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Word of the day November 5
The Word of the Day for November 5 is:
diaphanous • \dye-AF-uh-nus\ • (adjective) 1. characterized by such fineness of texture as to permit seeing through; 2. characterized by extreme delicacy of form; ethereal; 3. insubstantial, vague
A little more information about today’s word:
Can you guess which of the following words come from the same Greek root as "diaphanous"?
A. epiphany B. triumphant C. fancy D. phenomenon
E. sycophant F. emphasis G. phase H. phantom
The Greek root "phainein" shows through more clearly in some of our quiz words than others, but it underlies all of them except "triumphant" (which derives from the Latin "triumphus"). The groundwork for "diaphanous" was laid when "phainein" (meaning "to show") was combined with "dia-" (meaning "through"). From that pairing came the Greek "diaphanes," parent of the Medieval Latin "diaphanus," which is the direct ancestor of our English word.
My sentence (using definition #2):
"The very mist on the Essex marsh was like a gauzy and radiant fabric, hung from the wooded rises inland, and draping the low shores in diaphanous folds."
-- Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness
Based on Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 10th Edition.
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