I love words. So much so, that if I had my college days to do over, I would major in etymology, which is the study of words and the way in which their meanings have changed throughout history. Not to be confused with entomology, which is the study of insects, etymology can also describe how a word came into being in English.
When I come across a word that’s new to me, I savor it in much the same way a gourmand enjoys fine food, a sommelier appreciates wine, or a connoisseur expertly judges fine art.
To kick off my weekly blog titled Weird Word Wednesdays, let’s dive into etymology and take a look at gourmand, sommelier, and connoisseur, with a little help from #Dictionary.com.
gourmand
Pronunciation: [ goor-mahnd, goor-muhnd ]
Part of speech: Noun
Definition: A person who is fond of good eating, a gourmet, an epicure.
Language origin: Old French
sommelier
Pronunciation: [ suhm-uhl-yey; French saw-muh-lyey ]
Part of speech: Noun
Definition: A waiter, as in a club or restaurant, who is in charge of wines.
Language origin: French
connoisseur
Pronunciation: [ kon-uh-sur, -soor ]
Part of speech: Noun
Definition: A person who is especially competent to pass critical judgements in an art, particularly one of the fine arts or in matters of taste; a discerning judge of the best in any field.
Language origin: Old French
#weirdwords #etymology #writing #weirdwordwednesdays #pamelarobertshowell
Love this one! Words are so fun!