Beyond the familiar lies a richer vocabulary. Lexical Frontier guides you there, one word each day. Explore the Lexical Frontier, where language expands.
Today's Word of the Day
harangue
/hə'ræŋ/(n.): a loud bombastic declamation expressed with strong emotion
The politician delivered a fiery harangue to the crowd, criticizing the government's recent policies.
(v.): address forcefully
The drill sergeant would often harangue the new recruits, ensuring they understood the importance of discipline.
Word Origin
The word 'harangue' entered English in the late Middle Ages, deriving from the Old French 'harangue' or 'arenge', meaning a public address. This, in turn, came from the Old Italian 'aringo', which referred to a public square, a platform, or a speech given there. The ultimate root is the Gothic 'harihring', a compound word formed from 'hari' (meaning 'army' or 'host') and 'hring' (meaning 'ring' or 'assembly'). Therefore, the word originally referred to a speech delivered to an assembly, particularly an assembly of warriors.
The English word 'ring', referring to a circular band or a group of people, shares the ancient Germanic root *hring (meaning 'ring', 'circle', or 'assembly') with the latter part of 'harangue'. This common ancestor highlights the concept of an assembled group.
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