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Weird Word Wednesdays: Hibernal, apricity and brume

For today’s Weird Word Wednesday, let’s look at three words related to winter: Hibernal, apricity and brume. Here’s what www.merriam-webster says about these words:

hibernal

Pronunciation: [  hī-ˈbər-nᵊl ]

Part of speech: Adjective

Definition: Of, relating to, or occurring in winter.

Language origin: Greek and Latin

“Hibernal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hibernal. Accessed 10 Dec. 2021.

apricity

Pronunciation: [ uh-priss-i-tee ]

Part of speech: Noun

Definition: The warmth of the sun in winter.

Language origin: Possibly English

www.merriam-webster says “Apricity appears to have entered our language in 1623, when Henry Cockeram recorded (or possibly invented) it for his dictionary The English Dictionary; or, An Interpreter of Hard English Words. Despite the fact that it is a delightful word for a delightful thing it never quite caught on and will not be found in any modern dictionary aside from the Oxford English Dictionary.”

brume

Pronunciation: [ ˈbrüm ]

Part of speech: Noun

Definition: Mist or fog.

Language origin: French and Latin

“Brume.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brume. Accessed 10 Dec. 2021.

P.S. As I write about these wintry words, the weather here in San Antonio, Texas, is sunny and 81 degrees with a zero chance of a white Christmas. Sigh.

Posted in Pamela, Weird Word Wednesdays