New words for the new year, from guess where? I found these in my 2014 365 New Words-a-Year calendar. My page-a-day calendar is chock-full of wonderful words, and once again, I'm putting it to use.
1. ab initio: from the beginning
Ab initio is a Latin term and is on the first page of this 2014 calendar. It's a clever opening!
2. gambol: to skip about; frolic
The school children would gambol happily in the park on field trips.
This word may be used as a verb or as a noun, and is used mostly in relation to children or animals. I should have known this word, which is French in origin, and which originally referred to the spring of a jumping horse.
3. zillionaire: a person of incalculably great wealth
Yes, it's really a word! This word is not used in the most formal writing, but it's been used in many serious publications. According to my calendar, the turn of the century brought with it a turn of fortune, and by the 1940s we needed words to describe this wealth--millionaire, billionaire, and even zillionaire! How many zeros are in a zillion? Although it's a real word, it's used as an indefinite, fictitious number, in a comic sense for exaggeration, so there's no set number of zeros in a zillion.
0000000000000000000000000000....
The winner of my extra 365 New Words-a-Year calendar is Lady in Read from MyRandRSpace. Congratulations, Lady in Read! I'm certain you'll enjoy this word-a-day calendar, which is a sensational source of new words! Perhaps you'll use it as I do, for Wondrous Words Wednesday. (If you didn't win this desk calendar, you may be able to find a discounted copy somewhere, as calendars go on sale after the start of a new year.)
Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme for wordies, created and hosted by Kathy from BermudaOnion's Weblog. What new words have wowed you recently?
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Zillionaire is really a word? Who knew? Congratulations to Lady in Read!
ReplyDeleteWell done to the winner, I love zillionaire but didn't realize it was an actual word.
ReplyDeleteLainy http://www.alwaysreading.net
Congrats! to the winner of an interesting word book.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to Lady in Read. All of these words are wonderful!
ReplyDeleteab initio is a new word(s) to me.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Lady in Read! Love that zillionaire is a real word.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun word calendar!
ReplyDeleteWe tell the kids a zillion times not to exaggerate - lloks like they win after all!!!
ReplyDeleteNice to know there is no set number of zeros in zillion, who knew? Congrats to "Lady in Read".
ReplyDeleteI love finding new and unusual words especially when reading. There are so many that we so rarely use. Thanks for throwing a few at us!
ReplyDeleteAb initio is so close to the Italian expression, al inizio, which means the beginning. Love the word zillionaire!
ReplyDeleteI also didn't realize that zillionaire is an actual word. You learn something new every day!
ReplyDeleteI like ab initio. It sort of feels like it's meaning -- if you know what I mean? I love the word-a-day calendars. This is the first Christmas no one has bought me one. Guess I'll need to buy it myself.
ReplyDeleteLoving that zillionaire is actually a word :)
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