Month: April 2020

“fear of crossing open spaces,” 1873, from German Agorophobie, coined 1871 by Berlin psychiatrist Carl Westphal from Greek agora “place of assembly, city market” (but here with the general sense “open space;” see agora) + -phobia “fear.” Related: Agoraphobe; agoraphobic.

“precisian in speech or manners,” 1753, originally in reference to theological scruples (1704), of unknown origin; earlier appearances of the same word meaning “dandy, fop” (1670s), “thief” (c. 1600; in form prigger recorded from 1560s) could be related, as could thieves’ cant prig “a tinker” (1560s).

A p[rig] is wise beyond his years in all the things that do not matter. A p. cracks nuts with a steam hammer: that is, calls in the first principles of morality to decide whether he may, or must, do something of as little importance as drinking a glass of beer. On the whole, one may, perhaps, say that all his different characteristics come from the combination, in varying proportions, of three things–the desire to do his duty, the belief that he knows better than other people, & blindness to the difference in value between different things. [“anonymous essay,” quoted in Fowler, 1926]

“ritual washing,” late 14c., from Latin ablutionem (nominative ablutio) “a washing, cleansing,” noun of action from past-participle stem of abluere “to wash off, wash away, cleanse by washing,” from ab “off, away from” (see ab-) + luere “to wash,” from PIE root *leue- “to wash.”

the reverting of land to a king or lord in certain cases, early 14c., from Anglo-French eschete (late 13c.), Old French eschete “succession, inheritance,” literally “that which falls to one,” noun use of fem. past participle of escheoir “happen, befall, occur, take place; fall due; lapse (legally),” from Late Latin *excadere “to fall out,” from Latin ex “out, away” (see ex-) + cadere “to fall” (from PIE root *kad- “to fall”). As a verb, from late 14c. Related: Escheated; escheating. Late Latin *excadere represents a restored form of excidere, which yielded excise.

1540s, probably from abstract noun suffix -cy + Latin proficientem (nominative proficiens), present participle of proficere “accomplish, make progress; be useful, do good; have success, profit,” from pro “forward” (see pro-) + combining form of facere “to make, do” (from PIE root *dhe- “to set, put”).

“the character of being ill-disposed toward another or others; ill-will, malice, personal hatred,” mid-15c., from Old French malevolence and directly from Latin malevolentia “ill-will, dislike, hatred,” from malevolentem (nominative malevolens) “ill-disposed, wishing ill, spiteful, envious,” from male “badly” (see mal-) + volentem (nominative volens), present participle of velle “to wish” (see will (v.))