A.Word.A.Day Archives from https://wordsmith.org/awad -------- Date: Tue Mar 1 00:01:03 EST 2016 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--truchman X-Bonus: We should not be simply fighting evil in the name of good, but struggling against the certainties of people who claim always to know where good and evil are to be found. -Tzvetan Todorov, philosopher (b. 1 Mar 1939) This week's theme: Well-traveled words truchman (TRUHCH-muhn) noun An interpreter. [From Latin turchemannus, from Arabic tarjuman, from Aramaic turgemana, from Akkadian targumanu (interpreter). Earliest documented use: 1485.] https://wordsmith.org/words/images/truchman_large.jpg Art: Christine Schneider http://www.yellowpencilstudio.com/ "From there Gaveston appears to the audience as a kind of presenter of a comedy, like Hieronimo, a truchman to this political masque." Michael Hattaway; Elizabethan Popular Theatre; Routledge; 1982. -------- Date: Wed Mar 2 00:01:02 EST 2016 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--popinjay X-Bonus: One does not advance the swimming abilities of ducks by throwing the eggs in the water. -Multatuli (pen name of Eduard Douwes Dekker), novelist (2 Mar 1820-1887) This week's theme: Well-traveled words popinjay (POP-in-jay) noun Someone who indulges in vain and empty chatter. [Via French and Spanish from Arabic babbaga (parrot). The last syllable changed to jay because some thought the word referred to that bird instead of a parrot. Earliest documented use: 1322.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/popinjay https://wordsmith.org/words/images/popinjay_large.jpg Photo: Sarah G./Wikimedia "If the polls are to be believed, an intellectually unserious popinjay born on third base tops the field of candidates for the Republican nomination for president." Tony Norman; Trump's Delusions Will Catch up to Him; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pennsylvania); Jul 21, 2015. -------- Date: Thu Mar 3 00:01:03 EST 2016 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--arsenious X-Bonus: If there be such a thing as truth, it must infallibly be struck out by the collision of mind with mind. -William Godwin, philosopher and novelist (3 Mar 1756-1836) This week's theme: Well-traveled words arsenious (ahr-SEE-nee-uhs) adjective Relating to or containing arsenic (especially when trivalent). [From Old French arsenic, from Latin arsenicum, from Greek arsenikon (yellow orpiment), from Arabic zarnik, from Persian zar (gold). Ultimately from the Indo-European root ghel- (to shine), which also gave us yellow, gold, glimmer, glimpse, glass, gloaming https://wordsmith.org/words/gloaming.html , melancholy https://wordsmith.org/words/melancholy.html , and choleric https://wordsmith.org/words/choleric.html . Earliest documented use: 1818.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/arsenious https://wordsmith.org/words/images/arsenious_large.jpg Photo: Louise Bird https://www.flickr.com/photos/birdlouise/6601317797/ "The next time you're having a bad day, pause for a moment to be grateful: that you weren't born in the Victorian age and consequently are not likely to be in danger of being poisoned by arsenic. Come, come, you might be thinking. This is a slender reason to be cheerful -- who's to say that anyone would wish to slip a splash of arsenious acid into my cup of tea?" Rebecca Armstrong; Victorian Lives of Poison, Passion, and Peril; The Independent (London, UK); Mar 19, 2010. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/the-arsenic-century-by-james-c-whorton-1923462.html "The institute detected an arsenious substance in some of the samples that was later found to be white arsenic." Arsenic at Hayashi House 'Highly toxic'; The Daily Yomiuri (Tokyo, Japan); Oct 20, 1998. -------- Date: Fri Mar 4 00:01:05 EST 2016 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--brio X-Bonus: It took less than an hour to make the atoms, a few hundred million years to make the stars and planets, but five billion years to make man! -George Gamow, physicist and cosmologist (4 Mar 1904-1968) This week's theme: Well-traveled words brio (BREE-oh) noun Vigor or vivacity. [From Italian brio (liveliness), from Spanish brio (spirit), from Celtic brigos (strength). Earliest documented use: 1731.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/brio "Ms. Woodward ... was all sparkling energy and springing brio, with wonderfully pliant, strong feet." Alastair Macaulay; New York City Ballet Introduces Its Future with a Flurry of Nutcracker Debuts; The New York Times; Dec 28, 2015. -------- Date: Mon Mar 7 00:01:02 EST 2016 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--chicane X-Bonus: If we had paid no more attention to our plants than we have to our children, we would now be living in a jungle of weeds. -Luther Burbank, horticulturist (7 Mar 1849-1926) You see someone regularly in a certain setting, say a gym, and then you meet them elsewhere, and it takes a moment to realize that it's the same person in a different outfit. It's the same with this week's words. You are likely familiar with them, except they appear in a different form. chicane (shi-KAYN) verb tr.: To trick or deceive. noun: 1. Deception. 2. An artificial narrowing or a turn added to a road to slow traffic down. [From French chicaner (to quibble). Earliest documented use: 1672.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/chicane A bike chicane in Ebisu, Japan https://wordsmith.org/words/images/chicane_large.jpg Photo: ykanazawa1999 https://www.flickr.com/photos/27889738@N07/6985841094/ "I was totally bamboozled; I was chicaned." David James Duncan; The River Why; Sierra Club Books; 1983. "He rounded the chicane to see another car slowing down." Anthony Hulse; The Club; Lulu; 2014. -------- Date: Tue Mar 8 00:01:02 EST 2016 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--derogate X-Bonus: Men are not against you; they are merely for themselves. -Gene Fowler, journalist and author (8 Mar 1890-1960) This week's theme: Unfamiliar cousins of everyday words derogate (DER-uh-gayt) verb tr.: To disparage or belittle. verb intr.: 1. To detract from (authority, value, etc.). 2. To deviate from (a standard, for example). [From Latin derogare (to repeal), from de- (from) + rogare (to ask, propose a law). Ultimately from the Indo-European root reg- (to move in a straight line, to lead or rule), which is also the source of regime, direct, rectangle, erect, rectum, alert, source, surge, abrogate https://wordsmith.org/words/abrogate.html , and queen regnant https://wordsmith.org/words/queen_regnant.html . Earliest documented use: 1513.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/derogate "We could all, in perfect simplicity, derogate the government, loathe the police, and get wasted with impunity." Lynn Crosbie; Disappointed in the Man I Once Revered; The Globe and Mail (Canada); Feb 26, 2005. "Joe Perici Calascione insisted that Malta can derogate from the EU's trapping ban." Tim Diacono; Hunters' Boss Claims Malta Can Win EU Court Battle for Bird Trapping; Malta Today (San Gwann, Malta); Sep 23, 2015. -------- Date: Wed Mar 9 00:01:02 EST 2016 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--ludic X-Bonus: What I want to happen to religion in the future is this: I want it to be like bowling. It's a hobby, something some people will enjoy, that has some virtues to it, that will have its own institutions and its traditions and its own television programming, and that families will enjoy together. It's not something I want to ban or that should affect hiring and firing decisions, or that interferes with public policy. It will be perfectly harmless as long as we don't elect our politicians on the basis of their bowling score, or go to war with people who play nine-pin instead of ten-pin, or use folklore about backspin to make decrees about how biology works. -PZ Myers, biology professor (b. 9 Mar 1957) This week's theme: Unfamiliar cousins of everyday words ludic (LOO-dik) adjective Relating to play; playful. [From French ludique, from Latin ludere (to play), from ludus (play). Ultimately from Indo-European root leid- (to play), which is also the ancestor of allude, collude, delude, elude, illusion, ludicrous, and Ludo. Earliest documented use: 1940.] Ludic boardgames + bar https://wordsmith.org/words/images/ludic_large.jpg Photo: Metropotam http://metropotam.ro/albume-foto/Ludic/Ludic-7077533640/ "A couple of comments bore particular appeal, to my academic as well as ludic sense." Alfred A. Yuson; Double Whammy; The Philippine Star (Manila); Apr 18, 2011. -------- Date: Thu Mar 10 00:01:02 EST 2016 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--altercate X-Bonus: No poet has ever let go of his homeland. -Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff, poet, novelist, and playwright (10 Mar 1788-1857) This week's theme: Unfamiliar cousins of everyday words altercate (AL-tuhr-kayt) verb intr. To argue or dispute heatedly. [From Latin altercari (to quarrel with another), from alter (other). Earliest documented use: 1530.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/altercate "Been altercating forever. What I got to do is make sure neither of them wins." Mike Ashley; The Mammoth Book of Sorceror's Tales; Constable & Robinson; 2004. -------- Date: Fri Mar 11 00:01:05 EST 2016 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--complot X-Bonus: I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that I don't know the answer. -Douglas Adams, author (11 Mar 1952-2001) This week's theme: Unfamiliar cousins of everyday words complot (KOM-plot, for verb: kuhm-PLOT) noun: A plot or conspiracy. verb tr., intr.: To plot or conspire. [From French complot (crowd, plot). Earliest documented use: 1577.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/complot "The complot is obvious. It's only a matter of smelling out details." Lee Williams; Author of Destiny; Livingston Press; 2002. -------- Date: Mon Mar 14 00:01:05 EDT 2016 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--rebus X-Bonus: The ideals which have lighted my way, and time after time have given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been Kindness, Beauty, and Truth. -Albert Einstein, physicist, Nobel laureate (14 Mar 1879-1955) In Internet terms, it sounds prehistoric now, but 22 years ago, on Mar 14, 1994, I started what became Wordsmith.org. Time flies when you are having fun. Every morning I can't wait to wake up and start playing with words, exploring their origins, identifying their cousins, and more, and sharing them with you. There isn't a word for a 22nd anniversary, but we can coin one. It can be a duovicennial (vicenary: relating to 20 years, from Latin viginti: twenty). To celebrate, this week we are throwing a big party and everyone is invited. This week we'll be playing with words. I have selected five words about having fun with words. Can you come up with your own (original) examples for one or more words featured this week? Send them to words@wordsmith.org by this Fri. Include your location. Selected entries will win books https://wordsmith.org/awad/books.html , word games http://oneupmanship.com/oneup.html , or T-shirts https://wordsmith.org/awad/tshirt.html . rebus (REE-buhs) noun A representation of a word or phrase using pictures, symbols, letters, etc. [From Latin rebus (by things), from res (thing). Earliest documented use: 1605.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/rebus https://wordsmith.org/words/images/rebus_large.jpg Photo: Ellen Schinderman https://www.flickr.com/photos/schinders/5548564249 "Daniel Clowes's narratives are full of anagrams and rebuses, clues (a wand, an eye, a movie camera) to an underlying mystery that is never solved." Tad Friend; Comics from Underground; The New Yorker; Jul 30, 2001. -------- Date: Tue Mar 15 00:01:03 EDT 2016 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--calligram X-Bonus: Beware the stories you read or tell; subtly, at night, beneath the waters of consciousness, they are altering your world. -Ben Okri, poet and novelist (b. 15 Mar 1959) This week's theme: Playing with words calligram (KAL-i-gram) noun A word, phrase, or piece of text arranged to form a picture of the subject described. [From French calligramme, from Greek calli- (beautiful) + -gram (something written). Earliest documented use: 1923. A word with the same root is callipygian https://wordsmith.org/words/callipygian.html .] "If I had a gun" https://wordsmith.org/words/images/calligram_large.jpg Art: Nico189 / Nicola Laurora http://www.nico189.com NOTES: One of the best-known practitioners of the form was the French poet and writer Guillaume Apollinaire, whose work was published in the book Calligrammes http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calligrammes . "In his calligram, not only does [Joseph Cornell] mention the names of artists, poets, and musicians alongside the names of scientists and their inventions, he also transforms the building of the laboratory/observatory itself into a sort of puzzle of words." Analisa Pauline Leppanen-Guerra; Children's Stories and "Child-Time" in the Works of Joseph Cornell and the Transatlantic Avant-Garde; Ashgate Publishing; 2011. -------- Date: Wed Mar 16 00:05:02 EDT 2016 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--ambigram X-Bonus: The means of defence against foreign danger have been always the instruments of tyranny at home. -James Madison, fourth US president (16 Mar 1751-1836) This week's theme: Playing with words ambigram (AM-bi-gram) noun A word or phrase written in a manner that it reads the same (sometimes, a different word or phrase) when oriented in a different way, for example, when reflected or rotated. [From Latin ambi- (both) + -gram (something written). Earliest documented use: 1985.] Come-In / Go-Away https://wordsmith.org/words/images/ambigram_large.jpg Image: Amazon My name lends itself to an easy ambigram https://wordsmith.org/anu/images/anu-ambigram.png See a week of ambigrams in A.Word.A.Day, by master ambigrammer John Langdon: https://wordsmith.org/words/ambiguity.html There are many websites that can generate ambigrams for you. What ambigrams can you come up with? Share original and (not computer-generated) ambigrams at words@wordsmith.org. "Come In & Go Away Doormat. This fun and clever graphic uses an ambigram to greet and dismiss your visiting guests: 'come in' on arrival 'go away' when leaving." Wipe Your Feet in Style This Winter; The Kent and Sussex Courier (Tunbridge Wells, UK); Oct 4, 2013. http://amazon.com/dp/B0010C9XG4/ws00-20 "Toryn Green already had his first Fuel album commemorated with an ambigram tattoo -- in one direction it reads 'angel' and in the other direction it reads 'devil'." Sarah Henning; Driven to Succeed; Anchorage Daily News (Alaska); Dec 16, 2007. -------- Date: Thu Mar 17 00:01:05 EDT 2016 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--pangram X-Bonus: When an individual is protesting society's refusal to acknowledge his dignity as a human being, his very act of protest confers dignity on him. -Bayard Rustin, civil rights activist (17 Mar 1912-1987) This week's theme: Playing with words pangram (PAN-gram, -gruhm, PANG-) noun A sentence that makes use of all the letters of the alphabet. [From Greek pan- (all) + -gram (something written). Earliest documented use: 1873.] The best-known pangram is: The quick brown fox jumps over a lazy dog. Here's a pangram that makes use of the whole alphabet in a 26-letter sentence: Mr. Jock, TV quiz PhD, bags few lynx. What pangrams can you come up with? Share them at https://wordsmith.org/words/pangram.html or email contest@wordsmith.org. https://wordsmith.org/words/images/pangram_large.jpg Image: Chris https://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisinplymouth/4254412932/ "'Whatcha working on, kid? Something new for me?' ... 'Pangram,' Bill said with the curtness of a drill sergeant. 'When zombies arrive, quickly fax Judge Pat.'" George Wright Padgett; Cruel Devices; Grey Gecko Press; 2014. -------- Date: Fri Mar 18 00:01:03 EDT 2016 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--acrostic X-Bonus: Shelved rows of books warm and brighten the starkest room, and scattered single volumes reveal mental processes in progress -- books in the act of consumption, abandoned but readily resumable, tomorrow or next year. -John Updike, writer (18 Mar 1932-2009) This week's theme: Playing with words acrostic (a-KRAW-stik, a-KRAWS-tik) noun A composition in which the first letter of each line spells out a word or message. [From Latin acrostichis, from Greek akrostikhis, from akron (head) + stikhos (line). Earliest documented use: 1585. A word with the same root is acrophobia https://wordsmith.org/words/acrophobia.html .] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/acrostic A tombstone in Montreal, Canada: https://wordsmith.org/words/images/acrostic_large.jpg (The story behind it: http://www.snopes.com/photos/signs/headstone.asp) Photo: Mononc' Paul https://www.flickr.com/photos/themensp/2471034806 When the spelled-out word is in the middle (instead of from the initial letters), it's called a mesostic. For example, https://www.flickr.com/photos/miguel_discart_vrac/16071050567/ Also see, a meta acrostic https://www.flickr.com/photos/26319781@N00/4399938070 "In 2009, Schwarzenegger released a memorable message*. He used a vulgar acrostic to reject a bill by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano." Michael Mishak & Anthony York; Brown Sends a Message With His Pen; Los Angeles Times; Oct 8, 2011. * https://www.flickr.com/photos/ekai/4052528444/ -------- Date: Mon Mar 21 00:10:02 EDT 2016 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--bema X-Bonus: Our shouting is louder than our actions, / Our swords are taller than us, / This is our tragedy. / In short / We wear the cape of civilization / But our souls live in the stone age. -Nizar Qabbani, poet and diplomat (21 Mar 1923-1998) If you're planning to time travel to the past this summer you might want to double check your packing list. Long frilly dresses? Check. Powdered wigs? Check. But what about language? Well, it's hard to do language right. Take something small, say, plurals. One tree, two ____? One roof, two ____? If you lived a few hundred years ago, correct answers would have been treen and rooves, respectively. Passage of time helps make things straightforward -- now we can just stick on an s. Unfortunately, this process doesn't work very consistently as we still have ox/oxen and hoof/hooves. This week we'll see five words that use irregular plurals. These words, originally from Latin, Greek, and Russian, bring with them their own plurals. bema (BEE-muh) noun, plural bemata, bemas 1. A platform for speaking. 2. An area around the altar in a place of worship. [From Greek bema (step, platform), from bainein (to go). Earliest documented use: 1683.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/bema "'Why don't you join me on the bema?' He pointed to the platform he stood on." Matthew Arnold Stern; Doria; Lulu; 2012. -------- Date: Tue Mar 22 08:30:04 CDT 2016 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--quale X-Bonus: There is far too much law for those who can afford it and far too little for those who cannot. -Derek Bok, lawyer and educator (b. 22 Mar 1930) This week's theme: Words with unusual plurals quale (KWA-lee, -lay) noun, plural qualia A quality or property as perceived by a person: a subjective experience. [From Latin qualis (or what kind). Earliest documented use: 1654.] "But one cannot convey to the stereo-blind what stereopsis is like; the subjective quality, the quale, of stereopsis is unique and no less remarkable than that of color." Oliver Sacks; Stereo Sue; New Yorker; Jun 19, 2006. -------- Date: Wed Mar 23 01:51:03 EDT 2016 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--starets X-Bonus: Understanding a person does not mean condoning; it only means that one does not accuse him as if one were God or a judge placed above him. -Erich Fromm, psychoanalyst and author (23 Mar 1900-1980) This week's theme: Words with unusual plurals starets (STAHR-its, -yits) noun, plural startsy (STAHRT-see) A religious teacher or adviser. [From Russian starets (elder). In the Eastern Orthodox Church a starets is a spiritual adviser who is not necessarily a priest. Earliest documented use: 1923.] Sergius of Radonezh, a starets: https://wordsmith.org/words/images/starets_large.jpg Image: Wikimedia See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/starets "Grigori Rasputin was neither mad nor a monk, but an unconventional starets." Cecilia Rasmussen; Shadowed by Rasputin's Evil Reputation; Los Angeles Times; Oct 10, 1999. -------- Date: Thu Mar 24 00:01:03 EDT 2016 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--genus X-Bonus: Our homeland is the whole world. Our law is liberty. We have but one thought, revolution in our hearts. -Dario Fo, actor, playwright, theater director, Nobel laureate (b. 24 Mar 1926) This week's theme: Words with unusual plurals genus (JEE-nuhs) noun, plural genera, genuses 1. In biology, a group covering one or more species. 2. A kind, class, group, etc. [From Latin genus (race, birth, kind). Earliest documented use: 1551.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/genus "All around them bloomed flowers of every color and genus." Heather Cullman; Tomorrow's Dreams; Topaz; 1996. -------- Date: Fri Mar 25 00:01:03 EDT 2016 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--paries X-Bonus: Conformity may give you a quiet life; it may even bring you to a University Chair. But all change in history, all advance, comes from the nonconformists. If there had been no trouble-makers, no dissenters, we should still be living in caves. -A.J.P. Taylor, historian (25 Mar 1906-1990) This week's theme: Words with unusual plurals paries (PAR-ee-eez) noun, plural parietes A wall of a body part or cavity. [From Latin paries (wall). Earliest documented use: 1694. Also see parietal https://wordsmith.org/words/parietal.html .] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/paries "An important cause is the original sin working defects in human embryo while yet in his mother's womb. It causes the parietes to yield to the forces of the intra-abdominal pressure." Hanna Rizk Wannas; The Original Sin and Human Diseases; WestBow Press; 2014. -------- Date: Mon Mar 28 00:01:02 EDT 2016 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--clarigation X-Bonus: A scholar is just a library's way of making another library. -Daniel Dennett, philosopher, writer, and professor (b. Mar 28 1942) The English language holds half a million words in its coffers, but a typical person knows only about 5% of them (and uses even fewer). That's like the vault of Fort Knox being open to all with an invitation to help yourself, but you take only a coin or two. That's not a perfect analogy. The English language will never run out of words, no matter how many words we add to our wordstock. But you get the idea. Well, I happen to play in the vaults of the English language. This week I've brought out five words that you may also want to add to your own verbal chest. These are words that might make you say: I didn't know there was a word for it. Fun fact (and food for thought): All of the 4,000 tons of gold stored in Fort Knox would buy only about half of Facebook. clarigation (klar-i-GAY-shuhn) noun A demand for restitution for some wrong, as a precursor to declaring war. [From Latin clarigare (to make clear), from clarus (clear). Earliest documented use: 1432.] "I would say 'well done, BBC' for inciting this joint clarigation from such bitter enemies just before an election." Susanne Cameron-Blackie; Maverick Meltdown; AnnaRaccoon.com; Mar 16, 2015. -------- Date: Tue Mar 29 00:01:11 EDT 2016 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--apricity X-Bonus: Kindness is always fashionable. -Amelia Barr, novelist (29 Mar 1831-1919) This week's theme: There's a word for it apricity (a-PRIS-i-tee) noun Warmth of the sun; basking in the sun. [From Latin apricari (to bask in the sun). Earliest documented use: 1623.] "As he stood in the sunshine, apricity began to cover him like a wool sweater." Ryan Patrick Sullivan; Mrs. O'Leary's Cow; Trafford; 2014. -------- Date: Wed Mar 30 00:35:03 EDT 2016 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--punalua X-Bonus: Conscience is a man's compass, and though the needle sometimes deviates, though one often perceives irregularities when directing one's course by it, one must still try to follow its direction. -Vincent van Gogh, painter (30 Mar 1853-1890) This week's theme: There's a word for it punalua (poo-nuh-LOO-uh) noun A group of brothers marrying a group of sisters. [From Hawaiian. Earliest documented use: 1860.] "In turn, the Turanian kinship system reflects the organization on the basis of punalua and the gens." Marshall Sahlins; Culture and Practical Reason; University of Chicago Press; 1976. -------- Date: Thu Mar 31 00:01:02 EDT 2016 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--constative X-Bonus: It is paradoxical that many educators and parents still differentiate between a time for learning and a time for play without seeing the vital connection between them. -Leo Buscaglia, author (31 Mar 1924-1998) This week's theme: There's a word for it constative (kuhn-STAY-tiv, KON-stuh-) noun: A statement that can be judged as true or false. adjective: Capable of being true or false. [From Latin constare (to stand firm). Earliest documented use: 1901. This word is often contrasted with performative https://wordsmith.org/words/performative.html .] "Declaring an active disinterest in the constative question of whether Mitchy's arrangement with Petherton is or is not a scandal ..." David Kurnick; Empty Houses; Princeton University Press; 2012.