If you’ve missed Weird Words these past couple of weeks — well, Weird Words has missed you too.
It’s only busy-ness that’s kept our vocabulary studies on hiatus; but here at last, we’re ready to conclude our three-part look at the works and words of Patrick O’Brian.
He’s the author behind the beloved Aubrey-Maturin novels — a series of 21 seagoing sagas set during the Napoleonic Wars. Webb’s “Weird Words” had sampled O’Brian as part of a seasonal summer-time look at sailing terminology; but since the writer’s two main characters, Capt. “Lucky Jack” Aubrey and his ship’s surgeon, Stephen Maturin, also have lots of other interests, this final round of O’Brian vocab — taken entirely from the first book, 1969’s Master and Commander — are not related to sailing.
Lycosid (lie-KOE-sid, noun) – A family of ground-spiders — featuring the well-known wolf spider — that capture their prey by hunting or pouncing rather than using a web. Yes, we do have these in PA — but never fear, arachnophobes; they don’t bite humans unless provoked, and they aren’t considered dangerous (unless you’re an ant or a beetle or a worm).
Poteen (puh-TEEN, noun) – Illicit Irish whiskey — most often distilled from potatoes (Collins). Despite that frequent ingredient, the word actually derives from an Irish term meaning “little pot”; it can also be spelled poitin or potheen.
Rencounter (ren-COUNT-tur, noun) – A hostile or unplanned meeting.
Roborative Not sure how to pronounce this adjective, since I couldn’t find it in my best dictionaries. An obsolete term — related to “robust,” and a synonym of the slightly more common roborant — it describes something that invigorates, or restores strength. Like so many weird words in O’Brian, it’s related to Maturin’s on-board medical practices — some of which are also obsolete!
Sempiternal (sem-puh-TUR-null, adj.) – Essentially a synonym for “everlasting,” it combines “eternal” with the Latin semper, meaning “always” — as in the well-known Marine Corps motto, Semper Fidelis, or “ever faithful” (it’s also in the species name for evergreens: Sequoia sempervirens).
Senna (SEH-nuh, noun) – Again in relation to the ship’s good doctor: “any of a genus of leguminous herbs, shrubs, and trees native to warm regions — esp. one used medicinally” (Merriam-Webster).
Shoneen (SHOW-neen, noun) – An Irishman who imitates English ways (from the quintessentially British Collins). Since Maturin is Irish — as is Captain Jack’s first officer — this sort of term looms large in the novel.
And as you may have guessed, -een is an Irish diminutive suffix meaning “little” — as in the well-known name Colleen, which can also be a regular old common noun for “Irish girl.”
Squill (SKWILL, noun) – From the excellent American Heritage Dictionary: principally, a bulbous plant with bell-shaped blue, white or pink flowers; however — although I did not keep track of the passage where I found this — in O’Brian this likely refers to the “sea onion,” a Mediterranean lily whose powder can be used as medicine … or rat poison. (Careful with that dosage!)
Tramontana (trah-mun-TAH-nuh, noun) – “A cold wind from the north or northeast that blows in the western Mediterranean.” A rare word, it’s related to the more common adjective tramontane, meaning “from the other side of the mountains.” (Dictionary.com)
Tumefaction (too-muh-FAK-shun, noun) – “The act of making or becoming swollen” (Random House Collegiate). Related to a family of words that includes tumor, tumid and tumescent.
Vaticinate (vuh-TISS-uh-nate, verb) – Our first and only verb this week means “to utter a prophesy” (Winston Dictionary).
So that’s it for “Lucky Jack” and his creator.
Henceforth, we’ll try to stay more regular with Weird Words. In the meantime, readers can dip into O’Brian’s fine series; you’ve got 21 to choose from — but start with the terrific Master and Commander.
