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Jul 21, 2014
This week's themeToponyms This week's words bohemian damson Gretna Green whitehall rounceval 
The Bohemian
Art: William-Adolphe Bouguereau, 1890
A.Word.A.Day
with Anu GargWhat does a marathoner have in common with a Neanderthal and a milliner? All three are derived from the names of places. The word marathon is from Marathon in Greece, the word Neanderthal is coined from Neander valley in Germany, and a milliner is, literally, someone from Milan, Italy. These are examples of toponyms (from Greek topos: place), words derived from place names. This week we'll see five other words coined from place names (in the Czech Republic, Syria, Scotland, England, and Spain). Bohemian
PRONUNCIATION:
(bo-HEE-mee-uhn)
MEANING:
adjective: 1. Relating to Bohemia, its people, or languages. 2. Living an unconventional life. 3. Leading a wandering life. noun: 1. A person (such as a writer or an artist) who lives an unconventional life. 2. A vagabond or wanderer. 3. A native or inhabitant of Bohemia. 4. The Czech dialects spoken in Bohemia. ETYMOLOGY:
From French bohémien (Gypsy, vagabond), because Gypsies were believed to
come from Bohemia or entered through Bohemia. Bohemia is a region in central
Europe, now a part of the Czech Republic. Earliest documented use: 1579.
USAGE:
"The Green Relief 'natural health clinic' in a bohemian part of San
Francisco doesn't sound like an ordinary doctor's surgery. For those
who wonder about the sort of relief provided, its logo -- a can#nabis
leaf -- is a clue." Virtually Legal; The Economist (London, UK); Nov 12, 2009. See more usage examples of bohemian in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
One must be drenched in words, literally soaked in them, to have the right ones form themselves into the proper patterns at the right moment. -Hart Crane, poet (1899-1932)
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