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faculent / feculent
Sep. 30th, 2011 07:19 amfaculent (FAK-yuh-luhnt) - adj., (obs., rare) giving forth light like a torch; bright, clear.
feculent (FEK-yuh-luhnt) - adj., foul with fecal matter; turbid, muddy.
Here's two words to not confuse with each other. Both are from Latin roots, the first from fax, torch, the second, feces, dregs. Both are startlingly old, from the mid-16th and mid-15th centuries, respectively, but one has hung on better than the other -- possibly because its metaphoric possibilities are more evident.
And that's the last of the doublets on my list -- back next week with the usual mix-and-match.
---L.
feculent (FEK-yuh-luhnt) - adj., foul with fecal matter; turbid, muddy.
Here's two words to not confuse with each other. Both are from Latin roots, the first from fax, torch, the second, feces, dregs. Both are startlingly old, from the mid-16th and mid-15th centuries, respectively, but one has hung on better than the other -- possibly because its metaphoric possibilities are more evident.
And that's the last of the doublets on my list -- back next week with the usual mix-and-match.
---L.
