This is a compendium of some esoteric English Vocabulary that are quite useful yet not in use or not popularly used. Let's take a look at the first batch:
C A C O G R A P H Y
Definition:
bad handwriting
Degree of Usefulness:
Pretty useful. Also, pretty evocative.
An Example:
Nor do I correct much of his Cacography, except in some Proper Names, and his Spanish, which he strangely mangles.
— J. Morgan, Phonix Britannicus, 1731
S O L I V A G A N T
Definition:
rambling alone : marked by solitary wandering
Degree of Usefulness:
Almost too useful, honestly. At least for us dictionary folk.
An Example:
Long years had wept by rock and hill and glade,
To fields of asphodel, was seen no more
Solivagant, upon the Attic shore.
— New Statesman and Nation (London, Eng.), 11 Nov. 1944
F I L I P E N D U L O U S
Definition:
suspended by or strung upon a thread
Degree of Usefulness:
Not an everyday word, but a good one to have in your back pocket.
An Example:
Filipendulous tubers are attached to the parent plant by underground runners, or cords, which spring not from the roots but the lower part of the stem.
— Anthony Todd Thomson, Lectures on the Elements of Botany, 1822
F L I N G E E
Definition:
“one at whom anything is flung”
(Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd Ed., 1989)
Degree of Usefulness:
If you find yourself needing it often, maybe it's time to rethink some things.
An Example:
Moments later, someone was sweeping around left end, following his spindly blockers, dodging would-be tacklers until a mass of arms surrounded him, latched on and flung him into the mush. Flinger or flingee, this was heaven.
— Neil Chethik, Detroit Free Press, 18 Jan. 1994
J E N T A C U L A R
Definition:
"pertaining to breakfast"
(Webster’s New International Dictionary, 2nd Ed., 1934)
Degree of Usefulness:
Some might say it's the most important word of the day.
An Example:
…spending the remaining hours of every day in reading, or taking exercise by way of fitting himself for his labours, or, to use his own strangely-invented phraseology, taking his ante-jentacular and post-prandial walks, to prepare himself for his task of codification.
— Carlisle Journal (Carlisle, Eng.), 2 May 1840
D E I P N O S O P H I S T
Definition:
a person skilled in table talk
Degree of Usefulness:
Basically, this is a five-syllable word for "great dinner party guest," which could very well be a great dinner party topic.
An Example:
His Table you might well call a repast for the ears as well as for the belly, not unlike those Attick Nights, or the Banquets of the Deipnosophists, at which men might feast their mindes and intellects no less then their bodies.
— William Winstanley, England’s Worthies, 1660
S C R I P T U R I E N T
Definition:
having a strong urge to write
Degree of Usefulness:
Something tells us our audience is feeling seen right now. It you.
An Example:
Here lies the corps of William Prynne,
A Bencher late of Lincolns Inn,
Who restless ran through thick and thin.
This grand scripturient paper-spiller,
This endless, needless margin-filler,
Was strangly tost from post to pillar.
— Anthony Wood, Athenæ Oxonienses, 1691
P E N U L T I M A T U M
Definition:
"A demand or proposal approaching an ultimatum"
(Webster’s New International Dictionary, 2nd Ed., 1934)
Degree of Usefulness:
Although it might appear that this is simply an ultimatum one delivers with a pen, such is not the case. The initial portion of the word comes from the Latin paene ("almost") and ultimus ("last"). Any parents reading this have probably issued more than a few of these.
An Example:
Great Britain’s ultimatums are generally only penultimatums, commonly called bluffs.
— The Leavenworth Times (Leavenworth, KS), 2 Nov. 1895
M A T U T I N A L
Definition:
of, relating to, or occurring in the morning
Degree of Usefulness:
It could be useful, but do you really want to have to explain an obscure word before you've had any coffee?
An Example:
But before he tiptoed out of his room with shoes and socks under his arm, he leaned over and peered at the sleeping serenity of his wife: to him a daily matutinal miracle.
— Can Themba, The Will to Die, 1972
M A K E B A T E
Definition:
one that excites contention and quarrels
Degree of Usefulness:
Who wants to know?
An Example:
Lord Stanley is, beyond dispute, the worst specimen of these mischievous make-bates. He is one of those hasty and overweening spirits who provoke contests which they lack courage to fight out.
— Daily News (London, Eng.), 26 May, 1849
E M P L E O M A N I A
Definition:
a mania or madness or crazy urge for holding public office
Degree of Usefulness:
Both sides of the aisle agree: useful.
An Example:
This jewel of prime ministers is the living impersonation and type of the prevailing Spanish vice of empleomania, or rage for office.
— The Morning Chronicle, (London, Eng.), 18 Oct. 1845
B Ê T I S E
Definition:
an act of foolishness or stupidity
Degree of Usefulness:
You already know the answer to that. This (useful) word comes directly from the French, and in that language bêtise comes from bête, meaning "idiot, fool" or (literally) "beast."
P A T R I Z A T E
Definition:
to imitate one's father or forebears
Degree of Usefulness:
Slightly useful. The corresponding word matrisate (which the OED informs us appears only in dictionaries, and has never enjoyed natural use) was defined by Nathan Bailey in 1727 as "to imitate the mother."
C A T I L L A T E
Definition:
“to licke dishes”
(Henry Cockeram, English Dictionarie, 1623
Degree of Usefulness:
Somewhat. We're sure that no one reading this is so uncouth as to catillate at the dinner-table, but your dog would be happy to help clean up.
T O N G U E - H E R O
Definition:
“A self-professed hero; a braggart” (Webster’s New International Dictionary, 2nd Ed., 1934)
Degree of Usefulness:
Tongue-hero is now obsolete, and found infrequently. Tongue-heroes, however, can be found essentially everywhere.
N O C T I V A G A N T
Definition:
going about in the night : night-wandering
Degree of Usefulness:
Oh, you sleep fine at night and don't find this word relatable? Well la-di-da. For the rest of us: useful. The word comes from the Latin nox (“night”) and vagus (“wandering”).
C A C H I N N A T E
Definition:
to laugh loudly or immoderately
Degree of Usefulness:
We could all use a little cachinnation here and again, couldn't we?
An Example:
’Done, done,’ says the fellow. ‘Hurrah! hurrah!’ cachinnated the delighted audience. The auctioneer had the good sense to join the laugh, and coolly forked out the V.
— Pensacola Gazette (Pensacola, FL), 1 Oct. 1836
P E R I S T E R O N I C
Definition:
“suggestive of pigeons”
(Oxford English Dictionary, 3rd ed.)
Degree of Usefulness:
The perfect word for those special moments when something does not quite resemble pigeons, but is merely suggestive of them. Not very useful.
B E L L Y C H E E R
Definition:
obsolete : gratification of the belly : gluttony
Degree of Usefulness:
Slightly more useful than abligurition.
An Example:
Possessing the true primitive character for matchlesss temperance, frequent fastings, incessant preaching, continued watchings and labours in the Ministry;—carefully avoiding all palace companions, bon-vivants, parasites, and preferment-seekers;—being neither “double tongued nor given to much wine,’” nor greedy of bellycheer….
— The Examiner (London, Eng.), 1 Oct. 1820
A SARCAST
Definition:
an adept in sarcasm : a sarcastic person
Degree of Usefulness:
The only reason most of you have not yet self-described yourselves with this word is because you did not yet know that it existed.
P H I L O S T O R G I E
Definition:
“the love of parents towards their children”
(Thomas Blount, Glossographia, 1656)
Degree of Usefulness:
This one's ripe for a comeback.
An Example:
Hath the great God put such a Philostorgy or natural affection into the Bear, Pellican, Dolphin, Lioness, Eagle, towards their young, and shall not he much more carry his own upon Eagles wings?
— Anon., The Morning Exercise at Cripplegate, 1661
Consulted Authorities:
MERRIAM WEBSTER DICTIONARY
OXFORD ADVANCED LEARNER'S DICTIONARY
AND OTHERS CITED WITHIN TEXT
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