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[lilymaiden]

Pulchritudinous is officially the most ridiculous word I've ever learned.

Definitely NOT an onomatopoeia.

Comments

[lunathecat]

It is definitely a really ugly way to say beautiful.

But hey, what are Latin derivatives for if not to be absolutely ridiculous? Somnambulant? Defenestration? Whaah?

[lilymaiden]

Somnambulant you can from common English (insomnia and amble), and defenestrate from French (fenêtre), but pulchritudinous? Pure, unadulterated Latin (that I can tell ... still racking my brain for a French or English link ...)

[lunathecat]

Haha, it's so ugly that no other language wanted to use it when they were breaking away from Latin!

[seekingferret]

One book I read when I was young featured a character who liked using big words. I distinctly remember his praise of a woman he was attracted to:

"Such ethereal, such evanescent pulchritude!"

[lilymaiden]

I love it! Best use of the word ever.

I feel like pulchritudinous is the secret password to the Obscure Word Cult and I am a new cult member.