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jejune: msg#00001

culture.language.word-of-the-day

Subject: jejune

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The Word of the Day for November 2 is:

jejune \jih-JOON\ adjective
1 : lacking nutritive value
*2 : devoid of significance or interest : dull
3 : juvenile, puerile

Example sentence:
Professor Hazlett's jejune lectures often left students dozing in the
auditorium.

Did you know?
If you are starved for excitement, you won't get it from something jejune.
That term derives from the Latin "jejunus," which means "empty of food,"
"meager," or "hungry." Back in the 1600s, English speakers used "jejune" in
senses very similar to those of its Latin parent, lamenting "jejune appetites"
and "jejune morsels." Something that is meager usually doesn't satisfy one's
desires, and before long "jejune" was being used not only for meager meals or
hunger, but also for things wanting in intellectual or emotional substance. The
word most likely gained its "juvenile" or "childish" sense when people confused
it with the look-alike French word "jeune," which means "young."

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.







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