Word of the Day
More about ewer
If you’re wondering whether ewer, “a pitcher with a wide spout,” and the similarly watery sewer are related, you’ve guessed correctly. The ultimate origin of ewer is Latin aquārius, “vessel for water,” which evolved into Old French euwier or evier after a series of sound changes (compare modern French évier, “stone channel serving as a sewer”). Meanwhile, sewer comes from Vulgar Latin exaquāria, “drain for carrying water off.” The Latin aquāri- element is based on aqua, “water,” as are the Words of the Day gouache and terraqueous. Ewer was first recorded in English around the turn of the 14th century.
EXAMPLE OF EWER USED IN A SENTENCE
In the constellation Aquarius, a man is depicted as pouring an endless stream of water from a ewer.
paresthesia
noun
an abnormal sensation, as prickling, itching, etc.
Why the Museum of Science chose paresthesia
The pins and needles feeling of paresthesia might get worse just before it subsides. To find out more about paresthesia, watch this video from science communicator, Alex Dainis, PhD.
Learn more fun facts at the Museum of Science.
More about paresthesia
Paresthesia, “an abnormal sensation,” comes from New Latin, a revived variety of Latin used in scientific literature. In paresthesia, the -esthesia element means “capacity for sensation or feeling” and ultimately comes from Ancient Greek aísthēsis, “sensation, perception.” Ancient Greek ai becomes ae in Latin and either ae or e in English. This is why words such as esthetics and anesthesia are also spelled aesthetics and anaesthesia. Paresthesia was first recorded in English in the late 1850s.
EXAMPLE OF PARESTHESIA USED IN A SENTENCE
After sitting for so long, she winced from the paresthesia in her legs when she stood up.
sitzmark
noun
a sunken area in the snow marking a backward fall of a skier.
More about sitzmark
Sitzmark “a sunken area in the snow made by a falling skier” is a loanword from German, in which it is a compound of sitzen “to sit” and Mark “mark, visible impression.” Sitzen is a close relative of English sit, and because t in English tends to correspond to d in other Indo-European languages, we can see the connection to the Words of the Day sedentary (from Latin sedēre, “to sit”) and sídh (from Old Irish síd, “fairy mound”). English mark and German Mark are indeed related and share an origin with demarcation, march, margin, margrave, marquee, and remark—but not with the month March or the name Mark. Sitzmark was first recorded in English in the late 1930s.
EXAMPLE OF SITZMARK USED IN A SENTENCE
Even the bunny slopes are riddled with sitzmarks left by aspiring skiers in need of a bit more practice.