Word of the Day
yeuk
verb (used without object)
to itch.
Why the Museum of Science chose yeuk
It feels so good to yeuk when you have a yeuk, and we wanted to know why. To find out, watch this video from science communicator, Alex Dainis, PhD.
More about yeuk
Yeuk comes from Middle Dutch jeuken, which is also related to German jucken and Old English giccan (pronounced “yeet-chahn”), all of which mean “to itch.” A common trend in the history of the English language is for Old English gi-, when pronounced as “yee,” to lose the g eventually, which is why modern English has itch instead of “gitch” or “yitch.” Yeuk was first recorded in English at the turn of the 15th century. Satisfy your itch for more words with the medical term for itching.
EXAMPLE OF YEUK USED IN A SENTENCE
Steer clear of poison ivy leaves when you’re on a hike, or you may start yeuking for days on end!
FUN FACT ABOUT YEUK
Rubbing or lightly slapping a yeuk has the same feel-good effect as yeuking, without the risk of damage to the skin. Learn more fun facts at the Museum of Science.
rhotacize
verb (used with object)
to change a sound to an r.
More about rhotacize
Rhotacize, “to change a sound to an r,” is the verb form of rhotacism and is based on the Greek letter rho, on the pattern of iotacism. Similar to the recent Word of the Day muon, Ancient Greek rhô comes from Phoenician rōš, “head,” a cognate of the Hebrew letter rēsh. Phoenician rōš has relatives in several Afro-Asiatic languages, including Amharic ras, as in Rastafarian; Hebrew rōsh, as in Rosh Hashanah; and Arabic ra’s, as in Ra’s al Ghul, a comic supervillain whose name translates as “Head of the Demon.” All Ancient Greek words containing rho are transcribed in English with -rh- because the Greeks once pronounced the “ruh” sound with a “huh”-like breathiness called aspiration. Rhotacize was first recorded in English in the early 1960s.
EXAMPLE OF RHOTACIZE USED IN A SENTENCE
English speakers have permanently rhotacized many s and z sounds over the past 2,000 years, with ancient Germanic auso, haso, and wēz– becoming modern English ear, hare, and were.
bazaar
noun
a marketplace or shopping quarter, especially one in the Middle East.
More about bazaar
Bazaar, “a marketplace,” comes via Italian bazarro from Persian bāzār, “market.” The bā- part of this term (earlier wā-, vaha-) likely comes from a root meaning “to buy, sell” and is a distant relative of Latin venum, “for sale” (compare venal and vendor), while the -zār element (earlier -carana) may come from the same movement-related root as found in chakra (from Sanskrit), cycle (from Ancient Greek), and wheel (from Old English). Take care not to confuse bazaar with bizarre, “unusual, odd,” from Italian bizzarro, “quick to anger,” of uncertain origin. Bazaar was first recorded in English in the 1590s.
EXAMPLE OF BAZAAR USED IN A SENTENCE
Merchants came from far and wide, trekking miles across the mountains and deserts, to sell their wares at the bazaar.