I love words. I love the way they bring visual images to my mind, images that stay. I love the way they lead me along into new places and into new thoughts. I love the way they can be arranged and rearranged and still convey the same meaning. Words, how dear they are. And, how many they are in all languages.
So, when I see or hear a new word I have to discover more. What does it mean, how is it used, and does it have a root that maybe leads to another word? The dictionary, also full of words, is consulted.
Today I discovered the word “elucidation”. Don’t you love the way it sounds? Say it several times and you’ll agree. It sent me running to the dictionary.
The root word is “elucidate”. Elucidate, elucidated, and elucidating are all verbs. As a transitive verb it means “to make lucid especially by explanation or analysis”; as an intransitive verb it means “to give a clarifying explanation”. Elucidation and elucidator are used as nouns and elucidative is an adjective. Where did it come from? To answer that very simply it is derived from the Latin word lucidus which gives us the English word lucid. And when did it come into use? Sometime around 1586.
Thank you to Merriam-Webster for this wealth of information. I’m telling you – I love words!
Small Simple Things of Life 
One of my students taught me that word, and that she had learned it from one of my colleagues. It is indeed a beautiful word, especially when one sees it smack dab in the middle of a lovely essay. 🙂
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Yes, it seems more at place in writing rather than in conversation. Still, I like the way it sounds!
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Oh, I think it is perfect in conversations, too. It is a pretty-sounding word, and certainly conversations these days could use more enlightening vocabulary! I am always just impressed when students can write using more words than “great” to describe something. 🙂
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I agree! We do need to incorporate more words of the English language into conversation. And, I just shudder when I read some of the things written by business professionals. No idea how to write a paragraph, much less use intelligent thoughts.
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