Vocabulary Booster: Wave 2

Every day I eagerly await Fox News Channel's "The Factor" with Bill O'Reilly. There is never a dull moment in the show. Mr. O'Reilly's topics are always about interesting news and events that may impact our daily life.

The best part of the show for me is the #Factor Word of the Day. It is interesting to learn about a new word, how it is used and its etymology. 

Allow me to share with you my love for languages and the latest group of words I have learned.

1.  SALUBRIOUS

An adjective meaning "beneficial," "good for one's health"

Its origin came from the Latin word "salubris"  meaning "safe, healthy"

"We should encourage our children to practice the salubrious habit of eating a generous serving of fruit daily."

2. PARVENU

A noun used to refer to a person who achieves sudden wealth. It is also defined as one that has recently or suddenly risen to an unaccustomed position of wealth or power and has not yet gained the prestige, dignity or manner associated with it.

Its origin is from the French word "parvenir" meaning "to arrive." It also has Latin origin, "pervenire" which means "to come"

"Despite his multi-million winnings from the Lottery, Jose could not escape being labeled a parvenu by the elite members of society."

3. INGANNATION

A word that simply means "Deception" or "Cheating"

The etymology is unknown and is no longer listed in Merriam Webster's dictionary. 

"Be wary of get-rich quick business schemes. These have ingannation written between the lines."

Credits:

www.billoreilly.com/factor-words-of-the-day

www.merriam-webster.com

www.phrontistery.into

Vocabulary Booster: Wave 1

Every day I eagerly await Fox News Channel's "The Factor" with Bill O'Reilly. There is never a dull moment in the show. Mr. O'Reilly's topics are always about interesting news and events that may impact our daily life.

The best part of the show for me is the #Factor Word of the Day. It is interesting to learn about a new word, how it is used and its etymology. 

Allow me to share with you my love for languages and the latest group of words I have learned.

1. PECKSNIFFIAN

A word that came from the brilliant mind of Charles Dickens. It originally referred to a character is one of his books, Seth Pecksniffian who was a land surveyor.

By definition, the word Pecksniffian means "blatantly hypocritical," "self-righteous." People who are labeled as Pecksniffians put up a facade of having high moral principles, being benevolent and righteous. However, deep underneath, they are highly critical, mean and treacherous.

Sample sentence: "You know you're in trouble when a Pecksniffian smiles at you." 

2. NUGATORY

The word "Nugatory" was first used in 1603, the origin of which is from the Latin word "nugatorius." Merriam Webster's online dictionary defines it as "of little or no consequence."

In modern day language, the word "Nugatory" would be similar to the words "invalid" or "non-binding." Practical applications of the word could be seen in legal documents pertaining to corporations and contracts.

Sample sentence: "The majority vote rendered the bill nugatory."  

Credits:
http://www.billoreilly.com/factor-words-of-the-day
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nugatory