genial

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The Word of the Day for September 21 is: 

genial   \JEE-nee-ul\   adjective
     1 : favorable to growth or comfort : mild 
    *2 : marked by or diffusing sympathy or friendliness 
     3 : displaying or marked by genius

Example sentence:
     Our genial host immediately offered us refreshments and introduced us to 
everyone.

Did you know?
          "Genial" derives from the Latin adjective "genialis," meaning 
"connected with marriage." When "genial" was first adopted into English in the 
mid-16th century, it meant "of or relating to marriage," a sense that is now 
obsolete. "Genialis" was formed in Latin by combining the "-alis" suffix 
(meaning "of, relating to, or characterized by") with "genius," meaning "a 
person's disposition or inclination." As you may have guessed, Latin "genius" 
is the ancestor of the English word “genius,” meaning "extraordinary 
intellectual power"-- so it’s logical enough that "genial" eventually developed 
a sense (possibly influenced by the German word "genial") of "marked by very 
high intelligence.” 





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