Word of the Day
makai
adverb
toward or by the sea; seaward.
More about makai
Makai “toward the sea” is a loanword from Hawaiian, in which it is equivalent to ma, a particle indicating direction, and kai “ocean, sea.” The opposite of makai is mauka, comprising the particle ma and the noun uka “inland.” Because Hawaiian is a member of the expansive Austronesian language family, kai has cognates in languages spoken throughout the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Although the k and t sounds are allophonic in Hawaiian, meaning that they are variations of the same sound that only appear in certain contexts, the Hawaiian alphabet does not have the letter t and instead uses k regardless of a word’s pronunciation in a given dialect. This alternation between k, which is pronounced in the rear of the mouth, and t, which is pronounced near the teeth, is not as unusual as one might think; after all, in English, French, and Spanish alike, the letter c is pronounced either as k or s depending on the context. Makai was first recorded in English in the late 19th century.
how is makai used?
I show him where to transfer, where to get off. I tell him when he gets off the bus to walk makai one block to get to the museum. Makai, I repeat. Make sure you go makai …. That means toward the ocean. The opposite way from mauka. Mauka is toward the mountain, yeah? …. He swings his arm around the room and says, But the ocean surrounds the island, so makai is everywhere you go that’s not mountain.
The Hixon apartment was typical of new construction along the outskirts of Napua. Those buildings makai of the street obscured the sea view, while the ones on the mauka side cut off sight of the low ridge forming the island’s backbone as well as the sloping green pastureland along the flanks of the high ground …. [F]ive years of trade winds, tropical sun and sea air had already wrought havoc with the buildings’ poor quality stucco and their badly installed composition roofs.
rebec
noun
a Renaissance fiddle with a pear-shaped body tapering into a neck that ends in a sickle-shaped or scroll-shaped pegbox.
More about rebec
Rebec “a Renaissance fiddle” is a borrowing by way of Middle French from Old French rebebe, with a phonetic alteration possibly because of the influence of bec “beak,” after the shape of the instrument. Rebebe derives from Arabic rabāb, the noun form of the verb rabba “to control, be master.” From the same Semitic root as rabba are the Hebrew- and Aramaic-origin terms rabbi, rabbinical, and rebbe, which all mean “master” or “my master” in their languages of origin. Despite the similarity in spelling, rebec is not related to the name Rebecca, which comes from a Semitic root meaning “to tie, join, connect.” Rebec was first recorded in English circa 1750.
how is rebec used?
The development of the modern violin was gradual and complex, evolving from a variety of other stringed instruments …. The influence of the two-stringed rabab, an Arabian fiddle introduced to western Europe in the 11th century, and the three-stringed rebec, which appeared in Spain between the 11th and 13th centuries, likely as a result of the Crusades, is also reflected in the modern violin. The French vielle, like the rebec, was usually supported on the chest or under the chin and was widely used by troubadours in the 13th to 15th centuries to accompany singing and dancing.
Mr. Savall’s choice of instruments told some of the story. He switched between the rebab, an Arabic bowed instrument with a timbre that can sound either raspy or lyrical, depending on how you play it, and its smaller, lighter-voiced European descendant, the rebec. Dimitri Psonis played the santur, a Persian dulcimer, and the oud, a fretless Middle Eastern cousin to the lute. And David Mayoral performed on drums and tambourines of various kinds, sizes and origins, usually with an appealing subtlety born of playing with fingertips and palms rather than sticks and mallets. This was a Middle Eastern ensemble at heart.
sardonic
adjective
characterized by bitter or scornful derision; mocking; sneering; cynical.
More about sardonic
Sardonic “characterized by bitter derision” is an alteration of sardonian, which derives either by way of Latin sardonius or directly from Ancient Greek sardónios “of Sardinia.” Sardinia comes into the picture here because, allegedly, sardónios once alluded to a plant from the island that, when consumed, was legendary for producing convulsive laughter until the eater died. However, this story about sardónios may in fact be folk etymology; one theory is that this spelling and definition replaced those of the original term, sardánios “bitter or scornful laughter.” Unfortunately, the ultimate origin of sardonic remains today, as it has for centuries, a mystery. Sardonic was first recorded in English in the 1630s.
how is sardonic used?
Mr. Crampton … rode very fast until he was round the bend—just to show how angry he was. For a space he was boiling with rage. Then he laughed aloud in a sardonic fashion. “Of all possible experiences!” he said. “Ha-ha! And this comes of trying to help a fellow-creature!” The sardonic mood remained. He hated every human being on the road and every human being in Crawley, both on the right-hand side and on the left.
Phrenologically speaking, physiognomically speaking, Jack was as plausible a claimant to character and distinction as any of the rest of them, as he must have known. Perhaps that is why he seemed mildly sardonic when he looked at her, knowing with what interest she looked at him. Yes, he seemed to say, here it is, the face we all joked about and lamented over and carried off as well as we could, the handsome face.