circumbendibus
Feb. 11th, 2011 08:01 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
prettygoodwordcircumbendibus (sir-kum-BEN-di-buhs) - n., a circumlocution; an indirect or roundabout way.
So not an adjective, despite the sound. Also despite the sound, it is not a color 19th century Americanism, though it does show up in 19th century glossaries of Americanisms -- it is instead a colorful late-17th century mock-Latinism (from Latin circum-, around + English bend + Latin noun ending -ibus), along the pattern that colorful Americanisms would take up.
Though I have a feeling I could have said that less wordily.
---L.
So not an adjective, despite the sound. Also despite the sound, it is not a color 19th century Americanism, though it does show up in 19th century glossaries of Americanisms -- it is instead a colorful late-17th century mock-Latinism (from Latin circum-, around + English bend + Latin noun ending -ibus), along the pattern that colorful Americanisms would take up.
Though I have a feeling I could have said that less wordily.
---L.
