Obscure Words to Describe the Indescribable
From The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows
Authors Note
Here is another of my favourite words from the past week! As usual with a preface.
These words had been invented by the writer John Koenig for The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, these words are meant to fill for the emotions everyone has felt but cannot explain. The project was launched in 2012, only 12 years ago, thus the words had not enough time to develop into what we would call an “official word”. That being said, I could not provide etymology for all words but gave further descriptions instead.
Though these are not real words, I do find a significant meaning behind them. If not use the words themselves, then at least the description would be of immense use. Maybe not in our time, but in some near future, I hope these words will be able to explain what past generations have not.
Words to spice up your writing from the notes series Word of the Day. These 7 words are from the past week all curated here in the weekly word round up. Enjoy!
[30/07/2024]
Adomania
noun [ad•uh•mey•nee•uh]
The sense that the future is arriving ahead of schedule
"She felt a sense of adomania that her birthday which felt months coming was only a few weeks away"
Etymology
Borrowed from The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows. The full definition continued from above:
"- that all those years with fantastical names like '2025' are bursting from their hypothetical cages into the arena of the present, furiously bucking the grip of your expectations while you lean and slip in your saddle, one hand reaching for reins, the other waving up high like a schoolkid who finally knows the answer to the question"
[29/07/2024]
Mimeomia
noun[mim•ee•oh•mee•uh]
The frustration of knowing how neatly you embody a certain stereotype, without even intending to
"Being a reader herself, she had inner mimeomia knowing that she also wore glasses, was quiet, had few friends, and spent most of her time in libraries "
Etymology
Mimeomia comes from the ancient Greek words mîmos which means imitator/actor and mîsos which means hatred. Together, you can guess what they imply :)
Borrowed from The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows. The full definition continued from above:
"- even if it's unfair, even if everyone else feels the same way—each of us trick-or-treating for money and respect and attention, wearing a safe and predictable costume because we're tired of answering the question, "What are you supposed to be?"
[28/07/2024]
Scabulous
Adjective[scab•yul•uss]
Proud of a scar on your body
"She had scabulous memories from childhood"
Etymology
Derived from the words scab and fabulous
Borrowed from The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows. The full definition continued from above:
"- which is an autograph signed to you by a world grateful for your continued willingness to play with her, even when you don't feel like it."
[27/07/2024]
Trumspringa
noun[truhm•spring•guh]
The temptation to step off your career track and become a shepherd in the mountains
"She was lost in a trumspringa more time than she can count"
Etymology
Borrowed from The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows. The full definition continued from above:
"- following your flock between pastures with a sheepdog and a rifle, watching storms at dusk from the doorway of a small cabin, just the kind of hypnotic diversion that allows your thoughts to make a break for it and wander back to their cubicles in the city."
[26/07/2024]
Waldosia
noun[wawl•doh•zhuh]
A condition characterized by scanning faces in a crowd looking for a specific person who would have no reason to be there
"It was a crowded day in the beach when she was struck by waldosia in the midst of her day dreaming"
Etymology
From the children's book From the Where’s Waldo? in which you search for Waldo in the crowd
Borrowed from The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows. The full definition continued from above:
"- as if your brain is checking to see whether they’re still in your life, subconsciously patting its emotional pockets before it leaves for the day. "
[25/07/2024]
Xeno
noun [zee•noh]
The smallest measurable unit of human connection
"He felt a sadness in the airport knowing that the xeno he felt with the woman across would soon come to an end "
Etymology
Xeno comes from ancient Greek xénos, meaning alien or stranger.
Borrowed from The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows. The full definition continued from above:
"- typically exchanged between passing strangers—a flirtatious glance, a sympathetic nod, a shared laugh about some odd coincidence—moments that are fleeting and random but still contain powerful emotional nutrients that can alleviate the symptoms of feeling alone. "
[24/07/2024]
Zielschmerz
noun[zeel•shmerts]
The exhilarating dread of finally pursuing a lifelong dream
"The following his passion only brought on zielschmerz exemplified by the fact that nobody wanted him to succeed in the first place "
Etymology
Zielschmerz comes from German ziel meaning goal, and schmerz meaning pain.
Borrowed from The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows. The full definition continued from above:
"- which requires you to put your true abilities out there to be tested on the open savannah, no longer protected inside the terrarium of hopes and delusions that you created in kindergarten and kept sealed as long as you could, only to break in case of emergency."
