Friday, October 17, 2008

WOTD

Word of the Day
Prolix (adjective)
Pronunciation: ['pro-liks]
Definition: Lengthy, too temporally long; (of speech or writing) verbose, long-winded, using too many words.
Usage: The noun is "prolixity" [prê-'lik-sê-ti] and the adverb "prolixly" [pro-'liks-li]. Today's adjective dislikes the intensifier "too," since any amount of prolixity is by definition too much.
Suggested Usage: This word is used quite a bit in formal English though you would more likely hear it in a scholarly or intellectual context: "I think your directions to the house were so prolix, Vernon might not have sorted them out of the verbiage." Composition teachers use it quite a bit, "This essay is prolix; please remove about ¾ of the words in it and materially reorder the remainder." Do not forget that this adjective can also refer to temporal length: "I thought the film a bit prolix for a documentary on egg-dyeing."
Etymology: From Latin prolixus "stretched out, long" based on the prefix pro- "forward" + liquere "flow" from which Latin liquidus "flowing, fluid" and liqour "fluidity" are also derived. This root is probably related to Latin laxus "wide, open, roomy," Sanskrit riktas "empty," and Greek leipo "leave, quit." "Laxus" underlies English "relax," "laxity," and "laxative."


I AM SURE WE ALL KNOW SOME ONE LIKE THIS, ESPECIALLY ONE OF THE COLLEGE PROFESSORS.

3 comments:

  1. Hi claudia the link I have for you is a test link, can you send me your full link so I can get updates on your blog.

    Yasmin
    xx

    http://cayasm-isntshegreat.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. http://whatclaludiaisnowthinking.blogspot.com/

    I hope this works, I copied it from the url on the top of the blog.

    Claudia

    ReplyDelete
  3. LOL, yeah I know a few people I could use this word on. ;)

    ReplyDelete