This week's theme: words formed using combining forms. Leptodactylous (lep-tuh-DAK-tuh-luhs) adjective
If you are still stuck to those tired words to describe your sweetie, here is a new one for you. Leptodactylous means having fine, slender digits. No, not, digits on a bathroom scale or on a bank account. Here digit means a toe or a finger. It all sounds Greek to me: from lepto- (thin) and -dactylous (fingered or toed). -Anu Garg (gargATwordsmith.org) "Hitchock described many examples of strangely-shaped, thin-toed footprints and classified them as leptodactylous footprints." Brendan Hanrahan; Great Day Trips in the Connecticut Valley of the Dinosaurs; Perry Heights Press; 2004. A clarification about "algorithm" mentioned in jest in yesterday's newsletter: The word algorithm doesn't have anything to do with algo- (pain). It's an eponym, but it has nothing to do with Al Gore, either. Rather, it's a variant of algorism which came from Arabic al (the) + Khwarizmi (the last name of a 9th-century Arabic mathematician). The word algebra is also from Arabic. Sponsors' Messages: Try an awesome stress reliever: Crazy Aaron's Thinking Putty! In adult-sized handfuls and amazing colors, http://puttyworld.com Monthly French, German, Italian and Spanish cultural audio magazines for intermediate-to-advanced learners. http://web.champs-elysees.com/wsmith1 ............................................................................ There is a field beyond all notions of right and wrong. Come, meet me there. -Rumi, poet and mystic (1207-1273) Looking for a word/quotation previously featured in AWAD? Archives are at http://wordsmith.org/awad/archives.html Pronunciation: http://wordsmith.org/words/leptodactylous.wav http://wordsmith.org/words/leptodactylous.ram Permalink: http://wordsmith.org/words/leptodactylous.html This message was sent to "[email protected]".
