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manqué: msg#00004

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Subject: manqué


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The Word of the Day for November 5 is:

manqué \mahng-KAY (the “ng” is not pronounced, but the preceding vowel is
nasalized)\ adjective
: short of or frustrated in the fulfillment of one's aspirations or
talents -- used postpositively

Example sentence:
Clarke has a remarkable gift for drawing, but unless he applies himself,
he’ll always be an artist manque.

Did you know?
The etymology of "manque" is likely to vex left-handers. English speakers
picked up "manque" directly from French more than two centuries ago, and it
ultimately comes from Latin “manco,” meaning "having a crippled hand." But in
between the Latin and French portions of this word's history came the Italian
word “manco,” which means both "lacking" and "left-handed." Lefties may be
further displeased to learn that "manque” isn't the only English word with a
history that links left-handedness with something undesirable. For example, the
word "awkward" comes from “awke,” a Middle English word meaning both "turned
the wrong way" and "left-handed." And the noun "gawk" ("a clumsy stupid
person") probably comes from a “gawk” that means "left-handed" in English
dialect.





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