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Word of the day

soniferous

[ suh-nif-er-uhs, soh- ]

adjective

conveying or producing sound.

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More about soniferous

The adjective soniferous “conveying or producing sound” is Latinate but not Latin. The first two syllables, soni-, are a combining form of the Latin noun sonus “sound.” The second two syllables, –ferous “bearing, producing,” make a hybrid suffix from the Latin suffix –fer “carrying, bearing” (as in aquifer) and the English suffix –ous “possessing, full of,” which comes via Old French –ous, –eus, –eux from Latin –ōsus. Soniferous entered English in the early 18th century.

how is soniferous used?

Since World War II biologists have learned much more about the characteristic sounds of many soniferous marine animals.

P. Vigoureux and J. B. Hersey, "Sound in the Sea," The Global Coastal Ocean, 1962

There is even an entire family of fishes, the Haemulidae or “grunts,” whose common name reflects their soniferous tendencies.

Christie Wilcox, "I am Lionfish, hear me ROAR!" Discover, May 12, 2017
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Word of the day

asana

[ ah-suh-nuh ]

noun

any of the postures in a yoga exercise.

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More about asana

The noun asana, “any of the postures in a yoga exercise,” comes from the Sanskrit noun āsanam “(act of) sitting, sitting position,” from the Sanskrit root ās– “to sit, be seated,” from the Proto-Indo-European root ēs– “to sit,” found only in Indo-Iranian, Greek, and Hittite: Sanskrit ā́ste, Avestan āste, Greek hēstai, and Hittite esa, esari all mean “he sits.” Asana entered English in the first half of the 19th century.

how is asana used?

Getting in to the correct asana is good but you must also train your mind not to oscillate.

Dr. Rajalakshmi, quoted in "What India's Traditional Yoga Teachers Want You to Know for the International Day of Yoga," Time, June 20, 2018

I can still do some asanas. And I never could get the hang of meditation, but I still can do an asana or two.

Loudon Wainwright III, "Loudon Wainwright III Opens Up About The 'Exes & Excess' That Inform His Music," Fresh Air, September 6, 2017
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Word of the day

jo

[ joh ]

noun

Scot.

beloved one; darling; sweetheart.

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More about jo

The common noun jo, “darling, sweetheart,” is Scots, a variant of joy. Jo occurs in many noted Scots authors, including Robert Burns’s “John Anderson my jo!,” Sir Walter Scott, and Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Just twa o’ my old joes, my hinny dear” (“Just two of my old sweethearts, my honey dear”). Jo entered English in the first half of the 16th century.

how is jo used?

… her ne’er-do-well jo had provided her with a rope-ladder during the forenoon service, by which she had descended into his arms when she believed the house to be all at rest …

John Galt, Lawrie Todd, 1830

John Anderson, my jo!

Robert Burns, "John Anderson my Jo," Scots Musical Museum, Vol. 3, 1790
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