Last week, Webb’s Weird Words paid homage to the current bestseller Covenant of Water, by Abraham Verghese.

When all was said and done, I wound up adding nearly 40 new words from Verghese’s novel to the ongoing list of oddball vocab I use for these columns. Most were Indian or medical words, since the novel is set in that locale and involves many characters who either work in medicine or are suffering from some terrible disease.

As promised in the previous column, here is another selection of terms I learned from this latest reading project:

Akvavit (ACK-vah-veet, noun) – This cool word is simply a variant of the better-known “aquavit,” a strong, clear Scandinavian liquor made from grain or potatoes and flavored with caraway. From the Latin “aqua vitae,” meaning “water of life.”

Biryani (bih-ree-AH-nee, noun) – Spicy Indian dish of rice, gravy, vegetables and meat (chicken, fish or lamb) — seasoned with saffron and turmeric.

Chee-chee (CHEE-chee, adjective) – Also spelled “chichi,” this describes someone who is ostentatiously trendy or elegant; showy, pretentious.

Filoselle (FILL-uh-sell, noun) – Soft silk thread used in embroidery.

Gan (GAN, verb) – From the brief Scottish passages in Verghese’s novel, this is a now-archaic shortening of “begin.” Other tenses include “gun” and “ginning.”

Ginglyoarthroidal (GING-lee-oh-arth-ROY-dull, adjective) – A bodily joint that both hinges and glides, allowing great range of movement. Also called a “diarthrosis.” (Every time you look up medical terms, a whole bunch of adjunct weird words pop up!)

Its best-known example yields another mouthful: temporomandibular joint (TMJ) — and I say “mouthful” advisedly, as this jaw-joint is part of the so-called “stomatognathic” system that allows your mouth to serve its wide range of functions (breathing, eating, talking, facial expressions, etc.).

So next time your friend opens a cell camera, put on your loveliest ginglyoarthroidal smile — please!

Latifundio (lat-uh-FUN-dee-oh, noun) – In Spain or Latin America, a great landed estate, often with labor in near servitude. Also, “latifundium.”

Lazaretto (laz-uh-RET-oh) – A hospital for contagious disease, especially leprosy. Can also refer to a building or part of a ship used as quarantine — or simply a between-decks storage space on a ship. Much of Covenant takes place in one of these, for which Verghese sometimes uses the alternate and more obvious term, “leprosarium.”

Namaste (NUM-uh-stay, noun) – The fine Webster’s New World College Dictionary — one of the go-to volumes in my sprawling collection — defines this as “a Hindu gesture of salutation made by placing the palms together, thumbs against the chest, and nodding slightly.” Dictionary.com adds that it is generally used in greeting or farewell. Not a super weird word, granted — but handy for sure; we’ve all seen someone do this, so now we know what to call it!

Nummular (NUM-yuh-ler, adjective) – Circular; literally, shaped like a coin. Related to the better-known “numismatics,” which is the study and collection of coins or medals.

Ossicle (OSS-ick-uhl, noun) – The American Heritage Dictionary defines “ossicle” as: “a small bone; especially one of three bones in the inner ear.” (I just couldn’t mention Webster’s New World College above without also giving a shout-out to the wonderful AHD — probably my favorite among the 55 different dictionaries I own; among other things, it has lots of photos, artwork and other illustrations.

Papilliform (puh-PILL-uh-form, adjective) – Not surprisingly, this means “resembling a papilla” — which is a nipple-like projection, often used for smell, taste or touch. Your tongue has papillae, for example.

Pukka (PUCK-uh, adjective) – Another Indian term, this one meaning good, reliable, genuine or proper — as in, “That’s a mighty pukka list you’ve got there, Smith.”

Other cool terms I learned from Verghese include: apsidal, bidi, calvarium, durbar, ghee, immunohistochemistry, maharani, matriclinous, mudra, neem, nektonic, philtrim, tiffin and tulsi.

But even if you aren’t into new words, The Covenant of Water is one great book — a real masterpiece. Don’t miss it.