Category: vocabulary

1620s, “in the act of being born;” 1706 in the figurative sense of “beginning to exist or grow, coming into being,” from Latin nascentem (nominative nascens) “arising young, immature,” present participle of nasci “to be born” (Old Latin gnasci), from PIE root *gene- “give birth, beget.” Related: Nascence (1560s); nascency.

1570s, from Latin sibyllinus, from sibylla (see sibyl).

“woman supposed to possess powers of prophecy, female soothsayer,” c. 1200, from Old French sibile, from Latin Sibylla, from Greek Sibylla, name for any of several prophetesses consulted by ancient Greeks and Romans, of uncertain origin. Said to be from Doric Siobolla, from Attic Theoboule “divine wish.”

1610s, “that which is added;” 1620s, “union” (now obsolete); 1630s, “action of adding to the end or adding a smaller to a greater,” from Medieval Latin annexiationem (nominative annexatio) “action of annexing,” noun of action from past-participle stem of annexare “to bind to,” from ad “to” (see ad-) + nectere “to tie, bind” (from PIE root *ned- “to bind, tie”). The Middle English noun form was annexion “union; joining; territory acquired” (mid-15c.).

mid-14c., “to correct, reform;” late 14c., “restore, put right” (a wrong, error, offense); “repair; relieve; improve; amend,” from Old French redrecier “reform, restore, rebuild” (Modern French redresser), from re- “again” (see re-) + drecier “to straighten, arrange” (see dress (v.)). Formerly used in many more senses than currently. Related: Redressed; redressing.

“statement of self-evident truth,” late 15c., from Middle French axiome, from Latin axioma, from Greek axioma “authority,” literally “that which is thought worthy or fit,” from axioun “to think worthy,” from axios “worthy, worth, of like value, weighing as much,” from PIE adjective *ag-ty-o- “weighty,” from root *ag- “to drive, draw out or forth, move.”

Axioms in philosophy are not axioms until they are proved upon our pulses. [Keats, letter, May 3, 1818]

c. 1200, “chief household officer;” c. 1300, “justice of the peace,” from Old French conestable (12c., Modern French connétable), “steward, governor,” principal officer of the Frankish king’s household, from Medieval Latin conestabulus, from Late Latin comes stabuli, literally “count of the stable” (established by Theodosian Code, c. 438 C.E.), hence, “chief groom.”

For first element, see count (n.1). Second element is from Latin stabulum “stable, standing place” (see stable (n.)). Probably the whole is a loan-translation of a Germanic word. Compare marshal (n.).

Meaning “an officer chosen to serve minor legal process” is from c. 1600, transferred to “police officer” by 1836. French reborrowed constable 19c. as “English police.”

1560s, perhaps via Middle French élucider (15c.) or directly from Late Latin elucidatus, past participle of elucidare “make light or clear,” from assimilated form of ex “out, away” (see ex-) + lucidus “light, bright, clear,” figuratively “perspicuous, lucid, clear,” from lucere “to shine,” from PIE root *leuk- “to shine, be bright.” Related: Elucidated; elucidates; elucidating.

1560s, “act of making intelligible,” noun of action from elucidate. As “an explanation” from 1660s.

1580s, “system of military discipline,” from Latin militia “military service, warfare,” from miles “soldier” (see military (adj.)). The sense of “citizen army” (as distinct from professional soldiers) is first recorded 1690s, perhaps from a sense in French cognate milice. Historically, the Anglo-Saxon forces that resisted the Vikings were militias, raised by counties. In U.S. history, by 1777 as “the whole body of men declared by law amenable to military service, without enlistment, whether armed and drilled or not” [Century Dictionary]. In early 19c. they were under control of the states, enrolled and drilled according to military law but not as regular soldiers, and called out periodically for drill and exercise and in emergency for actual service.