Words That Should Be Known

Words are like bridges across the vast and aching gulfs between people. They bind us and link us and let us know we are not alone.

Some bridges are dull and concrete, stained with use; worn with footfall; graffitied over with the red pens of countless frustrated English teachers. But some are rare and beautifully crafted; lesser known but all the more beautiful for it.

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Ailurophile: one who loves cats.

A cluster of ailurophilic children descended upon the mewling street cats, who blinked smugly and purred loudly as heads were rubbed and fleas were passed on.

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Bovine: alike to cattle.

The tide of bovine tourists allowed themselves to be herded slowly but firmly towards the market place.

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Eccedentesiast- one who fakes a smile.

“Everyone here,” he said quietly, “they are all just clowns, and all clowns are eccendentesiasts. Do not trust them.”

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Erinaceous: pertaining to, or resembling a hedgehog.

Curl into a ball again my erinaceous friend,

The knives protruding from your spine all thoughts of comfort end,

Friends stabbed you in the back and you let all the knives there rest,

Lest enemies should circle ‘round and stab you in the chest.

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Griffonage: extremely messy, or illegible handwriting.

I suffer from this terribly; my friends and family can never read the memos and notes I write to them and I’m always having to translate my griffonage for them

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Lacuna: a blank space or missing part.

The lacunae in that tall tale could fill an ocean.

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Murine: alike to a rodent.

Someone who would be classed as ‘murine’ would invariably be small, nervous and twitchy, possibly with whiskery cheeks and large teeth.

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Nyctophilia: a love of the night

I don’t actually like how this word sounds so much, but it looks pretty written down, and being a nyctophile myself I am biased, so I felt that it should be included on this list.

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Psithurism: the whispering, rustling sound that leaves make when stirred by the wind.

You can hear the psithurisms of the forest when walking beneath the trees on a windy day.

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Quixotic: extremely idealistic, to the point of being unrealistic or impractical.

“Well sure, in some quixotic world where human beings aren’t utter idiots maybe that would be the case, but sadly we don’t live there!”

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Rusine: alike to deer (other words that have this meaning are elaphine and cervine)

A rusine individual moves with the herd, is jumpy and nervous but also has a strong sense of family and community, and will protect those they love. Or they may just look like a deer.

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Serendipity: when agreeable conditions are found, despite not having been sought.

Through some curious serendipity, we found ourselves both in the same part of town on the same afternoon.

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Sphallolalia: aimless, friendly flirtation.

I miss parties and the relaxed, vibrant atmosphere of drinks, laughter and sphallolalia.

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Thalassophile: lover of the sea

The thalassophile sits on the beach and watches

As the ocean steals swathes of the land, in swatches,

And the people will come, flinging anger and torches

But the ocean will eat them, their timbers, their porches.

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There are other words of course; so many little sounds we have invented to express and describe and complain and query. But these here, these are just a handful of the words I love; the ones that roll elegantly off the tongue like tiny dancers; that land lightly on their feet with feline grace, and waltz through the spaces between us (there is another one: feline, meaning cat-like. However most people already know this word so I omitted it in favour of the more uncommon ones).

There are rare words, words only a few remember, and words lost to time.

There are also new words and well-loved words and words that live briefly in a society, and then are cast aside as the world moves on.

Take joy in them, for they are delicate and powerful things.