Word of the day: asinine
Word of the Day: Asinine (adjective)
Pronunciation: ['æ-sê-nIn]
Definition: Like or pertaining to an ass (donkey); stupidly stubborn or obstinate-or simply stupid.
Usage: The English vocabulary bears an odd consistency: animal names tend to be of native Germanic origin while the corresponding adjective tends to be of French, e.g. dog : canine, cat : feline, cow : bovine. Today's adjective is a part of that family of words: burro/donkey : asinine (due to the demotion of "ass" as a result of its phonetic convergence with a less savory noun). Another feature of this family of words is that each animal name represents some human quality: It's a dog (worthless), she's a fox (sexy), he's a hog (greedy), she's a snake (deceptive). One is as stubborn as a mule in English but the adjective with the same meaning is either "asinine" (though "mulish" works, too). The noun here is "asininity."
Suggested Usage: Surprise your friends and amaze your neighbors by occasionally using today's word in its original meaning. Something like, "Portabella's donkeys were enjoying an asinine feast of sowthistles when I arrived," ought to get their attention. Today the word is used to indicate unreasonable stubbornness or extreme stupidity: "Don't be asinine, Ferris. Eat your mushrooms. My first two husbands loved them."
Etymology: Latin asininus "of an ass" from asinus "ass=donkey, burro." The Latin root may be related to that of equus "horse" but the evidence is tenuous.
-Dr. Language, YourDictionary.com
Pronunciation: ['æ-sê-nIn]
Definition: Like or pertaining to an ass (donkey); stupidly stubborn or obstinate-or simply stupid.
Usage: The English vocabulary bears an odd consistency: animal names tend to be of native Germanic origin while the corresponding adjective tends to be of French, e.g. dog : canine, cat : feline, cow : bovine. Today's adjective is a part of that family of words: burro/donkey : asinine (due to the demotion of "ass" as a result of its phonetic convergence with a less savory noun). Another feature of this family of words is that each animal name represents some human quality: It's a dog (worthless), she's a fox (sexy), he's a hog (greedy), she's a snake (deceptive). One is as stubborn as a mule in English but the adjective with the same meaning is either "asinine" (though "mulish" works, too). The noun here is "asininity."
Suggested Usage: Surprise your friends and amaze your neighbors by occasionally using today's word in its original meaning. Something like, "Portabella's donkeys were enjoying an asinine feast of sowthistles when I arrived," ought to get their attention. Today the word is used to indicate unreasonable stubbornness or extreme stupidity: "Don't be asinine, Ferris. Eat your mushrooms. My first two husbands loved them."
Etymology: Latin asininus "of an ass" from asinus "ass=donkey, burro." The Latin root may be related to that of equus "horse" but the evidence is tenuous.
-Dr. Language, YourDictionary.com