Word of the Day
preternatural
adjective
out of the ordinary course of nature; exceptional or abnormal.
More about preternatural
Preternatural, 鈥渙ut of the ordinary course of nature,鈥� comes from Medieval Latin 辫谤补别迟别谤苍腻迟奴谤腻濒颈蝉, of the same meaning, which is based on the Latin phrase praeter 苍腻迟奴谤补m, 鈥渂eyond nature.鈥� Praeter, 鈥渂eyond,鈥� is the comparative of prae, 鈥渂efore,鈥� giving praeter the literal sense of 鈥渕ore before,鈥� and it appears in English as the element preter- in words such as preterit (鈥済one beyond鈥�). 狈腻迟奴谤补尘 is the direct object of 苍腻迟奴谤补, 鈥渘ature, conditions of birth, quality,鈥� which is based on the verb 苍腻蝉肠墨 (stem 苍腻迟-), 鈥渢o be born.鈥� 狈腻蝉肠墨, in turn, is the source of cognate, innate, nascent, native, prenatal, puny, renaissance, and the name Natalie. Preternatural was first recorded in English in the 1570s.
EXAMPLE OF PRETERNATURAL USED IN A SENTENCE
The artist had a preternatural knack for using color, texture, and shading to create haunting images.
More about pishogue
Pishogue, 鈥渁n evil spell,鈥� is adapted from Irish Gaelic piseog, 鈥渃harm, spell,鈥� from Middle Irish 辫颈蝉别贸肠 or 辫颈蝉贸肠. Though these words are of uncertain origin, some linguists have suggested a derivation from Latin pyxis (stem pyxid-), 鈥渂ox, medicine box.鈥� Pyxis is a borrowing from Ancient Greek 辫测虫铆蝉, 鈥渂ox,鈥� which is also the source of English box as well as its French synonym 产辞卯迟别. The linguistic community is divided over the source of 辫测虫铆蝉, with some advocating for an origin in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) and others suggesting an origin in the ancient Italian peninsula, specifically from a lost language that must predate Latin. Pishogue was first recorded in English in the 1820s.
how is pishogue used?
In 1992, Cavan business man Sean Quinn鈥檚 lost his multibillion-euro fortune and it was believed that the reason was down to a fairy curse known as a pishogue.
鈥楢re you asking for a pishogue? 鈥� It鈥檚 a curse and the worst one,鈥� the old man said. 鈥榊ou can be cursed by a fairy or a saint.鈥�
shaman
noun
a person who acts as intermediary between the natural and supernatural worlds, using magic to cure illness, foretell the future, control spiritual forces, etc.
More about shaman
Shaman, 鈥渁 person who acts as intermediary between the natural and supernatural worlds,鈥� comes via German Schamane and Russian 蝉丑补尘谩苍 from Evenki 拧补尘腻苍. Evenki is an endangered language spoken in Siberia that belongs to the Tungusic family, another member of which may also be the source of the recent Word of the Day saber. A common claim is that, prior to Evenki, the word derived via Mandarin 蝉丑腻尘茅苍, 鈥淏uddhist monk,鈥� or Tocharian B 峁尘腻苍别, 鈥渕onk,鈥� from Sanskrit 艣谤补尘补峁嘺-, 鈥渁scetic, monk.鈥� Shaman was first recorded in English in the 1690s.
how is shaman used?
Shamans play an important role in many cultures .鈥� The special treatment of the body and use of stones to keep it in a certain position suggests the woman held a unique position in the community, likely some sort of a shaman, the researchers said.