Word of the Day

I have always wanted to increase my vocabulary. Several years ago I bought the book 30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary and well it has been gracing my bookshelf with its presence ever since. I think I've looked at it maybe once. Sometimes I feel as though I am at a loss for words. I know there is a word to describe my feeling or circumstance, but I can't come up with anything in the moment. So I thought I'd come up with a word of the day/week/month to help me (finally, maybe) increase my vocab.

Several weeks ago my husband uttered this single word in his sleep early one morning. Oh the joys of being a newlywed. The new and exciting things you learn about your partner. Believe me you can't possibly know everything about a person before you marry them. And I've learned my husband occasionally talks in his sleep!

"Gingerly" he said while sleeping.

"Gingerly?" I lay there thinking, "What is he talking about?"

Gingerly...o0hkaay. I don't think I have ever heard the word. If I have, I don't remember. He was amused when I told him what he said. We both got a kick out of it, but I guess you would've had to be there. And now, strangely, the word keeps popping up. I heard it on a movie and TV program we watched, and I've noticed that one of my favorite bloggers likes to use the word.

So here's what it means. Although, I suspect you already know!

Gingerly
as an adverb - with great care or caution, warily
as an adjective - cautious, careful, wary.

Gingerly first appeared in English in the 1500s. It can be traced back to the Latin word 'genitum' or 'genitus' meaning 'well-born'.

'Genitum' being another form of 'gignere' to beget, and 'gens' also meaning race or people.

The form of the word today was probably adopted from an old French word 'gensor' meaning noble, high-born. And therefore the original sense of the word was elegantly, daintly, and was often referred to walking or dancing with dainty steps. The way we use the word today, gently and very cautiously, did not become widespread until the 1700s.

Maybe my husband's, in his sleep, ramblings will inspire another Word of the Day!

sources: Dictionary.com Word Detective World of Words