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/lit/ - Literature

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1934850 No.1934850 [Reply] [Original]

ITT: Teach /lit/ the meaning of an obscure word you like.

I'll start.

Macropterous

Having large, long wings. Usually used by biologists to describe this characteristic in certain insects.

>> No.1934853

Mnemogenic.

Having qualities with appear attractive in memory.

>> No.1934855

If you want people to remember the words,if possible, point out the prefixes or latin origins etc.

>> No.1934857

>>1934855
>>1934850

Fair enough.

From the latin "macro" and "-pterous". Meaning large, and wings-of-a-specificied-type, respectively.

>> No.1934859

>>1934855

That does make it more intersting.

>>1934853

I know mnemos is greek for memory because of one of the muses - mnemos? - but what does genic mean?

>> No.1934860

>>1934859

I'm guessing genic means attractive (photogenic etc) but I don't know the actual etymology of it...

>> No.1934862

>>1934860
'Genus' is type, so I'm assuming 'genic' is simply a way of saying 'of or relating to / of its type'

>> No.1934866

bathetic

Meaning insincerely emotional.

>> No.1934868

>>1934860
>genic
Of or relating to genes
ex.
photogenic
carcinogenic (carcino prefix for cancer)
and genic derives from the word genesis: A coming into being

>> No.1934870

>>1934866

"That's bathetic!" sounds like a Simpsons joke waiting to happen.

>> No.1934912

>Cheiloproclitic
A sexual attraction to a persons lips
cheilo- lips
proclitic: love?

>> No.1934921

callipygian: having beautifully shaped buttocks

>> No.1934928

Theomeny: the wrath of god.

>> No.1934941

aeluroid - catlike

or more precisely

"Belonging to, or having the characteristics of, the division Aeluroidea of Carnivora, comprising the feline and allied families; as an animal of this division."

(I learned this one thanks to an anon who wanted to know wtf "aluroid" meant. took some googlin')

I have a list of words that I enjoy that are infrequently used, but not necessarily obscure. Might post some of those if nobody minds. it's likely that yall know their definitions already.

>> No.1934975 [DELETED] 

Nig-nog.

Variation on "nigger".

>> No.1934981

Sesquipedalian

It means someone who uses overly long language or to describe an overly long word.

>> No.1934998 [DELETED] 
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1934998

Nigger
>The word originated as a term used in a neutral context to refer to black people, as a variation of the Spanish/Portuguese noun negro, a descendant of the Latin adjective niger, meaning the color "black".
MFW niger actually means nigger
All that at cackling in world history.Thought it was only a coincidence.

>> No.1935013

>>1934998
>doesn't know common etymologies
Sure is summer around here.

>> No.1935033

>specious

Not that obscure, but it means something that seems alright at first, or superficially, but is really kinda worthless.

>> No.1935299

Catoptromancy

the act of divination performed using a mirror instead of a crystal ball

>> No.1935356

Pleonasm.

A common sort of tautology.

>> No.1935377

>>1935299
>Look into the mirror and tell me what you see!
>What i see is someone standing behind me!
>The divine mirror has spoken!