quidam

[prettygoodword]

quidam (KWEE-dam) - (dated) n., an unknown or unimportant person.


The word of the day blog I got this from calls it the Renaissance version of “some rando.” Taken in the 1570s from Latin quīdam, someone, analyzable as quis, who +‎ -dam, indefinite adverbial suffix, and used a couple centuries before sliding after 1800 into obscurity (except among certain learned writers).

---L.

Comments

[movingfinger]

now the name of a Cirque du Soleil production!

[guildrone]

promptly inserting this into my personal lexicon of pretension

[prettygoodword]

... that's ... weird ...

[prettygoodword]

My work here is done.

[fabiadrake]

Perfect — both useful and pretentious (as certain learned writers evidently thought, too).