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manqué: msg#00004culture.language.word-of-the-day
**************************************************************** Do you enjoy challenging word games? Try WORD SWEEP!, the new board game featuring official Merriam-Webster definitions! http://gifts.barnesandnoble.com/search/product.asp?ISBN=9780971348769&z=y&TYP=T **************************************************************** 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. You Are Subscribed As: gclw-mw-wod7@xxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe, please click here: http://www.drhinternet.net/mw/u/966408/568f14b4ab4f050b/N214L6 To change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio pronunciations, please visit: http://mw.drhinternet.net/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml (c) 2007 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated Merriam-Webster, Inc. 47 Federal Street P.O. Box 281 Springfield, MA 01102 |
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