Unique Words I've Learned

[Nylimb]

I just learned a new word:

Wivern = Noun. A fire-breathing dragon used in medieval heraldry; had the head of a dragon and the tail of a snake and a body with wings and two legs.

Eeek, sounds scary!

I've seen it before, but with the spelling WYVERN. It turns out that both spellings are in CSW19, so both are accepted by WordTwist. And so is WIVER.

[Spike1007]

I think I've gotten points for ALTERN.

Yes, you did. I just found it for 10 points.

[bwt1213]

Has anyone gotten credit for subaltern? I haven't run across it recently, but I know I've tried it and been rejected frequently in the past.

[2cute]

Had to look at that one...scary, yes, and rather impressive, although I am leaning more toward the scary.

Unknown.jpg

Thanks for the image. Impressively scary!

[2cute]

I've seen it before, but with the spelling WYVERN. It turns out that both spellings are in CSW19, so both are accepted by WordTwist. And so is WIVER.

Ah ha. Well I learned it by wives & wiver. Then I tried the N on the end & it was accepted. Though another spelling is also good to know.

I've noticed that the Y can be substituted for "i" in lots of words. I wonder how that came to be. Hmm ...

[dannyb]

Well 2cute, it would seem that you never played Dungeons & Dragons. D&D players all know wyvern/wivern.

[lalatan]

Unique words I've learned? Don't even get me started, lol. I've written about this before but don't know if you ever saw it, 2cute. Two of the most unique I've learned are OVIVIVAPOROUS(NESS-ES) defined as: (of an animal) producing young by means of eggs which are hatched within the body of the parent, as in some snakes

The other is INTERTENTACULAR. As I recall I first spotted inter- then tentacle so I tried them together and was rejected. Then I noticed -TENTACULAR and reasoned that it could be a descriptor of tentacles. I pictured how this may have been coined: 2 scientists looking at a squid possibly through a microscope. One says, "What's the word for the area between tentacles?" The other, "I don't know if there is one. Let's make one up!" "What's wrong with 'between tentacles'?" "That's just too plebeian. How about intertentacular? It's sounds scientific and a lot of people probably won't understand it." "Perfect!"

These 2 words and many others like them I've come across have convinced me there's a word for everything on earth and that happens on earth, as well as to the edges of the universe.

Anyway, I know this thread is more about short words for speed players. I thought I'd throw in my 2 bits (an expression from my childhood) on the subject.

[2cute]

Well 2cute, it would seem that you never played Dungeons & Dragons. D&D players all know wyvern/wivern.

Yep, you're right. I never have. Harry Potter is the closest I've come to my experience with dragons.

Unique words I've learned? Don't even get me started, lol. I've written about this before but don't know if you ever saw it, 2cute. Two of the most unique I've learned are OVIVIVAPOROUS(NESS-ES) defined as: (of an animal) producing young by means of eggs which are hatched within the body of the parent, as in some snakes

The other is INTERTENTACULAR. As I recall I first spotted inter- then tentacle so I tried them together and was rejected. Then I noticed -TENTACULAR and reasoned that it could be a descriptor of tentacles. I pictured how this may have been coined: 2 scientists looking at a squid possibly through a microscope. One says, "What's the word for the area between tentacles?" The other, "I don't know if there is one. Let's make one up!" "What's wrong with 'between tentacles'?" "That's just too plebeian. How about intertentacular? It's sounds scientific and a lot of people probably won't understand it." "Perfect!"

These 2 words and many others like them I've come across have convinced me there's a word for everything on earth and that happens on earth, as well as to the edges of the universe.

Anyway, I know this thread is more about short words for speed players. I thought I'd throw in my 2 bits (an expression from my childhood) on the subject.

No, no no lalatan, this thread is for everyone who'd like to share unique words they come across (& possibly retained) while playing WordTwist.

Ahh, I like the way you described how you found INTERTENTACULAR. And, I like your story about the scientists. Yep, that's probably exactly right. Stories do help me retain the words much easier than just memorization.

Now as far as OVIVIVAPOUROUS(NESS-ES), wow, have you tried saying this word 3 times fast? LOL I can't even figure out how to pronounce it. Is it OH-VIVIA-POUR-RESS (NESS-ES)? And the definition, the egg must hatch INSIDE the mother, so that wouldn't describe chickens. Now I wonder besides snakes how many creatures are born in this way?!

These 2 words and many others like them I've come across have convinced me there's a word for everything on earth and that happens on earth, as well as to the edges of the universe.

Yep, you are right. Just a couple of games ago I found Wite or Wyte = Verb. (chiefly Scotland) To blame; regard as guilty, fault, accuse . So only in Scotland would someone use this word as anywhere else its considered obsolete. So we've heard of British speak, it seems there's also Scottish speak as well. I guess the drawback in our quest to know these words is describing them in order to find these terms or just by playing WordTwist.



Fascinating! Thanks for sharing!

[lalatan]

Well, my memory isn't what it used to be. I misspelled the word. It's OVOVIVAPOROUS. If I encountered it in a puzzle, WordTwist would have reminded me. Not many words have 3 v's in them. Here's a link to how to pronounce it.
https://www.google.com/search?q=ovov...hrome&ie=UTF-8
Apparently, some fish also reproduce that way.

Yes, Scots have many unique words and expressions. I listened once to a Scottish comedian speaking in Edinburgh and I only understood about 2/3 of what he said. Many of the jokes were lost on me while the audience was laughing.

Years ago I was watched a fascinating (I've always been interested in language) series on PBS called the Story of English. The host Robert MacNeil (a Canadian) travelled the world and investigated how English is spoken in various countries. Each nation has made English its own and even in the same country there are many dialects (For instance I, as a western Canadian, sometimes can't understand some Newfoundlanders at all. It's the easternmost province.)

[lalatan]

I added a comma to my original post and it was flagged as spam. Disgusting.

continued from the previous post....
I can't recall if it was in that series or something else I read. A study showed that along 1 of the longest borders in the world Canadians and Americans on both sides retained their way of speaking English and didn't want to incorporate the other side's manner of speaking, even though there has been interaction between the 2 for many decades. Sort of a nationalist language, I suppose. I suspect Scots feel the same way even more keenly about Brits since they dominated by them for centuries.

[2cute]

Well, my memory isn't what it used to be. I misspelled the word. It's OVOVIVAPOROUS. If I encountered it in a puzzle, WordTwist would have reminded me. Not many words have 3 v's in them. Here's a link to how to pronounce it.
https://www.google.com/search?q=ovov...hrome&ie=UTF-8
Apparently, some fish also reproduce that way.

Yes, Scots have many unique words and expressions. I listened once to a Scottish comedian speaking in Edinburgh and I only understood about 2/3 of what he said. Many of the jokes were lost on me while the audience was laughing.

Years ago I was watched a fascinating (I've always been interested in language) series on PBS called the Story of English. The host Robert MacNeil (a Canadian) travelled the world and investigated how English is spoken in various countries. Each nation has made English its own and even in the same country there are many dialects (For instance I, as a western Canadian, sometimes can't understand some Newfoundlanders at all. It's the easternmost province.)



I added a comma to my original post and it was flagged as spam. Disgusting.

continued from the previous post....
I can't recall if it was in that series or something else I read. A study showed that along 1 of the longest borders in the world Canadians and Americans on both sides retained their way of speaking English and didn't want to incorporate the other side's manner of speaking, even though there has been interaction between the 2 for many decades. Sort of a nationalist language, I suppose. I suspect Scots feel the same way even more keenly about Brits since they dominated by them for centuries.

Okay, so its OH-VOH VEH-VIP-EROUS (NESS-ES). Hey, I did it, 3 times fast! Woo Hoo!

I too am interested in language (hence enjoying WordTwist), oooh, that documentary sounds good, that's really interesting. I think people stick to their way of speaking as its how they initially learned it. This is even if they move to another country, they keep their original dialect, terms and pronunciations, even if over time it becomes embedded into that other way of speaking. Like for example Jack Pepin, he's a famous PBS chef. He was born in France and lived there for many years before he moved to the US. He has lived now in Connecticut for several years. He still retains his French accent and expressions and probably now when he travels to France he sounds more American than from before. It is what he learned initially.

Oh, BTW, I found that program, and yes, Robert MacNeil was the co-host of Jim Leherer's NewsHour for a really long time. I remember him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3q95Mg2i7c&list=PLU4NLgyO40M8niZReH8rnrHqcBIxHlu1X

[Naboka]

sansar and sarsar: a cold whistling wind.

sansar is 10 points singular, 12 plural, so I assume sarsar is also.

[Naboka]

ransel: the search for stolen goods. Also spelled rancel.

Also, 10 and 12 points.

[Naboka]

Nursle: to nurture, train, raise. nursles. 10/12 points

Sungar: a lookout post. sungars. 10/12 points

[Guest]

Nursle: to nurture, train, raise. nursles.

That word made me think of one of my favorites: rootle, said of animals putting snout in the ground to look for food. (That is not the Wordtwist dictionary definition, but similar.) No idea how many points, I don't think many, but I just love the way it sounds. As with nursle.