A Word A Day — malison
Good morning, Netizens…
October 27, 2012
Word of the Day
-
DEFINITION
noun
: curse, malediction
-
EXAMPLES
“When I see him again he shall have the rough side of my tongue and my
malison
besides.” — From Henry Gilbert’s 1912 book Robin Hood and the Men of the Greenwood
“To add insult to injury he preferred to launch a
malison
of hatred and execration….” —From a letter by Raymond Ellis to the
Belfast Telegraph
, August 24, 2001
-
DID YOU KNOW?
“Malison” is still hanging on after being around for eight centuries, but it appears to have suffered the curse of time. Though “malison” still sees occasional use, it is no longer as common as it was in days of yore. Rather, it has been largely supplanted by its younger cousin “malediction.” “Malison” and “malediction” are both descendants of the Late Latin word “maledictio,” itself from “maledicere,” meaning “to curse.” “Maledicere” in turn traces back to Latin “male,” meaning “badly,” and “dicere,” meaning “to speak or say.”
From Merriam-Webster Online at www.Merriam-Webster.com .
Dave
* This story was originally published as a post from the blog "Community Comment." Read all stories from this blog