| Wordsmith.org | The magic of words |
delanceyplace . com: thinker's daily quote
A carefully selected non-fiction book excerpt free to your email each day.
A carefully selected non-fiction book excerpt free to your email each day.
| delanceyplace . com | today's sponsor |
Nov 6, 2019
This week’s themeWords originating in the hand
This week’s words
glad hand
fingerpost
chirocracy
A.Word.A.Day
with Anu Gargchirocracy
PRONUNCIATION:
(ky-ROK-ruh-see) 
MEANING:
noun: Government that rules by physical force.
ETYMOLOGY:
From Greek chiro- (hand) + -cracy (rule), alluding to a rule by a strong hand or a heavy-handed rule. Earliest documented use: 1677.
USAGE:
“Although he did not explicitly say so, it seems likely that our author regarded contemporary society as going through the stages of ‘dangerous democracy’ and ‘anarchy or chirocracy’; after all, in 1577, the royal government of the Netherlands had collapsed, the States had taken matters into their own hands.”
Tabitta Van Nouhuys; The Ages of Two-Faced Janus; Brill; 1998.
Tabitta Van Nouhuys; The Ages of Two-Faced Janus; Brill; 1998.
A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
I don't think that combat has ever been written about truthfully; it has always been described in terms of bravery and cowardice. I won't even accept these words as terms of human reference any more. And anyway, hell, they don't even apply to what, in actual fact, modern warfare has become. -James Jones, novelist (6 Nov 1921-1977)
Something on your mind? Click here to share.
Or you can email us at words@wordsmith.org
Unsubscribe | Subscribe | Update address | Gift subscription | Contact us
© 1994-2019 Wordsmith.org
Or you can email us at words@wordsmith.org
Unsubscribe | Subscribe | Update address | Gift subscription | Contact us
© 1994-2019 Wordsmith.org
No comments:
Post a Comment