in extracurricular activities like sports, but it’s not so good to place expectations on them that they cannot perform. Having high expectations can be intimidating and stressful for children. Our society, unfortunately, sees these expectations as normal, and they push their children too far sometimes.
 
5. We are a slave to money
 
 
 
 
It’s true, we do need money to pay bills and buy food. It’s not true that we must worship money as if it’s a god which gives us superpowers. But this is how we act about money in so many ways.
 
On the other hand, we also become slaves to money. We have even forgotten how to grow food, sew clothing, and build things on our own. We much rather just buy everything while our human skills are fading away.
 
6. People act like clones
 
 
 
 
For the most part, we are clones. The good news is, there are a few who choose to walk in a different direction, make a controversial decision, and grow in a variety of ways.
 
These are the brave people, and the people who usually seem content with the lives they lived. Unfortunately, different people are rare in the ocean of copies.
 
7. Corporate entities are consuming family-owned businesses
 
 
 
Family-owned businesses are struggling more than ever, and some are disappearing altogether. Corporate entities like retail stores and franchise food establishments are killing the small business.
 
It’s happening fast and destroying the morals of the older generation. It’s also discouraging those of us who try to make money on our own as well.
 
8. We cannot tear away from technology
 
 
 
 
Just like television has trapped us, technology itself holds us tighter than ever with its many innovative options. We have computers, cell phones, iPads and more. These are electronic devices that might as well kidnap us and hold us, hostage, forever. It’s terrifying when you finally realize just how much technology has taken over.
 
9. Our bodies are time bombs
 
 
 
 
We know that smoking is bad, and we understand that drinking takes lives every day. There are other things that destroy our bodies as well, such as unhealthy eating, too much caffeine, and energy drinks and supplements. This is why if we don’t live our best lives, we are literally ticking time bombs.
 
10. We may attend schools, but are we learning?
 
 
 
 
Schools are packed with children learning things, but are they really learning as much as they can? Some people believe that students attend school only to cross it off their list and graduate. Some students do not appreciate their education. That’s one way to look at learning in modern times.
 
Another way to look at the modern intellect is that schools aren’t teaching, they are taking outside learning away and replacing it with a curriculum that might not even be used. We need real-life skills, not just the basics. Society, however, is more concerned with just getting their children through school than actually fueling their ideas.
 
Is society hopeless?
 
These images may make you feel hopeless and discouraged, but it’s actually up to you to change these things. You should be the one that stands out, you should be the one to better yourself, and you should be the one to change our society. We bring forth darkness so the light can make some changes.
 
Maybe we can change even more.
 
 
Image courtesy of Al Margen

 

Sherrie Hurd


 

Copyright © 2012-2020 Learning Mind. All rights reserved. For permission to reprint, contact us. 

 

 

 



Compiled by http://violetflame.biz.ly from: 
 
Archives:
 

 



No religious or political creed is advocated here.

Organised religion is unnecessary to spirituality.

Excellent teachings of the masters have been contaminated by the dogmatic control of these religions.

Discernment yes; judgement does not.
If you use discernment you are free to research with an open mind. 

With discernment it is possible to reach the spirit of the letter of any writing and it is also much easier to listen to the voice of the soul that comes from the heart.
Individually you can be helped to find your Truth that is different of everyone. 


Please respect all credits.

 
Discernment is recommended.
 

All articles are of the respective authors and/or publishers responsibility. 


 

 

Like this! please bookmark. It is updated daily

 


 
 
 
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