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
viaticum
/vaɪˈætɪkəm/(n.): the Eucharist or Communion as given to a person dying or in danger of death
The priest administered the viaticum to the dying patient, offering spiritual comfort in their final moments.
(n.): provisions, money, or necessities for any journey
Before embarking on the long voyage, the explorers gathered all their viaticum, ensuring they had enough supplies for the arduous journey.
Word Origin
The word 'viaticum' originates from Latin. It is derived from the Latin noun 'via', meaning 'road' or 'way', combined with the suffix '-aticum', which forms nouns indicating something pertaining to or for. Thus, 'viaticum' literally translates to 'provisions for a journey' or 'money for a journey'.
Words with similar origins include 'voyage', which comes from Old French 'voiage' ultimately from Latin 'viaticum'; 'deviate', from Latin 'de' (away from) + 'via' (road); 'obviate', from Latin 'ob' (in the way) + 'via' (road); 'previous', from Latin 'prae' (before) + 'via' (way); and 'trivial', from Latin 'tri' (three) + 'via' (road), referring to something common or found at a crossroads.
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Yet Another Word of the Day Email List?
Eager to expand my lexicon, I began to search the internet for a word of the day email service that would provide me words that were new, challenging, and interesting. I found many daily newsletters, but none of them were what I was looking for. Some had words that were far too simple - words that I have known since middle school. Some just used words from other languages and pretended that they were words actually used in the English-speaking world.
Unsatisfied with the options available to me, I developed Lexical Frontier as a hobby project. I wanted each morning to receive words that are really used (if not in daily life then at least in literature). I wanted these words to be challenging; maybe I had encountered them before, but had not comprehended their precise meaning. And, of course, I wanted the information to be interesting! Definitions are not diverting or we would all be reading dictionaries. I am curious about not just what the word means but where it comes from. If you break down a word into its smaller parts and learn to build it back up again, you gain tools for breaking down and building up words you have yet to encounter.
This is where the idea of a Lexical Frontier comes in. Learning new words should be an adventure! An exploration! To gain a deeper understanding of language, how to hear it, how to read it, how to use it, is a search now just into words but into ourselves and how we communicate with others. Consider subscribing to begin this journey yourself!