Janey

From Jane + -y, q.v.
Doublet of Ivanka, Jan, Janelle, Janet, Janine, Jeanette, Jeanie, Jeannette, Jeannine, Jen, Jenna, Jenny, Jessie, Jo, Jody, Juanita, Shanae, Sinead, and Vanna.

doublet

A diminutive of the female given name Jane.


Cordelia

/kɔːˈdiːlɪə/

Shakespeare's spelling of a historical British name appearing as Cordeilla, etc., possibly derived from the Latin saint's name Cordula.

What shall Cordelia do? Love, and be silent.

c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:

"I don't believe I've ever run into a Delia before." "Well, it's Cordelia, really. My father named me that." "And are you one?" "Am I one what?" "Are you your father's Cordelia?"

1995, Anne Tyler, Ladder of Years, Knopf, →ISBN, page 8:


Dickon

Jockey of Norfolk, be not too bold,
 For Dickon thy master is bought and sold.

c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii]:

Dickon stood rubbing his rusty-red head with a rather puzzled look. "It's a secret garden sure enough," he said, "but seems like some one besides th' robin must have been in it since it was shut up ten year' ago."

1911, Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden:

(dated) A diminutive of the male given name Richard.


Roumanian

en-adj

Roumanian (comparative more Roumanian, superlative most Roumanian)

more Roumanian (comparative)
most Roumanian (superlative)


Enceladan

(science fiction) An inhabitant of Enceladus (a moon of Saturn).


Jafaican

2006, June: Archibald St John Smith, How British is That?!: The Eccentric British Guide Book, pages 33–34 (Crombie Jardine Publishing Limited; →ISBN
Forget Cockney, Brummie, Geordie and Scouse, according to the Daily Mail — who else? — Jafaican is laying siege to our inner-city accents and is infiltrating the sacred English language. Soon we may all be familiar with creps (trainers), yard (home), yoot (child), blud (mate) and bitch (girlfriend).

[…] from Cockney, or East London, terminology to a style called “Jafaican”, which has elements of Jamaican and African street talk.

2007 March 16, Debbie Stowe, Paul Stump, Who is Borat?: The Unauthorized Biography of Sacha Baron Cohen, Barnes & Noble, →ISBN, page 122, →ISBN:

She is frowning, hiding her nervousness of Suzy’s presence behind the Jafaican babble.

2007 June 28, María Alvarez, Mirror, Mirror, Fig Tree, →ISBN, page 88, →ISBN:

One part of segregation not immediately obvious is language. I do not mean someone unable to speak the English language, although that is another variation on it; I mean the usage of ‘street’ talk or ‘Jafaican’ as it is sometimes referred to.

2007 December 17, Bobby Smith, Margaret Oshindele-Smith, One Love Two Colours: The Unlikely Marriage of a Punk Rocker and His African Queen, Troubador Publishing Ltd, →ISBN, pages 197–198:

In the early section of this chapter, I discussed attitudes to British Patois, a variety used by members of the West Indian community in Britain. While attitudes are always changing, and new varieties of Black English, such as Jafaican, are said to be developing, […]

2008, January: Janet Holmes, An Introduction to Sociolinguistics, page 413 (3rd edition; Pearson Education; →ISBN, 9781405821315)

a. 2009, Ignacio Ramos, A. Jesús Moya Guijarro, and José Ignacio Albentosa Hernández [eds.], New Trends in English Teacher Education, page 209 (Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha; →ISBN
In terms of its characteristics, MLE is anchored to a large extent in Jamaican Creole, throughout the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s a competitor to Cockney. But Kerswill et al report that it has now encompassed and synthesized elements of everything from Cockney and African English to Hindi, Bangladeshi languages and Arabic. For this reasons it is sometimes called, erroneously, “Hinglish” or “Jafaican”.

Multicultural London English
Multicultural London English

(informal, also used attributively) Multicultural London English.


Ganymedean

/ˌɡænəmɪˈdiː.ən/

(astronomy) Of or relating to the Jovian moon named for Ganymede, the largest in the Solar system.


Venerian

Venerian (comparative more Venerian, superlative most Venerian)

more Venerian (comparative)
most Venerian (superlative)

From Middle English venerien, either from Old French venerien or from Latin Venerius.


Mirandan

(astronomy) Of or relating to the Neptunian moon named for Miranda.


Charonian

/kəˈɹoʊnɪən/

/ʃəˈɹoʊnɪən/

From Charon + -ian, or from the alternative Latin oblique stem Charōnis.

The Charonians were proud of their frozen hell. Styxville was like Plutopolis, only less so.

1990, Donald Moffitt, A Gathering of Stars:

(science fiction) An inhabitant of Charon (a moon of Pluto).

Charonian staircase

a flight of steps from under the stage in ancient Greek theatre; used by arrivals from Hades.


Cererian

/səˈɹɪəɹɪ.ən/

From Latin Cereris, genitive case of Cerēs.

Sprinkled with salt and Cererean grain

1823, William Booth, “Nasidien”, in Flowers of Roman poesy, page 42:

An untilled soil its yearly growth of grain Cererian yields

1878, William Thomas Thornton, “Epode 16”, in Word for word from Horace, page 314:

As a divinity of the earth, Mefitis shows in fact two aspects: cererian, she is goddess of plowing [...], and chthonian

1986, Sarah Iles Johnston, The Journal of Indo-European studies, volume 14, page 44:

We find, for example, at Agnone a "Cererian" Hercules and at Rossano a "Mefitanian" Mamers (= Mars); presumably these two major Italic divinities, Hercules and Mamers, were the "guests" of Ceres and Mefitis

2004, Sarah Iles Johnston, Religions of the ancient world, page 233:

Of or relating to the Roman goddess Ceres


Rutul

The Lezgic (Northeast Caucasian) language of the Rutul people


Worimi

An Australian Aboriginal language spoken in New South Wales.


Pitta-Pitta

An extinct Pama-Nyungan Australian Aboriginal suffixing language formerly spoken over a large region of western Queensland in the vicinity of Boulia.


Wageman

An Australian Aboriginal language spoken in the Northern Territory in Australia


scoutcraft

en-noun

scoutcraft (plural scoutcrafts or scoutcraft)

scoutcrafts (plural)
scoutcraft (plural)

Enemy scoutcraft, extreme range.

1994, Debra Doyle, James D. Macdonald, By Honor Betray'd:

In August 1954 a Venusian scoutcraft allegedly flew Adamski around the moon, showing him extraterrestrial cities and hangars as well as forests, lakes, and rivers.

1999, Jerome Clark, Unexplained!: Strange Sightings, Incredible Occurrences & Puzzling Physical Phenomena, Visible Ink Press, page 7:

He flies around the Galaxy all alone in just a little tiny scoutcraft?

2001, Douglas Kendall, Battle of Infinity City, page 298:

In the ensuing years it had never come to that, yet every scoutcraft was equipped with a self-destruct mechanism, and every commander was prepared at all times to activate it.

2006, Margaret Wander Bonanno, Strangers From The Sky, Pocket Books, page 32:

The nearer they closed in; tiny scoutcrafts could be seen continuingly migrating to and from them.

2013, Chris J. Berry, The Celestial Window, page 137:

(rare, science fiction, ufology) A spacecraft used for scouting.


Tamasheq

A southern Tuareg (Berber) language spoken primarily in Mali.


Inupiatun

Nouns in Inupiatun may be singular, dual, or plural.

2006, Ernest S. Burch, Social Life in Northwest Alaska: The Structure of Iñupiaq Eskimo Nations:


Mimantian

en-adj

Mimantian (comparative more Mimantian, superlative most Mimantian)

more Mimantian (comparative)
most Mimantian (superlative)


Sarcee

A native Canadian language of the Na-Dene family, spoken in Alberta.


Middle Latin

Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church

A form of the Latin language used in the Middle Ages, primarily as a medium of scholarly exchange and as the liturgical language of the medieval Roman Catholic Church, but also as a language of science, literature, law, and administration.


Boniface

A male given name from Latin of mainly historical use.


Bonifatius

From Late Latin Bonifātius, from bonus (“good”) + fātum (“fate”). See also Boniface.

A male given name from Latin of mainly historical use in English.


Tall Blacks

Derived from All Blacks, the nickname of the New Zealand national rugby union team, with "All" replaced by "Tall" in reference to the often well-above-average height of basketball players.

the men's national basketball representative team of New Zealand


Opals

From opal, a gemstone mined in Australia.

Carrie Graf knows about coaching creative individual players, as she has coached women′s basketball superstar Lauren Jackson, who shot to fame as a 15-year-old and joined the Australian women′s Opals basketball team by 16.

2001, Australian Sports Commission, edited by Frank S. Pyke, Better Coaching: Advanced Coach′s Manual, 2nd edition, page 227:

This, combined with a sycophantic basketball press in Australia, created a weight of expectation that was slowly crushing the young player. Four months before the Olympics, Opals coach Maher lamented that he was having ‘a few too many’ talks with her on how to cope.

2002, Cameron Stewart, “High Hopes”, in Garrie Hutchinson, editor, The Best Australian Sports Writing, 2002, page 38:

She′d made the train on squad for the Australian Opals basketball team and also played rugby for the Sydney University woman′s team.

2009, Nick Ireland, The Popondetta Butterfly, page 34:

(chiefly Australia) The women's national basketball representative team of Australia.

Australia women's national basketball team


Yue

Borrowed from Mandarin 粵／粤 (yuè) or Mandarin 越 (yuè).

The Yue dialects are popularly known as the Cantonese dialects. [...] The speech of Canton City, which is Cantonese in its narrower sense, is the best known and most generally esteemed of the Yue dialects.

1989, S. Robert Ramsey, The Languages of China, page 98:

One form of Yue—that of Canton—has provided an umbrella term for the whole [language] complex—Cantonese.

2000, George L. Campbell, “YUE (Cantonese)”, in Compendium of the World's Languages, page 1793:

The modern variety of Chinese, which includes Cantonese and Taishanese.


All Whites

From the all-white strip traditionally worn by the team. Also a play on the All Blacks, the New Zealand national rugby union team.

association football
association football

The men's national association football (soccer) representative team of New Zealand.


Slavey

From French Esclave, a calque of a Cree name, as the Cree called these people (and several other traditional enemies) slaves. In English, the final e came to be pronounced as if Slave were a native name; this pronunciation was first written Slavé and later Slavey.
The names of the Slave River, Lesser Slave River, Great Slave Lake and Lesser Slave Lake do not necessarily derive from the people now known as Slavey in English.

A language spoken by the Slavey peoples.


Xanthe

From Ancient Greek Ξανθή (Xanthḗ, literally “blond-haired”), from ξανθός (xanthós, “yellow”).

bor

"So that was Xanthe," she said in a musing tone.
"You're thinking it's a misnomer ,aren't you," Liam said.
"What?"
"Xanthe. It means 'golden'."
"Well, I'm sure she's very pleasant as a rule."
Liam had been referring to Xanthe's coloring―her brown hair and level dark eyebrows.

2009, Anne Tyler, Noah's Compass, Vintage, →ISBN, page 165:

Maura looked at her in bafflement. What had this to do with her? She knew no one called Xanthe. What sort of name was that, anyway?

2012, Anna Jacobs, The Trader's Dream, Hachette UK, →ISBN:

(rare) A female given name from Ancient Greek.


Isadore

A non-standard variant of Isidore, possibly inspired by the well-known feminine variant Isadora of Isidora.


Albina

From Latin Albina (name of a third-century martyr), feminine form of the Roman cognomen Albīnus, derivative of Latin albus (“white”).


Kez

She grabbed Kerry by the shoulders. Kez was still screaming. Vicki shook her. “Kerry, it's not real,” she whispered.

2003, Sue Simpson, Keepers of the Quantum: Lizard's Leap Two:

She doesn't like the way he orders Kerry around either. 'Kez'll make ya one,' he'd said automatically when Madeline said she'd love a nice cup of tea.

2004, Margaret Metz, Live by the Bottle:

A diminutive of the female given name Kerry.


Wenceslas

Good King Wenceslas look'd out, On the Feast of Stephen; / When the snow lay round about, Deep, and crisp, and e-ven: / Brightly shone the moon that night, Though the frost was cru-el, / When a poor man came in sight, Gath'ring win-ter fu-el.

1854, John Mason Neale, “Good King Wenceslas”, in J. M. Neale, T. Helmore, Carols for Christmas-tide: The Condensed Vocal Parts, London: Novello, →OCLC, page 37:

A male given name from the Slavic languages.


Wenceslaus

Latinization of a Slavic (Old Czech) name, from Proto-Slavic *Vęťeslavъ (from *vęťьjь (“greater, more”) + *slava (“fame, glory”)). Doublet of Vyacheslav.


Lowland Scots

The Germanic language variety traditionally spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster, as distinct from Scottish Gaelic.


Supyire

A language, of the Senufo group, spoken in southeastern Mali


Kenyan Sign Language

A particular sign language, used in Kenya.


Leora

Possibly a variant of the modern Israeli name transliterated as Liora, from Hebrew "my light", or an American contraction of Leonora.

"No, they're— What do they call you?"
"Me? Oh, it's an idiotic name—Leora Tozer."

1925, Sinclair Lewis, Arrowsmith, chapter 6, section 3:


Yasmine

Variant of Jasmine, often representing a transliteration of the corresponding Arabic and Persian names.


Zamboanga Chavacano

From Spanish chabacano (“poor taste”) and Zamboanga.

A Spanish-based creole language spoken in the Philippines.


Makedonka

From Macedonian Македонка (Makedonka, “Macedonian girl”).

bor

Македонка Македонка#Macedonian

A transliteration of the Macedonian female given name Македонка (Makedonka)


Vietic

(linguistics) The Proto-Vietic language, the hypothetical last common ancestor of all Vietic languages.


Blasius

From Late Latin Blasius, name of a 3rd-4th century Armenian saint, possibly from Latin blaesus (“stammering”), or Latinized from an Ancient Greek name. Doublet of Blaise.


Blaise

Borrowed from Old French Blaise in the Middle Ages and revived partly due to the modern French equivalent, from Latin Blasius. Doublet of Blasius.


Milo

Stevie didn't care. At least he didn't have an oddball name like Milo and he never had to get up for church on Sunday.

1989, Pat Cadigan, Patterns, Ursus Imprints, →ISBN, page 12:

Just one thing, if I may, Mark said. It's Miles, his name. Not Milo.
Yeah, I know, Anna's always going on about that too. But Milo's better, Milo's got something about it, hasn't it? the man said. It's catchier. It's catching on round the camp, Milo, where Miles sounds a bit, well, wet. A bit middle class, you know?

2011, Ali Smith, There but for the, Hamish Hamilton, →ISBN, page 191:

A male given name from the Germanic languages.


Junior

A male given name, from a nickname for someone with the title [[Jr.] (junior).


Cerean

Pata'na was a Roman goddess who appears with greatly varied names, sometimes as a derivation from Ceres or a Cerean deity, and sometimes as Ceres herself.

1892, Charles Leland, Etruscan Roman Remains, published 2007, page 233:

Bouncing is something to be avoided in the low Cerean gravity: any bouncing here would have lifted me up against the café's green and white striped awning — and maybe on through it to interface violently with the 60 meters of carbonaceous chondrite rock that separate Clarkeville from the surface.

1994, Hayford Peirce, “Six Million Solid Gold Belter Buckles”, in Jonathan White: Stockbroker in Orbit, Wildside Press, published 2001, →ISBN, page 45:

If so, a commonality of Cerean life with Terran and possible Martian life ... could provide a strong corroboration of the "Ceres origin" hypothesis.

2012, Joop M. Houtkooper, Life on Earth and other Planetary Bodies, →ISBN, page 168:


Kimothy

An American 20th century coinage. Blend of Kim + Timothy?

(rare) A unisex given name originating as a coinage.


Baure

An Arawakan language spoken in Beni, Bolivia.


Cayden

A male given name originating as a coinage.


Kayden

A male given name originating as a coinage, variant of Caden.

(rare) A female given name originating as a coinage, variant of Caden.


Staci

"Giselle? That's not the name on the documents — "
"Oh no." Bob gave her a sad smile. "Her real name was Staci, but she once studied ballet, and Jeb thought she was so graceful, with her big brown eyes. Like Bambi. So the pet name went from Gazelle to Giselle. - - -

1995, Sharyn McCrumb, If I'd Killed Him When I Met Him, page 85:

A unisex given name from Ancient Greek, a 20th-century spelling variant of Stacy.


Sawney

Sawney Bean

But Sawney grew weary, and fain would be civil, / Being auld, and unfeary, and fail'd of his strength

1812, John Bell, Rhymes of Northern Bards, page 185:

A diminutive of the male given name Alexander, of Scots origin.


Tai Dam

A Tai-Kadai (Kradai) language spoken by 700,000 people in Vietnam, Thailand, Laos and China written in its own unique script, closely related to Lao and northern Thai.


Terah

And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.

(very rare) A male given name from Hebrew


Khasi

The Austroasiatic language of the Khasi people.


you kiss your mother with that mouth

head

(do) you kiss your mother with that mouth?

No wonder then that I felt compelled when coming upon Tony and John's contest-in-insults to glare and say, "Hey, you kiss your mother with that mouth?"

1983, Reinhold Aman, Maledicta, Volume 6, Issues 1-2, Maledicta Press, page #209

"Chris doesn't like my hair up. I don't like my hair up. I'm not wearing my fucking hair up." ― "You kiss your mother with that mouth?"

1998, Anna Quindlen, Black and Blue, Wheeler Pub., page #153

Serena, always the charmer. Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?

2004, Tim McCleaf, For They Know Not What They Do: Two Novellas, iUniverse, page 64:

"You kiss your mother with that mouth?" mocked the man-who-was-ten. Matthew replied, "No, but I kiss yours!"

2009, Ryan Russell, Johnny Long, Timothy Mullen, Stealing the Network: The Complete Series Collector's Edition, Final Chapter, and DVD: The Complete Series, Syngress, page 469:

you kiss your girlfriend with that mouth

you kiss your grandmother with that mouth

you kiss your grandfather with that mouth

(rhetorical question, informal, sarcastic) Used to indicate that the other person's speech has become too obscene or vulgar.

con esa boca comes pan

rhetorical question used to indicate that the other person's speech has become too obscene or vulgar


Judson

From a Middle English short form of the given name Jordan + son.

"Judd" was a name associated with a certain measure of sternness, sobriety, though in fact we Mulvaney children were rarely scolded and even more rarely punished: "Judson Andrew" which is my baptismal name was a name of such dignity and aspiration I never came to feel it could be mine, only something borrowed like a Hallowe'en mask.

1996, Joyce Carol Oates, We Were the Mulvaneys, Harper Perennial, published 2007, →ISBN, page 4:

A male given name transferred from the surname.


Judd

From a Middle English short form of the given name Jordan.

A male given name from Hebrew, today often transferred back from the surname.


Octavian

From Latin Octavianus, derivative of Octāvius.

(historical) A male given name from Latin, notably borne by Augustus (Caesar) between 44 and 27 BCE


Blaine

en-proper noun

Blaine (countable and uncountable, plural Blaines)

A male or unisex given name transferred from the surname.


guess what

Perhaps an ellipsis of "(can you) guess what I am about to say/what happened next?"

Guess what the top two success drivers were from his detailed research: a unique, superior, differentiated product; strong market orientation and voice of the customer built in. Guess what the top two deficiencies were: lack of market orientation; poor quality of execution.

2007, David Richmond, The Software Entrepreneur’s Template, page 15:

She started down on one end, and whether she knew you or not, she walked right up to you, got six inches away from your face, and said, “Guess what, I won!”

2011, Bob Merritt, When Life's Not Working: 7 Simple Choices for a Better Tomorrow, page 57:

Have you ever said “abracadabra”, “hocus pocus”, or “presto chango”? Well, guess what? You were casting a spell!

2011, Jen Jones, The Girl's Guide to Wizards: Everything Magical about These Spellbinders, page 17:

(idiomatic, by ellipsis, rhetoric question) Used to introduce a surprising outcome or one that the hearer is not expected to try to guess.

by ellipsis; rhetoric question; by ellipsis; rhetoric question

I've only had two job interviews and – guess what – no job offers.

Yesterday evening at 6:30 P.M. there's a new charge nurse, he's going to give me my seizure medication and guess what? There isn't any!

2011, Sandra Gila, Vortex: The Journey of a Nursing Home Survivor, page 160:

(idiomatic) Used to dramatize the introduction of an unsurprising outcome.


Sita

Borrowed from Sanskrit सीता (sītā, “furrow”).

It is only this late in the day, and possibly only in Willesden, that you can find best friends Sita and Sharon, constantly mistaken for each other because Sita is white (her mother liked the name) and Sharon is Pakistani (her mother thought it best — less trouble).

2000, Zadie Smith, White Teeth, London: Hamish Hamilton, →ISBN, pages 282–283:

A female given name from Sanskrit mainly used in India.


Sheba

And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions.

(biblical) A former kingdom in the Red Sea region. An ancient kingdom in Arabia or possibly in Africa. Frequently equated with ancient Saba.

And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 2 Samuel 20:1:

(very rare outside the Bible) A male given name from Hebrew.


Sheba

'I was kinda sweet on her my own self. Sheba Otis, her name was then.' I was surprised. 'She married a Queen? Which one?' 'Can't say.' He sighed. 'Her name's Bathsheba, but she never liked that much.'

1996, Martha Grimes, Hotel Paradise, Headline, →ISBN, page 172:


Winblows

Blend of Windows + blows (in the slang sense where something that "blows" is worthless or inferior). First use appears c. 1997 in the periodical Working Woman.

Winblows regrets that it is "Not Justice Department Approved."

1998, Newsweek, Incorporated, Newsweek, Volume 131, page 12:

Ring me when Winblows becomes free, or when there are free dev tools for it!

1999, John Purcell (editor), Linux, The Complete Reference; The Advanced Reference · Book 2, page 319:

While many users run versions of Linux or Unix on their PCs, most PC users run some flavor of Windows (often referred to by Mac and Unix users as WinDoze or WinBlows).

2003, David Chappelle, Protect Yourself Online, How to Cover Your Assets Every Time You Log On, page 27:

(computing, slang, derogatory) The Microsoft Windows operating system.


Microshaft

Blend of Microsoft + shaft (in slang sense; see shafted).

(computing, slang, derogatory) The computer company Microsoft.


Munsee

From Munsee mŭnúsunk (“at the island”), from munús (“island”). Compare Ojibwe minis (“island”), minising (“at the island”).

They stare at her like she’s just spoken in Munsee.

2020, N. K. Jemisin, The City We Became, Orbit, page 298:

An endangered Eastern Algonquian language, one of the two Lenape/Delaware languages (the other is called Unami), spoken aboriginally in the vicinity of what is now New York City.


Sudanese Arabic

A dialect of Arabic spoken in northern Sudan.


Padma

Borrowed from Sanskrit पद्म (padma, “lotus”), which the river was named for. Doublet of Pema.

bor+

A female given name from Sanskrit in India.


Jennabeth

His secretary-administrative assistant, also a new Consortium staff member, is Jennabeth Ward, a recent graduate of the University of Texas.

1969, The San Francisco Consortium, Quarterly Newsletter, volumes 1-3, page 8:

A female given name originating as a coinage.


Queen's English

But I am not so timid, and can speak the Queen's English plainly.

1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, “The Story of the Young Man with the Cream Tarts”, in New Arabian Nights:

Picking up the different points of land was often the source of a joke, for our master was not blessed with the most perfect command of the Queen's English, and I overheard one morning the following nautical dialogue: "Look out, ahoy!" - speaking to the man in the foretop.

1887, Harriet W. Daly, Digging, Squatting, and Pioneering Life in the Northern Territory of South Australia, page 33:

He murdered the Queen's English every time he spoke.

1913, E. Phillips Oppenheim, chapter 22, in The Double Life Of Mr. Alfred Burton:

In the movies, bankable Brits fall into one of two categories: those who live in stately homes and possess a firm grasp of the Queen's English, and those who live in cottages or tenements and possess accents thick enough to caulk boats.

2006 April 7, Jeanette Catsoulis, “Movie Review: On a Clear Day (2005)”, in New York Times, retrieved 2010-08-15:

They've obviously never met before, but are getting on like a house on fire. Both are well-spoken and versed in the Queen's English. [this was possibly written before Queen Elizabeth II died]

2022 November 16, Paul Bigland, “From rural branches to high-speed arteries”, in RAIL, number 970, page 52:

(often preceded by the) Especially in England, spoken or written English which is standard, characterised by grammatical correctness, proper usage of words and expressions, and (when spoken) formal British pronunciation.


King's English

What, Iohn Rugby, I pray thee goe to the Caſement, and ſee if you can ſee my Maſter, Maſter Docter Caius comming: if he doe (I’faith) and finde any body in the houſe; here will be an old abuſing of Gods patience, and the Kings Engliſh.

c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merry Wiues of Windsor”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv], page 42, column 1:

"Spake it out, man," exclaimed the landlady; "spake it out in king's English; what for should ye be talking Indian in a room full of Christian folks?"

1823, James Fenimore Cooper, chapter 13, in The Pioneers:

I venture to say that in a fifteen-minute conversation he would commit more horrible crimes against the king's English than even that new stable-boy of yours.

1921, Edgar Rice Burroughs, chapter 14, in The Efficiency Expert:

The O.E.D. is unlike any other dictionary. . . . It wants every word, all the lingo: idioms and euphemisms, sacred or profane, dead or alive, the King’s English or the street’s.

2006 November 5, James Gleick, “Cyber-Neologoliferation”, in New York Times, retrieved 2010-08-15:


Wren

Originally a nickname from Middle English wrenne (“wren”).

"What's ironic," Alexandra said, "is that Mother named her Wren because as a newborn she reminded Mother of a shy bird. Little did she know."

2000, Rebecca Wade, A Wanted Woman, Avon Books, →ISBN, page 53:

(rare) A male or female given name from English from the noun wren.


Rach

A diminutive of the female given name Rachel.


wouldn't you know

wouldn't you know it
wouldn't you know it#English

(idiomatic) Alternative form of wouldn't you know it


Louisiana Creole French

Louisiana Creole
Louisiana Creole#English


adminiculate

en-verb

adminiculate (third-person singular simple present adminiculates, present participle adminiculating, simple past and past participle adminiculated)

adminiculates (present singular third-person)
adminiculating (participle present)
adminiculated (participle past)
adminiculated (past)

(transitive, Scots law) To prove; to corroborate.


Reuel

These are the names of Esau's sons; Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau, Reuel the son of Bashemath the wife of Esau.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 36:10:


Jyothis

/ˈd͡ʒoːt̪ɪs/

Borrowed from Sanskrit ज्योतिस् (jyotis, literally “light”).


Middle Armenian

Middle period of the Armenian language, written down in the 11-17th centuries. Developed from Old Armenian, replaced by modern Armenian.


Sylheti

From Bengali সিলেটি (śileṭi), from Arabic سِلْهَتِيّ (silhatiyy) used by Perso-Arab traders and Mughals,
from native Sylheti ꠍꠤꠟꠐꠤ (síloṭi), from Old Sylheti ꠍꠤꠞꠐꠤ (síroṭi).

A language spoken in the Sylhet Division of north-eastern Bangladesh, the Barak Valley of the Indian state of Assam, North Tripura and Unakoti districts of the Indian state of Tripura.


absolvitor

Borrowed from Latin absolvitor (literally “let him be acquitted”), the third-person singular future passive imperative form of absolvō (“I absolve, acquit, or declare innocent”). Compare absolutory.

bor

Pitmedden purſues Seaton of Menzies as Repreſenting his Father, who was one of the Purſuers Brothers Tutors, for his Fathers Intromiſſion with the Pupils Means, who alleadged Abſolvitor.

1668 December 19, James Dalrymple, “Mr. Alexander Seaton contra Menzies” in The Deciſions of the Lords of Council & Seſſion I (Edinburgh, 1683), page 575

(Scots law) A decision or decree made by a court in favour of the defendant in a given action; dismissal.


Jaz

A diminutive of the female given name Jasmine

I know, from picking up the post from the hall in the mornings, that Jaz has a mother in Northumbria who thinks her daughter's name is Janette. That jaunty z is but a wedge of lemon stuck into a bottle of beer.

1995, Shena Mackay, The Orchard on Fire, Heinemann, published 1996, →ISBN, page 5:

A diminutive of the female given name Janet or Janette


Unity

Hitler, it seemed, had two engagements in Munich that day; one was a visit with Unity Mitford, a Nazi sympathizer belonging to the well-known British Mitford family, who was recovering in a Munich hospital from an attempted suicide.

1996, John H. Waller, The Unseen War in Europe:


Korey

(rare) A male given name transferred from the surname.


Kori

(rare) A female given name transferred from the surname.


Cori

(rare) A female given name, masculine equivalent Corey.


Augie

A diminutive of the male given name Augustus, from Latin.


Proto-Malayo-Polynesian

A proposed common ancestor to the group of Malayo-Polynesian languages.


Agesilaus

From Ancient Greek Ἀγησίλαος (Agēsílaos).

A male given name from Ancient Greek of certain historical persons.


West Germanic

(linguistics) The branch of the Germanic language family consisting of English, Frisian languages, Dutch, Afrikaans, Low Saxon languages, German, and Yiddish, and their immediate predecessors.


Xan

A diminutive of the male given name Alexander.

A diminutive of the female given name Alexandra.


Ike

A diminutive of the male given name Isaac.


Adioukrou

A language spoken in the south of the Ivory Coast, chiefly in the subprefecture of Dabou.


Marnie

Possibly a contraction of Marina or a diminutive of Marian.

"Marnie?" she said slowly, reading the name on the cover. "But how did you know? Marian was always called Marnie-"

1967, Joan G. Robinson, When Marnie Was There, HarperCollins, published 2014, →ISBN, page 250:

A female given name from Latin or Hebrew.


Saffy

A female given name, diminutive of Saffron.


Carrier

en-proper noun

Carrier (countable and uncountable, plural Carriers)

A Northern Athabaskan language spoken in Canada. Sometimes considered to be three separate languages: Southern Carrier, Northern Carrier and Central Carrier.


Westman Islander

en-noun

Westman Islander (plural Westman Islanders)


Lettie

A diminutive of the female given name Letitia or Lettice.


Inuinnaqtun

A language or dialect of Inuktitut spoken by some Inuit.


Dogrib

From dog + rib, a calque of Dogrib Tłı̨chǫ (“dog-flank”), from tłı̨ (“dog”) + echǫǫ̀ (“rib area, flank”), the dog-flank people, from a traditional legend.


Koro

an unwritten Tibeto-Burman language spoken in the East Kameng district


East Germanic

en-adj

East Germanic (comparative more East Germanic, superlative most East Germanic)

more East Germanic (comparative)
most East Germanic (superlative)

Of or relating to the East Germanic languages, a subdivision of the Germanic languages.

Oost-Germaans

of or relating to East Germanic languages


Arretine

From Latin ārrētīnus, from Ārrētium (“Arezzo”) + -īnus (relation suffix).

Of, from or pertaining to Arezzo, Italy.


Kabardian

A North Caucasian language spoken in Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia, Russia, also known as East Circassian.

къэбэртай

language spoken in Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia


Ata

A Papuan language spoken on New Britain island, Papua New Guinea.


Romulan

From Romulus + -an. From the Star Trek franchise, in which they are described as being from the planet Romulus, drawing inspiration from the Roman origin story of Romulus and Remus.

"Some sort of Romulan game," Riker said thoughtfully. "Trying to make us guess what they're up to."

1999, Peter Allen David, Double or Nothing:

"He looks like a Romulan." Suddenly, her attention is focused on him and she calls across the street, "Hey, monkey Romulan, sort it out!"

...the law vaporizes like a Romulan warrior into the ions of space.

2001, Michael W McConnell, Robert F Cochran, Angela C Carmella, Christian perspectives on legal thought:

A member of a fictional alien race, described as being cunning and opportunistic.


Romulan

constructed language
constructed language#English

A fictional language and a constructed language. The fictional language of the Romulans, a fictional extraterrestrial race from Star Trek. Created words and phrases from Star Trek have been latterly expanded upon to create a constructed language, that some among the Star Trek fandom attempt to build into a usable language.


plagium

en-noun

plagium (usually uncountable, plural plagiums)

From Latin plagium (“kidnapping”), compare plagiarism, probably from plaga (“a net, snare, trap”).

(Scots law) abduction, especially of a child


Upper Lusatian

a Slavic language spoken in part of Saxony


Lower Lusatian

a Slavic language spoken in part of Brandenburg


Deep North

(Australia, sometimes derogatory) Queensland, sometimes with the addition of the Northern Territory.


Baruch

Borrowed from Hebrew בָּרוּךְ (Barukh, “blessed”). Cognate with Arabic بَارَك (bārak, “Barak”).


Sogdian

An extinct Middle Iranian language spoken around Sogdiana.


Undine

From German Undine (“undine”), first used as a given name in the novel Undine by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué and in 19th-century operas based on the book.

The child, on the contrary, would by no means listen to this, declaring she had been called Undine by her parents, and Undine she would still be called. Now this seemed to me a Pagan name, which stood in no calendar, and therefore I took counsel of a priest in the city.

1818 Translation by George Soane of Undine (1811) by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué, W.Simpkin and R. Marshall, pages 24-25

(rare outside fiction) A female given name from Latin.


Old Georgian

A language of the South Caucasian family, spoken between the 5ᵗʰ Century BC and the 17ᵗʰ Century AD when it evolved into the modern Georgian language.


Gershom

From Hebrew גֵּרְשֹׁם (gershóm, “Gershom”), found in Exodus.

And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter. And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus 2:21-22:


Mannie

A diminutive of the male given name Emmanuel.


need I say more

Joe Bloggs became president – need I say more?

(colloquial, humorous, rhetorical question) Used to say that audience can predict the result of something.


Tajik Persian

Tajiki (variety of the Persian language)


Mannaean

the language of these people, possibly related to Hurrian


Big Nambas

From the size of the nambas, or penis sheath, worn by the men.

Their language, belonging to Oceanic branch of the Malayo-Polynesian language family.


Church Latin

The Latin language as spoken, written, and used in the Christian church and in church services.


Kag-Fer-Jiir-Koor-Ror-Us-Zuksun

A compound of the names of seven of its eight principal dialects. (The omitted dialect is Kur, also called Keri-Ni, Keli-Ni or Kelinchi, and not to be confused with Koor.)

A Niger-Congo language spoken in Nigeria.


Proto-Armenian

The reconstructed ancestor of the Armenian language.


Indo-Uralic

en-adj

Indo-Uralic (comparative more Indo-Uralic, superlative most Indo-Uralic)

more Indo-Uralic (comparative)
most Indo-Uralic (superlative)

Perhaps the most widely accepted proposal is of an Indo-Uralic family, encompassing PIE and Proto-Uralic.

2007, Carlos Quiles, A Grammar of Modern Indo-European, Indo-European Association, →ISBN, page 38:

2008, Adam Hyllested, “Internal reconstruction vs. external comparison: the case of the Indo-Uralic laryngeals”, in Jens Elmegård Rasmussen, Thomas Olander, editors, Internal Reconstruction in Indo-European: Methods, Results, and Problems, Museum Tusculanum Press, published 2009, →ISBN, page 111:

Of or relating to both the Indo-European and the Uralic languages; especially, of or pertaining to a proposed language family containing both the Indo-European and the Uralic languages.


Indo-Uralic

Other proposals, further back in time (and correspondingly less accepted), model PIE as a branch of Indo-Uralic with a Caucasian substratum; […]

2007, Carlos Quiles, A Grammar of Modern Indo-European, Indo-European Association, →ISBN, page 39:

The Indo-Uralic languages: a proposed language family containing both the Indo-European and the Uralic languages.


Americanese

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have shattered the myth that Americanese has taken an unshakeable hold on the Anglophone world.

2010, Paul Bignell, Queen's English still rules: We say tomato... as does most of the world:

(informal, often derogatory) American English


Sinitic

Sinitic (comparative more Sinitic, superlative most Sinitic)

more Sinitic (comparative)
most Sinitic (superlative)

From Latin Sīna (“China”) + -itic, as in Semitic.

չին-տիբեթական

relating to the group of Chinese languages


lenocinium

Borrowed from Latin lenocinium (“pimping, prostitution”).

bor

(Scots law) A husband's connivance at his wife's adultery.


Liturgical Armenian

Old Armenian (language). The language is still used in some contexts by the Armenian Church, e.g. in some prayers and in monumental inscriptions.


Vyomesh

From Sanskrit [Term?]. Derived from two independent words vyom (space, universe) and esh (god, master). The combined meaning indicates Mahavishnu or Shiva.

A male given name from Sanskrit used in Hindu communities.


Pleasance

From an Old French female given name Plaisance, from plaisance (“pleasance”). The surname is partly matronymic, partly habitational from the Italian town of Piacenza.

Similarly, the verse at the close of Through the Looking Glass is an acrostic for Alice Pleasance Liddell.

2008, Sherry L. Ackerman, Behind the Looking Glass, page 32:


Tereno

Language spoken in the Mato Grosso do Sul region of Brazil, written in the Latin script.


cornhusker

(usually capitalized) A person who is a native or resident of the U.S. state of Nebraska.


Saskabusher

/ˈsæskəbʊʃɚ/

(Canada, informal, humorous) A native or inhabitant of the city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.


Cornhusker

(informal) A native or resident of the American state of Nebraska.


Cappadocian

/kæpəˈdəʊʃən/

Cappadocian Greek
Cappadocian Greek#English


amirite

It's not like you wouldn't want to jump over those lava fountains, amirite?

2009, Tim Lindquist, New Super Mario Bros Wii Coin Collector's Guide, page 51:

(Internet slang, rhetorical question) Alternative spelling of am I right


Na-Dene

Coined by Edward Sapir in 1915, from Tlingit naa and Athabaskan dene, both meaning people or tribe.

A major language family consisting of Tlingit, Eyak and the Athabascan languages, spoken in large parts of North America.


Alacalufan

A minor language family spoken primarily in Chile.


Nilo-Saharan

Belonging to the Nilo-Saharan language family, or pertaining to its associated peoples.


Japonic

/d͡ʒəˈpɒnɪk/

A language family spoken in Japan, consisting of Japanese proper and the Ryukyuan languages.

日本‐琉球語族

にほん-りゅうきゅうごぞく


Yukaghir

Borrowed from Russian юкагир (jukagir). The part yuka- may derive from Southern Yukaghir йуукэ (jūke, “far, distant”) or juk (“small”), if not from a word from some other language, because the most common endonyms used by Yukaghirs are Southern Yukaghir одул (odul) and Northern Yukaghir вадул (wadul). The suffix -ghir is likely from Evenki -гир (-gir), which is a very common ending in names of Evenki, Even and Orochon tribes.

der

(linguistics) A language family consisting of two closely related languages spoken in Siberia.


Shamika

A female given name originating as a coinage, of African-American usage.


Dene-Yeniseian

A proposed language family linking the Na-Dene languages of North America and the Yeniseian languages of Siberia.


Ket

The Yeniseian language of the Ket people.


Kaiden

A male given name originating as a coinage, variant of Caden or Kayden.


Tai-Kadai

From Tai + Kadai. Coined by Paul K. Benedict in 1942.

Synonym of Kra-Dai (“a major language family spoken in large parts of Southeast Asia”)


Wiyot

The now-extinct Algic language of the Wiyot people.


Uncle Joe

"Of course, it's just the thing for the Russians. They couldn't want anything better. Unconditional surrender," he repeated, thoughtfully sucking a tooth. "Uncle Joe might have made it up himself."

1943, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, quoted in, 1974, Elliott Roosevelt, As He Saw It

"It won't get that far. The Politburo is is too circumspect," said the DDI.[…]
"Tell that to Leon Trotsky," Ritter said sharply.
"That was personal. Stalin wanted to eat his liver with onions and gravy," Greer replied. "That was pure personal hatred, and it achieved nothing on the political level."
"Not the way Uncle Joe looked at it. He was genuinely afraid of Trotsky—"


Nar Phu

A Tibeto-Burman language spoken in Nepal.


liferent

en-noun

liferent (countable and uncountable, plural liferents)

The said William Aitken, being of new solemnly sworn, &c., depones he is a Burgess of Hawick, and had the property of a house which he now liferents, the fee being disponed to his son-in-law, Bailie Robert Scot, for the use of his son William, his daughter, Bailie Scot's wife, having paid the price of the house; depones sixty years ago Gilbert Elliot was tenant in Nether Southfield, who broke Hawick Common by plowing a part of it, which the Deponent saw at the Common-Riding when the Magistrates and other persons at the Common-Riding potched the ground he had plowed, and was then sown that he might not reap the crop of this.

1898, R. S. Craig, Adam Laing, The Hawick Tradition of 1514: The Town's Common Flag and Seal, page 240:

(Scots law) The right to receive for life the benefits of a property or other asset, without the right to dispose of it.


Ao

Their language, belonging to the Tibeto-Burman language family.


JBiebs

Blend of J(ustin) + Biebs (from Bieber), modelled on other abbreviations such as J-Lo.

blend

from <i class="Latn mention" lang="en">Bieber</i>

(slang) The Canadian singer Justin Bieber.


Vikram

From Hindi विक्रम (vikram), from Sanskrit विक्रम (vikrama).


Nigella

A 19th-century flower name from nigella. Compare also the male given name Nigel.

Sarah asked if Nigella's momma was a poet because she certainly had a lyrical ear for a name.

2005, Renee W. Campoy, Case Study Analysis in the Classroom, SAGE, →ISBN, page 165:

(rare) A female given name from English.


Myfanwy

Myvanwy

see commons:Category:Myvanwy (given name)


Madrileño

en-adj

Madrileño (comparative more Madrileño, superlative most Madrileño)

more Madrileño (comparative)
most Madrileño (superlative)

Of or pertaining to Madrid, or to its inhabitants.


Zaragozan

Saragossan; someone from Saragossa (Zaragoza)


Navarran

Navarran (comparative more Navarran, superlative most Navarran)

more Navarran (comparative)
most Navarran (superlative)


Malagan

[…] in his handling of this affair; a Malagan ambassador praised his foresight and wisdom, which resulted in peace and tranquility in Malaga.

1974, Andrew Handler, The Zīrids of Granada:

From Málaga or otherwise related to the city of Málaga.


Bilbaoan

During the French occupation, Bilbaoans were likely to have been exposed to some French culture and influence.

1989, Barbara Rosen, Arriaga the Forgotten Genius: The Short Life of a Basque Composer:

Only about 10 percent of Bilbaoans speak Euskara, as compared with 35 to 40 percent of the inhabitants of Donostia. Such a contradiction is at the very core of both the difficulties and the dynamism of the Basque Country.

2007, William A. Douglass, Joseba Zulaika, Basque culture: anthropological perspectives:


South Slavic

of or relating to this language family or to the South Slavs.

nashke

of or relating to South Slavic or the South Slavs


Old Korean

The earliest stage of the Korean language, written in hanja, which evolved into Middle Korean by the 10ᵗʰ or 13ᵗʰ century, depending on the analysis.


Jaya

Borrowed from Sanskrit जय (jaya, literally “victory”).

bor+

(India) A female given name from Sanskrit.


Middle Easterner

en-noun

Middle Easterner (plural Middle Easterners)


New Norwegian

Nynorsk; Norwegian as spoken after 1500, and the written language that is based on this

nynorsk

the latest phase of the Norwegian language, spoken after 1500

նոր նորվեգերեն

one of the two major Norwegian (written) languages


De'ang

An ethnic minority group found in Southern China and Burma. Languages spoken in regions populated by this group include Palé, Riang, Rumai, and Shwe, all of which belong to the Palaungic sub-group of the Khasi-Khmuic family of languages.


Volscian

An Italic language formerly spoken by the Volsci and becoming extinct sometime after the 3rd century BC.


flyover state

(US, mildly derogatory) Any state of the United States that is often passed over by intercoastal / transcontinental flights, rather than being a popular destination. (the Gulf coast, Great Plains, Appalachia, Rocky Mountain states)


reprobator

(Scots law, historical) An old form of action to prove a witness to be perjured or biased.


Sunda

Indonesian Pasundan (“former Sunda Kingdom area such as West Java, Banten and western Central Java”)

uder

Sunda Islands, a group of islands in the western part of the Malay archipelago

Sunda Strait, the strait between Java and Sumatra


Clay

en-proper noun

Clay (countable and uncountable, plural Clays)

From a Middle English occupational name for a clay worker, or a habitational name, from Old English clǣġ (“clay”).

When he was about five years old some kids asked Clay why his mother had called him that. And he did not know. But began to wonder.

1968, Patrick White, “Clay”, in The Burnt Ones, Penguin Books, page 114:

A male given name transferred from the surname.

A diminutive of the male given name Clayton.


Williamite

Episode 12, The Cyclops
We fought for the royal Stuarts that reneged us against the Williamites and they betrayed us.

(historical) A follower of King William III of England who deposed King James II in the Glorious Revolution.

Clann Bhullaí ('the Williamites')

a follower of King William III of England


Kip

A diminutive of the male given name Kipling.


Ambers

A diminutive of the male given name Ambrose, from Ancient Greek.


Chuckie

A diminutive of the male given name Chuck.


Audie

English rendering of a diminutive of the Irish male given name Éadbhard (“Edward”).

The Haney Lees, the Snow Warrens, and the Jake Bowens always referred to him by his middle name. He had asked the Haney Lees to call him "Leon", as he thought that "Audie sounded like a girl's name".

1975 Harold B. Simpson, Audie Murphy, American Soldier, Hill Jr. College Press, page 22


Audie

I am joined in congratulating the Murillo's by their own children, Lynn "Nay" Valbuena, Audrey "Audie" Martinez, and George "Boy" Murillo, - - -

2002 (U.S.) Congressional Record, V.148, Pt.3, March 11, 2002 to April 10, 2002, page 3877

A diminutive of the female given name Audrey.


Chucky

A diminutive of the male given name Chuck, related to Charles.


Chet

Chet (countable and uncountable, plural Chets)

(countable) A diminutive of the male given name Chester.


Dima

From Russian Ди́ма (Díma), a diminutive of the male given name Дми́трий (Dmítrij, “Demetrius”).

Ди́ма Дима#Russian

A transliteration of the Russian male given name diminutive Ди́ма (Díma).

A transliteration of the Ukrainian male given name diminutive Діма (Dima).


Elbie

A diminutive of the male given name Elbert.


Ged

A diminutive of the male given name Gerard.


Ebbie

A diminutive of the male given names Ebenezer and Eben.


Gordie

A diminutive of the male given name Gordon.


Dunky

A diminutive of the male given name Duncan.


Camp

A diminutive of the male given name Campbell.


Midlander

The Midlanders will hope the victory will kickstart a campaign that looked to have hit the buffers, but the sense of trepidation enveloping the Reebok Stadium heading into the new year underlines the seriousness of the predicament facing Owen Coyle's men.

2011 December 10, Marc Higginson, “Bolton 1 - 2 Aston Villa”, in BBC Sport:

A native or inhabitant of the English Midlands.


Tripolitanian

An inhabitant or native of Tripolitania.


Callistan

(science fiction) An inhabitant of Callisto.


Dore

* As an English surname, from the noun dore (“kind of bumblebee”).
* Also as an English surname, from the placename Dorr in Derbyshire or Herefordshire; see Dorr. Sometimes influenced or directly from the noun door.
* As an Irish surname, from Ó Doghair (“descendant of Doghar”), a byname meaning "sadness" (compare dubhghràdh, from dubh + gràdh).
* As a French surname, from Old French doré (“golden”). Compare Dorais.
* As a Hungarian surname, from the adjective dőre (“stupid, useless”).

A diminutive of the male given name Isidore.


Gil

A diminutive of the male given name Gilbert.


Huffie

A diminutive of the male given name Humphrey.


Julianne

A 19th/20th century variant of Juliana. Can also be interpreted as a combination of Julia + Anne.


Goddard

* As an English surname of Norman origin, name of a 10th-11th-century German saint, from Old High German got (“God”) + harti,herti (“hard, strong”). Brought to England by Normans. Compare Gothard, Godard.
* As a French surname, variant of Gaudet.

A male given name from the Germanic languages.


Ladislaus

Borrowed from Medieval Latin Ladislaus, Latinization of a Slavic royal name *Voldislavъ, from the elements Proto-Slavic *voldь (“power”) (see *volděti) and Proto-Slavic *slava (“glory”). Doublet of Laszlo and Vladislav.

A male given name from the Slavic languages.


Semnani

Any of a group of languages spoken in the Semnan province of Iran


Limburgic

en-adj

Limburgic (comparative more Limburgic, superlative most Limburgic)

more Limburgic (comparative)
most Limburgic (superlative)

Limburgian, Limburgish (of, from, or relating to Limburg, its people or their language)


Galician-Portuguese

The division of Romance languages that encompasses Galician, Portuguese, Eonavian and Fala.

The common ancestor of these languages, spoken in the Middle Ages, also called Old Portuguese.


Alvis

It was not easy growing up with a first name like Alvis. Every year on the first day of school when the teacher would read off her seating chart, Alvis, all the snotty little kids in my class would laugh.

2010 December 15, David Moon, “The Lunar Report”, in The Herald:

A male given name transferred from the surname.


Adamorobe Sign Language

An indigenous sign language used in Adamorobe, a village of Ghana.


Uab Meto

The Malayo-Polynesian language of West Timor and Oecusse District of East Timor.


Proto-Eskimo

Hypothetical prehistoric ancestor of all Eskimo languages, including Yupik and Inuit.

The category of Proto-Eskimo on Wiktionary


Kuanua

the language spoken by the Tolai people of New Britain in Papua New Guinea.


Haitian Vodoun Culture Language

A specialized vocabulary (perhaps not strictly a language) used in Haiti for religion, song, and dance purposes.


unstar

en-verb

unstar (third-person singular simple present unstars, present participle unstarring, simple past and past participle unstarred)

unstars (present singular third-person)
unstarring (participle present)
unstarred (participle past)
unstarred (past)

(transitive, UK politics) To demote a question from an oral one to a written one (because oral questions are conventionally marked with a star on the Order of Business in the House of Commons).


Alexandrina

Alexander of Russia, the patron saint of the Cobourgs, was dead, so Alexandrina of England, named in honour of him, gave way to Victoria the tutelary deity of his (when living) subservient Cobourgs. Both names are alike foreign and unharmonious to British ears,* although of the two, Alexandrina perhaps the most euphonious.
*George IV., who, whatever his faults, had a true British spirit and sentiments, declared both to be anti-British, and expressed himself in no measured terms at the time about giving the royal infant such unEnglish names.

1838 April, Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Court and Cabinet Gossip of a New Reign, pages 512–513:


MIB

en-noun

MIB (countable and uncountable, plural MIBs)

(US, ufology, conspiracy theorists) Initialism of man in black.

(US, in the plural) Initialism of men in black.

Initialism of man in black.
Initialism of men in black.


Alexandrine

Whoever will drink of an unadulterated stream must go to the fountain-head. This, Miss Laura Alexandrine Smith has done, and that she has drunk deeply, is easy to be seen from the spirit and enthusiasm with which she writes.

1887 June, R. M. Ballantyne, “Introductory Note”, in Laura Alexandrine Smith, The Music of the Waters. […], London: Kegan Paul, Trench & Co., […], published 1888, page ix:

Alexandrine Ave., named for Alexandrine M. Willis, the wife of B. Campau, land owner (1863)

2008, Kristin Palm, The Straits, Palm Press, →ISBN, page 21:

He teamed up with Amin and Iksander, named, Iksander said, for Alexander the Great. / Cool, John said. I read somewhere that the year he died, children all over the world were named for him. Alexander, Alexandrine, Alexandra.

2010, Pearl Abraham, American Taliban, Random House, →ISBN, page 194:


Durga

A female given name from Sanskrit, common in India. Another name of Parvati


Zeelandic

A regional language similar to Dutch, spoken in the Dutch province of Zeeland and on the South Holland island of Goeree-Overflakkee.


Billary

(US, slang, sometimes derogatory) The political union of Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton.


Minica Huitoto

An Huitoto language of the Witotoan family spoken in western South America.


Bajau

Learned borrowing from Indonesian Bajau bajau.

lbor

1937, W. F. Schneeberger, A Short Vocabulary of the Banggai and Bajau Language:

2007, Mark T. Miller, A Grammar of West Coast Bajau, PhD Thesis.

(linguistic) The native language spoken by the Bajau people (the indigenous of Bajau island in Indonesia).


Nastia

Transliteration of Russian На́стя (Nástja), diminutive of Анастаси́я (Anastasíja, “Anastasia”).

When he got to their nary, Olga was hysterical, clutching Anastasia to her bosom. All he was able to make out, between Olga's sobs and cries was, “Oh, My God, Nastia is dead!!!”

2005, Anatole Kurdsjuk, The Long Walk Home with Miracles Along the Way:

На́стя Настя#Russian

A transliteration of the Russian female given name diminutive На́стя (Nástja).


Lepontic

An extinct language attested in Europe until ~100BC, usually considered to be a member of the Celtic family.


Sveta

From Russian Све́та (Svéta), an informal pet form of Светла́на (Svetlána, “Svetlana”).

Then one evening Katya approached a girl named Svetlana.
“Sveta, you have such beautiful hair,” she said. “Where did you get your permanent?”

2008, Ellen Bailey, Katya's Gold: What Will Her Dreams Cost?, page 53:

A female given name from Russian, diminutive of Svetlana


Svetlana

Transliteration of Russian Светла́на (Svetlána), from свет (svet, “light”). Made up by Alexander Vostokov in 1802, later borrowed into English and other languages.

translit

Orthodox Christianity
Orthodox Christianity

A female given name, common in Slavic nations in which Orthodox Christianity is established.


Terrianne

A female given name originating as a coinage.


commodate

Latin commodatum (“something lent, a loan”).


Bee

A diminutive of the female given name Beatrice.


Kyleigh

A female given name transferred from the surname, variant of Kaylee or Kylie.


Torygraph

Blend of Tory + telegraph, from the newspaper's political leanings; popularised by Private Eye magazine.

I thought, I'm not going to do my spring boxes and give a picture to the bloody Torygraph.

1993, David Hare, Lyn Haill, Asking around, page 169:

(UK, derogatory, informal) The Telegraph newspaper.


Nun

And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses.

(very rare) A male given name from Hebrew


Arvanitic

/ˌɑːvəˈnɪtɪk/

From Arvanite + -ic, based on Greek αρβανίτικα (arvanítika).

A form of the Albanian language spoken by a minority in Greece.


Mickey Mouse Protection Act

the Mickey Mouse Protection Act (canonical)

So called because it served to prevent Disney's Mickey Mouse character from entering the public domain for a further period.

(informal, derogatory) The Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act.


Algerian Arabic

A group of Arabic dialects spoken primarily in Algeria.


Kutenai

The language isolate spoken by this people.


Zinaida

Borrowed from Russian Зинаи́да (Zinaída), cognate with the English historical name Zenaida, from Ancient Greek Ζηναΐς (Zēnaḯs), meaning "belonging to Ζεύς (Zeús)". Name of a first century saint venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Doublet of Zenaida.

Зинаи́да Зинаида#Russian

A transliteration of the Russian female given name Зинаи́да (Zinaída).


Antonina

Borrowed from Latin Antonina, feminine form of Antoninus, derivative of Antonius.
Name of obscure early martyrs venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

A female given name from Latin of mainly historical use English.


Yucatec Maya Sign Language

A sign language used in Yucatán, Mexico.


Maritime Sign Language

British Sign Language
British Sign Language

An endangered sign language descended from Old British Sign Language used in Atlantic Canada.


Kata Kolok

A sign language used in parts of northern Bali, Indonesia.


Quebec Sign Language

A sign language of the French Sign Language family used primarily in Quebec.


Ecuadorian Sign Language

The sign language used by the deaf community of Ecuador.


Jhankot Sign Language

The sign language used in Jhankot, a village in western Nepal.


Danish Sign Language

The sign language used by the deaf community of Denmark.


Dutch Sign Language

The sign language used by the deaf community of the Netherlands.

Flemish Sign Language

which is distinct from DSL, despite spoken Flemish being a variety of spoken Dutch


Estonian Sign Language

The sign language used by the deaf community of Estonia.


Greek Sign Language

The sign language used by the deaf community of Greece.


Hawaii Pidgin Sign Language

A sign language used in Hawaii. The language is named after the Hawaiian Pidgin spoken language and is not itself a pidgin.


Swiss-German Sign Language

The primary sign language of Liechtenstein and German-speaking areas of Switzerland.


Flemish Sign Language

The sign language used by the deaf community of Flanders.

Dutch Sign Language

which is distinct from FSL, despite spoken Flemish being a variety of spoken Dutch


Finnish Sign Language

A variant of sign language commonly used in Finland.


Malaysian Sign Language

The sign language used in Malaysia, ISO 639-3 code: xml.


Al-Sayyid Bedouin Sign Language

A sign language used by some of the bedouins of al-Sayyid.


Slovenian Sign Language

A sign language used in Serbia and Slovenia.


Icelandic Sign Language

The sign language of Iceland's deaf community.


Japanese Sign Language

Sign language used in Japan. ISO 639-3 code: jsl.


Old Catalan

The Catalan language as it existed in the Middle Ages.


Mandobo Atas

(linguistics) A Papuan language spoken on the Upper Mandobo River.


Arbëreshë Albanian

The form of the Albanian language spoken by the Arbëreshë people in southern Italy.


Aranadan

A Dravidian language spoken in Kerala, India.


Arvanitika Albanian

A form of the Albanian language spoken by a minority in Greece.


Aramanik

The original language of this people, Aasax.


Oksana

Окса́на Оксана#Russian

A transliteration of the Russian or Ukrainian female given name Окса́на (Oksána).


Amal

Borrowed from Arabic أَمَل (ʔamal, “hope”).


Afade

[…] if the Musgum and Afade words are cognate, […]

1968, in Africana marburgensia (published by the Philipps-Universität Marburg), volumes 1-5

All Kotoko language speakers in Nigeria may speak Afade.

2003, William Frawley, editor, International encyclopedia of linguistics, volume 1, 2, page 235:

Other 'dialects' are spoken in Nigeria and Chad, and include Afade, Lagwan, Mser, Mpade, Maslam, Malgbe and Mazera.

2007, Tones and Tunes: Typological studies in word and sentence prosody (Tomas Riad, Carlos Gussenhoven), page 71


Huda

Borrowed from Arabic هُدًى (hudan, “guidance”)


Aleksandr

Borrowed from Russian Алекса́ндр (Aleksándr).

Алекса́ндр Александр#Russian

A transliteration of the Russian male given name Алекса́ндр (Aleksándr)


Sergei

Серге́й Сергей#Russian

A transliteration of the Russian male given name Серге́й (Sergéj), equivalent to Sergius.


Welsh English

The form of the English language that is chiefly used in Wales.


Saint Lucian Creole French

A language of Saint Lucia, a French-based subvariety of Antillean Creole.


Ambonese Malay

Ambonese, a Malay-based creole language of Indonesia.


Abui

From Abui abui (“mountains; enclosed place”).

A language spoken in the Alor Archipelago of Indonesia.


Cypriot Arabic

A language of Cyprus, a moribund variety of Arabic spoken by the Maronite community.


Omani Arabic

The variety of the Arabic language spoken in parts of Oman.


Aduge

A dialect of the Okpamheri language of Nigeria.


Dhofari Arabic

A variety of the Arabic language spoken in parts of Oman.


Hijazi Arabic

An Arabic dialect spoken primarily in Jeddah, Mecca, Medina, and Taif in Saudi Arabia.


Afro-Seminole Creole

A dialect of the Gullah language, spoken by black Seminoles in scattered communities in Oklahoma, Texas, and Northern Mexico.


Amdo Tibetan

A variety of the Tibetan language spoken by Amdo Tibetans.


Gulf Arabic

United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates

A variety of the Arabic language spoken in Eastern Arabia around the coasts of the Persian Gulf in Kuwait, Iraq, Bahrain, eastern Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Iran and northern Oman.


pseudoelement

In a chemical formula, something that is called by a chemical symbol, but is not an element; e.g. Et may mean ethyl group, or Ph (or Φ) may mean phenyl group. (See "Skeletal formula" on Wikipedia; said article has a subsection titled "Pseudoelement symbols".)


Novgorodian

en-adj

Novgorodian (comparative more Novgorodian, superlative most Novgorodian)

more Novgorodian (comparative)
most Novgorodian (superlative)


Juba

(historical) A male given name from Latin, notably borne by kings of Numidia.


Faizan

From Arabic فَيْضَان (fayḍān); compare فَيْض (fayḍ, “grace, favor”).


tin tabernacle

(UK) A church, usually nonconformist, clad in corrugated iron.


Proto-Italic

Hypothetical prehistoric Indo-European language, ancestor of all Italic languages.

Oeritalisch

hypothetical prehistoric ancestor language


Khwarshi

A Northeast Caucasian language spoken in Dagestan region of Russia.


Biebs

Clipping of Bieber + -s (hypocoristic suffix).


Standard German

The standardised German (more precisely High German) language, especially as distinguished from High German varieties such as Bavarian or Luxembourgish, or from Low German.


Alvina

Consequently Alvina, or Vina as she was called, understood only the explicit mode of good-humoured straightforwardness.

1920, D. H. Lawrence, The Lost Girl, Echo Library, published 2008, →ISBN, page 19:

A female given name from the Germanic languages.


what are the odds

(idiomatic, rhetorical question) Used to express surprise at an unlikely outcome.


Ida'an

A Malayo-Polynesian language spoken by the Ida'an people of Sabah, Malaysia


Irenæus

From Latin Irenaeus, from Ancient Greek Εἰρηναῖος (Eirēnaîos), from εἰρηναῖος (eirēnaîos, “peaceful”), from εἰρήνη (eirḗnē, “peace”).

The book of Judith is a most interesting topic. We shall never believe, with John of Antioch, that it was written by Irenæus, nor, with the Pseudo‐Philo de Temporibus, by Joachim, successor of Joshua the high‐priest.

1829, Algernon Herbert, Nimrod, page 12:

(archaic) A male given name from Ancient Greek.


Mian

A language spoken in Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea.


Zeshan

A male given name from Arabic, variant of Zeeshan or Zishan


Society Islander

en-noun

Society Islander (plural Society Islanders)


Windward Islander

Windward Islander (plural Windward Islanders)


Sandwich Islander

Sandwich Islander (plural Sandwich Islanders)

(obsolete) A person from the Sandwich Islands now known as Hawaii. Replaced by Hawaiian.


Leeward Islander

Leeward Islander (plural Leeward Islanders)


South Islander

A person from the South Island, New Zealand.


Aleutian Islander

Aleutian Islander (plural Aleutian Islanders)


Easter Islander

Easter Islander (plural Easter Islanders)


North Islander

A person from North Island, New Zealand.


Ascension Islander

Ascension Islander (plural Ascension Islanders)


Midway Islander

Midway Islander (plural Midway Islanders)


Suebi

From Latin Suēbī, from Proto-Germanic *swēbaz.

A group of Germanic tribes living mostly near Elbe in what is now central Germany around the first century BCE.


Massachusettsian

That he was a Virginian and I a Massachusettsian.

1802 [1962], John Adams, edited by L.H. Butterfield, Diary and Autobiography of John Adams, volume 3, Cambridge, Massachusetts, page 336:

A young Massachusettsian (is this correct orthography?), by name Nathaniel II. Bishop, a mere lad of seventeen, who, prompted by a love of nature, starts off from his New England home, reaches the La Plata River, and coolly "walks" to Valparaiso, across pampa and cordillera, a distance of more than a thousand miles !

1869 January, Mayne Reid, “Trifles”, in Onward, G.W. Carleton, page 82:

Chadwick (54), though a Massachusettsian by birth, residence, and position is not so by preordination. He has a directness of thought, a humour, and a power of seeing himself as others see him that smack more of London or Paris than of Boston.

1916, Charles Villiers Stanford, A History of Music, The Macmillan Company, page 324:

Much to the chagrin of many a Massachusettsian, on January 29, 1 842, Secretary of State Daniel Webster dispatched directions to the US ambassador to Great Britain in support of Calhoun's resolutions.

1997, Maggie Montesinos Sale, The Slumbering Volcano: American Slave Ship Revolts and the Production of Rebellious Masculinity, Duke University Press, →ISBN, page 131:

The minor appointments were the Virginian Edmund Randolph as attorney general and the Massachusettsian Henry Knox as secretary of war.

2003, John P. Diggins, John Adams, Macmillan, →ISBN, pages 42–3:

(dated) A native or resident of Massachusetts.


Mopán

A Mayan language spoken in Belize and Guatemala.


Judæus

Spinoza was rejected by his contemporaries from the congregation of Israel; Philo‐Judæus was neglected by the generations that followed him.

1910, Norman De Mattos Bentwich, Philo‐Judæus of Alexandria, preface, page 7:

(history) A male given name from Ancient Greek.


Ptolemæus

From Ancient Greek Πτολεμαῖος (Ptolemaîos, “warlike”).

uder

Since Tischendorf lays so much stress upon pseudo-Tertullian and Philastrius making Ptolemæus appear immediately after Valentinus, this explanation is after his own principle.

1874, Walter Richard Cassels, chapter X, in Supernatural Religion, volume II, page 219:

(archaic) Alternative form of Ptolemaeus: a male given name from Ancient Greek: Ptolemy.


Brontë

From Ancient Greek βροντή (brontḗ, “thunder”), used as a rendering of Prunty, an Anglicization of the Irish Ó Proinntigh, "descendant of a person named Proinnteach (“Generous”)".

der

A male given name transferred from the surname.


Michif

A variant pronunciation of the French word Métis.

One of the languages of the Metis people, spoken mainly in Canada. They exist along a continuum with three main types:

A true mixed language with many elements from both French and Cree.


Vasconic

(linguistics) A language family spoken in the northern Pyrenees.


European Portuguese

The Portuguese language as spoken and written in Portugal, particularly when it differs from other regional varieties of that language.

Europæisk portugisisk

Portuguese spoken and written in Portugal


Nafaanra

a Senufo language spoken in northwest Ghana by the Nafana, along the border with Côte d'Ivoire, east of Bondouko.


Charmaine

20th century variant of Charmian, or coinage from the noun charm with the -aine ending as in Elaine and Germaine.

I wonder why you keep me waiting / Charmaine, my Charmaine / Rise in vain

1926, Ernö Rapée, Lew Pollack (lyrics and music), “Charmaine”:

A female given name originating as a coinage.


Northwest Germanic

(linguistics) The branch of the Germanic language family consisting of the North Germanic and West Germanic languages combined. This includes all modern Germanic languages, and all ancient Germanic languages except for East Germanic (which includes primarily Gothic).


NIO

Stormont officials spelled out linguistic pitfalls that could offend nationalists and unionists in a 164-page guidance document for Mandelson and other new NIO ministers.

2023 August 23, Rory Carroll, “Files reveal terms ministers were warned not to use in Northern Ireland”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

Northern Ireland Office
w:Northern Ireland Office

(UK politics) Initialism of Northern Ireland Office.


Hunsrik

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Hunsrik.wav

From German Hunsrückisch, a Moselle Franconian dialect spoken in Rhineland-Palatinate, from Hunsrück + -isch.

A Germanic language spoken by some 3 to 5 million people, mainly in southern Brazil. The vocabulary and pronunciation are influenced by Portuguese.


Pittsburghese

The dialect of American English spoken around Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.


Natchez

A member of a tribe of Native Americans once living in the area of Mississippi.


Natchez

The extinct Muskhogean language of these people.

A city, the county seat of Adams County, Mississippi, United States.


Conservative Party

Margaret Thatcher, leader of the Conservative Party, was Britain's first female Prime Minister.

(UK politics) A centre-right political party, official full name Conservative and Unionist Party, informally known as the Tory Party.


Roscoe

From a place in Lancashire, from Old Norse rá (“roebuck”) + skógr (“forest”).


Kiki

A pet form of several female given names beginning with K.


Cushite

From Cush + -ite, coined in the 1820s. In the early 19th century, the term referred to the tan to dark-skinned people of the Horn of Africa (synonymous with Herodotus' Ethiopians) in general. The technical linguistic sense is due to Friedrich Müller (1876).

Pertaining to the ancient people of the Horn of Africa, historically considered the descendants of biblical Cush.

كُوشِيّ

pertaining to the ancient people of the Horn of Africa


Cushite

Similarly, in the Hamitic area, the Berber languages of the north-west are clearly distinguished from Ful, and these, again, from the Nilotic languages, which, in their turn, are quite distinct from the “Cushite” languages in the east (i.e. Somali, Galla, Saho, Bedauye, etc.).

1915, Carl Meinhof, translated by A. Werner, An Introduction to the Study of African Languages, London: J. M. Dent & Sons, page 150:

The numerous Cushite languages of East Africa make up another branch of Afroasiatic and can be separated for convenience into five subgroups—northern, central, eastern, western, and southern. […] The northern branch of Cushite consists of a number of closely related dialects of which Bedauye, the best known, may be taken as representative.

1990, [Joseph H. Greenberg], “Internal a- Plurals in Afroasiatic (Hamito-Semitic) (1955)”, in Keith Denning, Suzanne Kemmer, editors, On Language: Selected Writings of Joseph H. Greenberg, Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, →ISBN, page 401:

In the second language category are Cushite speakers. Cushite is a subdivison of the Afro-Asiatic language family. Cushite speakers live in areas stretching from the coast of the Red Sea across the Horn of Africa.

1995, David M. Helgren, Robert J. Sager, World Geography Today, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, →ISBN, page 454:

(linguistics) The Cushitic subfamily of languages.


Cushite

(anthropology, dated in academic contexts) A member of one of various peoples native to the Horn of Africa, generally restricted to those that speak Cushitic languages.

Kuschite

member of one of the peoples of the Horn of Africa


Kushan

Epigraphic (Bactrian in Greek script) ΚΟϷΑΝ košan, Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Guṣāṇa, Parthian kšn, ultimately from Chinese 貴霜／贵霜 (Guìshuāng). The conventional name Kushan and the proposed connection with the Chinese term is due to Alexander Cunningham's Coins of the Indo-Scythians, Sakas & Kushans (1899).

(history) An ancient Indo-Scythian or Tocharian kingdom in Central Asia and Northern India.


Kushan

en-adj

Kushan (comparative more Kushan, superlative most Kushan)

more Kushan (comparative)
most Kushan (superlative)

(history) Of or relating to the Kushans or the Kushan realm.

Kušanų

of or relating to the Kushans or the Kushan realm


Tehrani

A native or resident of the city of Tehran.


Nikolayev

From Russian Никола́ев (Nikolájev), from Никола́й (Nikoláj, “Nicholas”). Compare Mykolaiv.

A male surname from Russian, feminine equivalent Nikolayeva.


LAB

(UK politics) Abbreviation of Labour Party.


Frankie

Before arriving in Miami, he was known by his real name of Frankie King. Not Frank but Frankie; his mother had named him after the singer Frankie Laine.

1991, Carl Hiaasen, Native Tongue, Knopf, →ISBN, page 62:

A diminutive of the male given name Frank, Francisco, Francis or Franklin.

A diminutive of the female given name Frances or Francesca.

(humorous) A diminutive of the surname Frankenstein, used as a given name for a similar monster or mad scientist.


Mopsy

en-proper noun

Mopsy (plural Mopsys or Mopsyes or Mopsies)

Mopsys (plural)
Mopsyes (plural)
Mopsies (plural)

From mop + -sy. From mopsy, from mop. Compare moppet.

A nickname for a person with a mop of hair.


Odia

The official language of the state of Odisha, India.


Pythian

From Latin Pythius, from Ancient Greek πύθιος (púthios, “belonging to Pytho, the older name of Delphi and its environs”): compare French pythien.

der

Of or relating to Delphi or to its priestess, Pythia.


Bessarabian

en-adj

Bessarabian (comparative more Bessarabian, superlative most Bessarabian)

more Bessarabian (comparative)
most Bessarabian (superlative)


Miley

Popularised as a female name by American pop singer Miley Ray Cyrus (nicknamed Miley from "smiley").


Amir

From Arabic أَمِير (ʔamīr, “commander, prince”). Doublet of amir, emir, admiral, and amira.


Primitive Irish

The Irish language as attested from the fourth to the seventh centuries C.E. and written in the Ogham alphabet, the predecessor of Old Irish.


Radder

Jocular modification of Radcliffe + -er. See Oxford "-er".

(Oxford University slang, archaic) The Radcliffe Camera.


Ryukyuan

Any of the traditional languages of Ryukyu, in modern times predominantly displaced by Japanese.


Mile

A transliteration of the Macedonian male given name Миле (Mile)


United Statian

en-adj

United Statian (comparative more United Statian, superlative most United Statian)

more United Statian (comparative)
most United Statian (superlative)

All the boasted mountain scenery, from the New Hampshire “Notch” to far-famed “Lookout,” where the historic “Battle above the Clouds” never took place, would look like ant-hills and pig-troughs in any hundred miles of the Utah and Colorado Rockies — the only Real Wonderland, with the “R. W.” blown in the glass, of the United-Statian part of the new world.

1895, Peter Donan, “A wonderful tour” (chapter X), in Utah: a peep into a mountain-walled treasury of the gods, Buffalo: Matthews-Northrup Co., page 78:

Often, education in the US tends to be technocratic and anti-intellectual. United Statian students are not typically prepared, that is, prepared to accept the responsibility of becoming global citizens...

2004, Matthew Clay Bronson, Writing passage: Academic literacy socialization among ESL graduate students, a multiple case study, Davis: University of California, page 191:

Bilingual/ bicultural students do not fit easily into the prevailing United Statian racial categories.

2010, Lourdes Diaz Soto et al., Teaching Bilingual/Bicultural Children, page 71:

As Patterson asserts about the team, which includes an archaeology school primarily for United Statian and British students, Carriacou is an attractive place to conduct research ...

2014, Carla Guerrón Montero, “Tourism, cultural heritage and regional identities in the Isle of Spice”, in Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change, →DOI, pages 1–21:

The aptitude of current teachers [...] declarative level of pluralism, and their attitudes or actual behaviours; or the United Statian challenges of growing re-segregation, inequality in school funding, and childhood poverty rates with increases of more than 50% since the 1970s.

2020, Lasso-Rodriguez, G., & Gil-Herrera, R., “Training the Teachers with Assistance of Robotic Process Automation”, in INTED2020 Proceedings, →DOI, pages 8714–8720:

(rare, nonstandard) Pertaining to the United States.


father-bother merger

/ˌfɑːðə ˈbɒðə ˈmɜːdʒə(ɹ)/

/ˌfɑðɚ ˈbɑðɚ ˈmɝdʒɚ/

The first is the father-bother merger, a loss of rounding contrast in the low back vowels by which the originally contrastive /ɒ/ has been subsumed by /ɑː/ into the fused phoneme /ɑ/.

2018, Gregory H. Bontrager, “Ambisyllabicity in an Optimal-Theoretic Model of English Stress Assignment”, in Florida Linguistics Papers, volume 5, number 2:

A phonemic merger in English of the vowels /ɑː/ (as in father) and /ɒ/ (as in bother).


Orrin

During the press conference, Orrin Hatch and the others spoke very graciously about our extraordinary efforts in getting this bill passed […]

2008, Diana DeGette, Daniel Paisner, Sex, science, and stem cells: inside the right wing assault on reason, page 110:

On June 3, 1931, she married Orrin Frink, Jr., who had joined the mathematics faculty at Penn State in 1928 as an assistant professor.

2009, Judy Green, Jeanne LaDuke, Pioneering Women in American Mathematics: The Pre-1940 PhD's:

A male given name from Irish of obscure origin, possibly a variant of Oren or Oran.


spaceling

Thanks to the latest graphics technology, almost all of those spacelings will be ready for their close-ups.

2007 October 16, Seth Schiesel, “Elves Are Out, Aliens In”, in New York Times:


Kabuli

From Kabul + -i, or directly from Persian کابلی (“Kabuli”).

But they are physically no match for the Kabulis and every Kabuli considers himself more than a match for any number of travellers from the plains.

1918, The Indian Review, volume 19, page 11:


Elysse

A female given name from Hebrew, variant of Elise.


Bethy

“I'll settle Bethy's troubles, and then I'll tell you mine. They are not very wearing, so they'll keep,” and Jo stitched away, with a wise nod which set her mother's heart at rest about her for the present at least.

1868–1869, Louisa M[ay] Alcott, Little Women: […], (please specify |part=1 or 2), Boston, Mass.: Roberts Brothers, →OCLC:

A diminutive of the female given name Elizabeth.


warrandice

(Scots law) A form of warranty in which a person conveying property is held liable for any outstanding claims on the property.


inbring

en-verb

inbring (third-person singular simple present inbrings, present participle inbringing, simple past and past participle inbrought)

inbrings (present singular third-person)
inbringing (participle present)
inbrought (participle past)
inbrought (past)

From Middle English inbringen, from Old English inbringan (“to bring in, bring to, present”), equivalent to in- + bring. Cognate with Scots inbring (“to inbring, import”), Dutch inbrengen (“to bring in”), German einbringen (“to introduce, bring in”), Swedish inbringa (“to bring in, fetch”).

cog

(transitive, Scots law) To bring in by legal authority; produce in court; confiscate (the goods of a condemned criminal).


Russenorsk

An Arctic pidgin language combining elements of Russian and Norwegian, mainly used by traders in the nineteenth century.


Gedaged

An Austronesian language spoken around Astrolabe Bay in Papua New Guinea.


Tabby

A diminutive of the female given name Tabitha.

A diminutive of the female given name Tabetha.


Buffy

A pet form of Elizabeth (cf. Bethy), based on a child's unsuccessful attempts to pronounce the name. Popularized by the Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise.


Johnsonian

en-adj

Johnsonian (comparative more Johnsonian, superlative most Johnsonian)

more Johnsonian (comparative)
most Johnsonian (superlative)

To stop no-deal, MPs must adopt some Johnsonian ruthlessness and be ready to bring down the prime minister and put someone else, probably Jeremy Corbyn, in his place.

2019 August 29, “The Guardian view on Johnson v parliament: an unelective dictatorship”, in The Guardian:

(UK politics) Of or pertaining to Boris Johnson (born 1964), English politician and prime minister of the United Kingdom from 2019 to 2022.


what was someone smoking

Suggesting the smoking of mind-altering drugs.

The SGZ is primarily a signal that Alfa Romeo is back in business as serious maker of serious cars although the Zagato body puts one in mind of the FI team owner whose response to a new car was to ask his designer 'What were you smoking when you designed that?'

1996, Mark Lawrence, A to Z of sports cars, 1945-1990, page 1943:

“...We don't want to live there. It's dark, creepy and it stank. What were you smoking when you bought this place? Hope you bought it real cheap, where is your change at?”
“Shut the hell up”, James snapped back. “I'm your daddy and you going to live where I move you”.

2005, Gemäse Simmons, Worth Fighting For!: The Tragedies & Triumphs of Professor Renee ..., page 25:

Bush and company had a fantasy that we could bring democracy to Iraq and it would cause a domino effect in the Middle East. Suddenly every Arab nation would embrace democracy. What were they smoking?

2007, Lee A. Iacocca, Catherine Whitney, Where have all the leaders gone?, page 82:

(idiomatic, humorous) Used to express surprise about someone's uncharacteristic or wacky, offbeat past actions.


mother language

en-noun

mother language (plural mother languages)


Xandra

A female given name from Ancient Greek of modern usage, a short form of Alexandra.


Basheer

From Arabic بَشِير (bašīr, “bringer of good news”)


Bashir

From Arabic بَشِير (bašīr, “bringer of good news”).


Classical Syriac

An extinct language of the Northwest branch of the Semitic language family.

ܠܫܢܐ ܥܬܝܩܐ

Leššānā ‘atīqā


dotless i

A letter whose uppercase version is "I" and lowercase version is "ı". A letter "I"/"i" without the lowercase dot, that is used in the Turkish language.


Rachelle

20th-century variant of Rachel, from French Rachelle, or possibly coined independently of it.


Johannah

I can't reconcile myself to being called Miss Silver. I can't realise the character. It's like an affectation, like making-believe. Directly I relax my vigilance, I forget, and sink back into Johannah Rothe. I'm always Johannah Rothe when I'm alone.

1897 Henry Harland, Comedies and Errors, Ayer Publishing (reprint), page 284


Kiyoshi

Gordon Kiyoshi Hirabayashi, known for his courage to challenge the U.S. government policy to evacuate, relocate, and intern all persons of Japanese ancestry during the Pacific War, was born in Seattle on April 23, 1918.

1983, Hyung-chan Kim, Distinguished Asian Americans: A Biographical Dictionary, Greenwood Publishing Group, page 113:


erhua

(Chinese phonetics) A phonological process that adds rhotic sounds to syllables in some lects of Chinese.


erization

/ˌɜːɹəˈzeɪʃ(ə)n/

/ˌɜːɹaɪˈzeɪʃ(ə)n/

Calque of Chinese 兒化／儿化 (érhuà). By surface analysis, er + -ization.


Blair

en-proper noun

Blair (countable and uncountable, plural Blairs)

From Scottish Gaelic blàr (“field, plain”).

(countable) A unisex given name
A male given name

(countable) A unisex given name
A female given name


Leia

From the name of a princess in the American fantasy film Star Wars (1977).

A female given name originating as a coinage.


Jutlander

/ˈd͡ʒʌtlændəɹ/


Zillah

ON the fifth morning, or rather afternoon, a different step approached - lighter and shorter; and, this time, the person entered the room. It was Zillah; donned in her scarlet shawl, with a black silk bonnet on her head, and a willow-basket swung to her arm.

1847 December, Ellis Bell [pseudonym; Emily Brontë], Wuthering Heights: […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Thomas Cautley Newby, […], →OCLC:


Rochelle

French: Nouvelle-Rochelle

Habitational or topographic name from places in France, La Rochelle, from Old French rochelle diminutive form of roche (“rock”).

She was a modern woman. "Rochelle!" I hear my grandma's taunt. "Imagine Rochelle!" And then in Yiddish: "Rachel is not good enough for her."

1971, E. L. Doctorow, The Book of Daniel, Random House, published 2007, →ISBN, page 42:

A female given name transferred from the place name, of 20th century usage.


Monrovian

A native or inhabitant of Monrovia, capital city of Liberia.


Lappish

A language family spoken by the Lappish people.


English-Canadian

en-adj

English-Canadian (comparative more English-Canadian, superlative most English-Canadian)

more English-Canadian (comparative)
most English-Canadian (superlative)

Of or relating to Anglophone Canadians, of English Canada.

kanada anglalingva

anglophone Canadian, English-speaking Canadian, English-language Canadian


Old Low Franconian

(strict sense) The West Germanic language that is the ancestor of modern Dutch and its varieties.

Altniederfränkisch (as adjective: altniederfränkisch)


Dari Persian

Synonym of Dari (variety of Persian spoken in Afghanistan)


Vilamovian

A West Germanic language spoken in the Polish town of Wilamowice.


Timorese

Tetum (a national language of East Timor)


Australian Sign Language

Auslan; the sign language of the Australian deaf community.


Bai

From Chinese 白 (Bái). Doublet of Bach (Vietnamese surname).


South Sudanese

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-South Sudanese.wav

From South Sudan + -ese, after Sudanese.

A person from South Sudan or of South Sudanese descent.


Paulie

A diminutive of the male given name Paul.


Kazuyoshi

Borrowed from Japanese かずよし (Kazuyoshi).


Akira

A female given name from Japanese (uncommon)


Umeda

A Papuan language spoken in Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea.


git along

Pronunciation spelling of get along (“move along”).

Whoopee ti yi yo, git along little dogies,
It's your misfortune, and none of my own.
Whoopee ti yi yo, git along little dogies,
For you know Wyoming will be your new home.

1910, John Avery Lomax, Cowboy songs, and other frontier ballads, page 87:

(US, cowboy slang, often said to cattle) Move; keep going.


Toshimitsu

Borrowed from Japanese としみつ (Toshimitsu).


Number Ten

Coordinate term: Number 11

10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street#English

(UK politics, colloquial) Synonym of 10 Downing Street


Proto-Altaic

The hypothetical prehistoric ancestor of all Altaic languages, the existence of which is now often rejected.


Feejeean

Feejeean (comparative more Feejeean, superlative most Feejeean)

more Feejeean (comparative)
most Feejeean (superlative)


Kaycie

A female given name transferred from the surname, variant of Casey.


Mozela

A native of Nansemond County, Va., he was the widower of Mrs. Mozela Holliman Ashe and a son of the late Bennie and Meddie Ann Lawrence Ashe.

1968 December 2, “Lonnie Ashe”, in Suffolk News-Herald, volume 46, number 290, page 10:

Addie Mozela Sneed, daughter of Sherman and Inez Ross, was born on June 28, 1933.

2018 April 14, “Sneed, Addie Mozela”, in Chicago Tribune, page 2-6:

Aunt Luella Bailey was Grandpa and Grandma’s oldest living daughter. The oldest daughter, named Mozella, died in infancy.

2020, Joice Christine Bailey Lewis, My Ancestral Voices, →ISBN:


Hidemitsu

Borrowed from Japanese ひでみつ (Hidemitsu).


double S

The name of the Latin-script letter ẞ/ß.


Mennonite Low German

Mennonite + Low German, because Mennonites were the ones to carry it out of Prussia.

a variety of or descending from Low Prussian (East Low German, Low German or Low Saxon), that developed in Royal Prussia and which is now spoken by communities not only in Germany but also in North America (Canada, the United States), South America (Argentina, Brazil), Russia and some other places. (Not to be confused with the High German language Pennsylvania German; both are spoken in Pennsylvania.)

Molotschna

historically and linguistically important settlements


Yasutoshi

Borrowed from Japanese やすとし (Yasutoshi).


Izumi

Borrowed from Japanese 泉 (izumi, “spring; fountain”).


Nattie

A diminutive of the female given name Natalie.


Emmabeth

(rare) A female given name originating as a coinage.


Zuleika

After all, Zuleika does mean 'The Magnificent One'.

2001, Bernardine Evaristo, The Emperor's Babe, Penguin Essentials (2020), page 117:


Gaz

A nickname of the given name Gareth or Gary.


Rodders

A nickname of the given name Rodney or Roderick.


Markie

A diminutive of the male given name Mark.


Robbo

A diminutive of the given name Robert or Robin.


Gazza

From Gareth (or any personal name starting Ga-) + -zza.


Katsura

Borrowed from Japanese 桂 (Katsura) or かつら (Katsura).


Nats

[…]We had lots of good times together at school - Nats was always happy and bubbly and would make anyone's bad day a good one, putting a smile on your face.' Natalie's teachers remember her well, of course.

2006, Tracey Hawthorne, Natalie Du Toit: tumble turn, page 67:

A diminutive of the female given name Natalie


Arakanese

Arakanese (comparative more Arakanese, superlative most Arakanese)

more Arakanese (comparative)
most Arakanese (superlative)


Aracanese

Aracanese (comparative more Aracanese, superlative most Aracanese)

more Aracanese (comparative)
most Aracanese (superlative)

(historical) Of or pertaining to Aracan (or Arakan) in British Burma, corresponding to the modern Rakhine State.


Aracanese

(historical) The people native to Aracan in British Burma.


Hanyu Pinyin

zh-l

漢語拼音／汉语拼音 (Hànyǔ Pīnyīn)

Mr. Jenner has also provided the Note on Pronunciation at p. 196, for Chinese names which are romanized in this volume according to the Hanyu Pinyin system.

1973, Lu Xun, translated by Gladys Yang, edited by Gladys Yang, Silent China Selected Writings of Lu Xun, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, page xii:

I follow McKhann in using Naxi pinyin to transliterate sainii and paq but retain regular Hanyu pinyin for dongba instead of using Naxi pinyin dobbaq since this is the most familiar form.

1996, Bell Yung, Evelyn Sakakida Rawski, Harmony and Counterpoint: Ritual Music in Chinese Context, Stanford University Press, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 253:

This paper points out that since the 1986 National Conference of Language Works, Hanyu Pinyin and Hanzi no longer have equal status in the Chinese writing system. Hanyu Pinyin has assumed a subordinate status to Hanzi, and it is no longer regarded as an evolving alphabetized writing system to replace Hanzi in the future. This posture is much lower than that preferrred by Mao Zedong in the early stage of New China.

2000, Feng Zhiwei, Yin Binyong, “THE CHINESE DIGRAPHIA PROBLEM IN THE INFORMATION AGE”, in Studies in the Linguistic Sciences, volume 30, number 1, page 229:

Introducing Hanyu Pinyin is about convenience and consistency, but should not, through autocratic rules, become a new front in the battle over identity.
Pragmatism is exactly why we would see the retention of “Taipei,” “Kaohsiung” and “Hsinchu” instead of “Taibei,” “Gaoxiong” and “Xinzhu,” and is the most sensible way to proceed in a politicized environment.

2008 September 20, “EDITORIAL: Pinyin is welcome, but not coercion”, in Taipei Times, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2008-09-20, Editorials, page 8:

Kaohsiung City Government said Wednesday that it will continue using the Tongyong Pinyin Mandarin romanization system on its street signs, passing on plans by the city's previous mayor to transition to the more widely-used Hanyu Pinyin system.[…]
In May 2019, former Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) proposed adopting the Hanyu Pinyin system for the city's street signs at an estimated cost of NT$73 million (US$2.54 million), though the plan was ultimately delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020 October 14, Wang Shu-fen, Matthew Mazzetta, “Kaohsiung nixes proposal to adopt Hanyu Pinyin street signs”, in Focus Taiwan, archived from the original on 2020-10-16, Society:

Some use romanization to make a political statement, a legacy of the “Great Tongyong-Pinyin Wars” of the 2000s. Here's a useful trick: if you notice someone is using the Hanyu Pinyin system that is standard in China for their name, they are likely pan-blue (pro-KMT), and if they use Taiwan’s Tongyong Pinyin, they are probably pan-green (pro-DPP).

2022 February 22, Courtney Donovan (石東文) Smith, “The joyous variety in Taiwanese chosen names”, in Taiwan News, archived from the original on 2022-02-22:

Around twenty years ago, during Taiwan’s romanization wars (when President Chen wanted to impose Tongyong Pinyin upon Taiwan and a great many foreigners and others reacted with dismay and disgust), a popular claim of the Tongyong supporters was, “If Taiwanese use Hanyu Pinyin for their names, no one will be able to tell Taiwanese from Chinese anymore.”

2023 May 9, “Why is the ROC govt trying to make Taiwanese look like Singaporeans?”, in Pinyin.info, archived from the original on 2023-05-10:

A system of romanization for Mandarin Chinese. Usually called Pinyin.

漢語拼音

standard romanization of Mandarin Chinese


Chadic

Central African Republic
Central African Republic

(linguistics) A branch of the Afroasiatic language family spoken across northern Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Central African Republic and Cameroon.


Uma

A female given name from Sanskrit mainly used in India.


Shion

* (given name): Transliteration of Japanese しおん.

Shion Takeuchi, b. 1988


Masaru

Japanese: マサル (reimportation to Japanese as foreign)

From Japanese Masaru (Masaru), from まさる, from various (優/勝/将/將/賢/真申).

ja-l/helper

優/勝/将/將/賢/真申

優/勝/将/將/賢/真申

ja-l

優/勝/将/將/賢/真申

優/勝/将/將/賢/真申


Kato

A particular group of Native American people in the United States.


Takaki

Borrowed from Japanese 高木 (Takaki) or たかき (Takaki).


Taira

Borrowed from Japanese 平 (Taira) or Japanese 平良 (Taira).


Oireachtas

The Oireachtas, Ireland’s legislature, was put into a virtual lockdown for hours on Wednesday by a small but abusive group of about 200 people.

2023 September 21, Emma Graham-Harrison, “Alarm over ‘fascist-like’ protest at Ireland’s seat of government”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:


Marley

From several different places in England, from Old English mære (“boundary”) or myrig (“pleasant”) or mearþ (“marten”) + lēah (“woodland clearing”). In the first case, equivalent to mere (“boundary”) + -ley (“lea”).

census-designated place
census-designated place

A census-designated place in Will County, Illinois, United States.

(chiefly British) A male given name transferred from the surname.

(chiefly US) A female given name transferred from the surname.


Seanad Éireann

(Ireland) The upper house of the Parliament of Ireland.


Sena

A language spoken in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe.


Toshikatsu

Borrowed from Japanese としかつ (Toshikatsu).


Toshiharu

Borrowed from Japanese としはる (Toshiharu).


Norichika

Borrowed from Japanese のりちか (Norichika).


Hiromitsu

Borrowed from Japanese ひろみつ (Hiromitsu).


Corydon

From Ancient Greek κόρυδος (kórudos, “crested lark”).

der

They give voice to Corydon′s passion; they confront in their own culture the constraints that hedge his passion in.

1994, Bruce R. Smith, Homosexual Desire in Shakespeare's England: A Cultural Poetics, page 92:

Byron shocked regency England by citing it^([Virgil's second eclogue]) in the opening canto of Don Juan, and Andre Gide gave the title Corydon to the controversial defense of homosexuality he published in 1924.
Virgil depicts Corydon’s passion with psychological realism and a touch of wry irony.

2006, Louis Crompton, Homosexuality and Civilization, page 92:

The harlequinade ceases for the moment, and a two-character tragedy begins with the shepherds Thyrsis and Corydon, whose names derive from ancient pastoral poetry.

2008, Bernard F. Dick, Claudette Colbert: She Walked in Beauty, page 18:

(literary) A male given name from Greek, notably used as a stock name for a shepherd in pastorals, in particular a shepherd whose love for a boy is described in Virgil's Eclogues.


Mitsuyuki

Borrowed from Japanese みつゆき (Mitsuyuki).


Yoshihisa

Borrowed from Japanese よしひさ (Yoshihisa).