epicaricacy

[prettygoodword]

epicaricacy - n., taking pleasure in another's misfortune.


Another word for schadenfreude. Stress on the fourth syllable. No one seems to have any idea of the etymology; I suspect it of being made up, but Google shows it in use.

ETA: Per Wikipedia, Bailey's 1727 dictionary derives it from ἐπιχαιρεκακία (ETA2: link fixed).

---L.

Comments

[loup_noir]

That's a great word. Did you find any earliest use date for this one?

[prettygoodword.livejournal.com]

Not yet. The couple logophilic messageboards threads are all more interested in its origin than age.

---L.

[prettygoodword.livejournal.com]

Ah, here we go. According to the Wikipedia article on schadenfreude (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schadenfreude), Nathanial Bailey's 1727 dictionary has epicharikaky, giving its origin as from ἐπιχαιρεκακία, epi- (upon) + chara (joy) + kakon (evil).

(Thanks to Noreen Doyle for pointing this out.)

---L.

[flw.livejournal.com]

ep i ca RICK a see?

that doesn't seem right. Though I think it has a better feel than schadenfreude. Flows off the tongue it does.

[prettygoodword.livejournal.com]

"ep i CAR ik a see" is easier off the tongue, I agree.

---L.