Mnemosyne
MnemosyneMemoryis the mother of the Muses. Memory not only amuses but amazes, though sometimes she leads us into a maze. Fortunate the man that combines a good memory with a good forgettery, the ability to organize relative knowledge for recall, while relegating ephemera and trivia to that mental refuse heap which used to be called oblivion but today is known as the subconscious. The working of the subconscious mind is implicit in the late Brander Matthews remark that a gentleman need not know Latin, but he should at least have forgotten it... Who won the pennant in 1942?
There must have been a beginning, and in the beginning was the word. Shortly after the prime cosmetic week of October 18, 4004 B.C. (according to the chronology that tempted Newton before the apple), the Lord brought every beast of the field and every fowl of the air unto Adam, and what he called each one, that was its name. Adam did not linger in the Garden long enough, apparently, to label all the plants. What the Lord provided and Lucifer protracted was taken over by Prometheus, whose name means the Forethinker. Whatever could then be brought to mind, his wards the Greeks had a word for it. They had, for example, some dozen words for as many kinds of pestle, to pound cosmetics and condiments, for the two chief sources of human delight. Their verbal ingenuity was such that scientists have continued to use their forms, and those of their Roman followers, as endings (dacr on , pluton ium ) or as full words ( nitrogen, pyrex ) in the creation of new terms for new discoveries, developments, and inventions.
So fine were the classical distinctions, indeed, that in the course of coarser days many were forgotten. In addition to those discussed in the body of this book, English forms are appended here of a sampling of such words, which may prove serviceable to those still in quest of discrimination.
abatic, untrodden, inaccessible
ablautic, without slippers, barefoot
abyrtaca, a salad of leeks, cresses, and sour sauce
acacy, guilelessness, innocence
acalypse, an unveiling
accinct, well-girded; properly equipped
acetary, a salad with vinegar and oil
achenic, mute with surprise
achrestous, entirely useless
acmaic, in top form; in full bloom; prime
acroamatic. relating to entertainment
acroatic, intended only to be heard, as a radio program
acrobate, to walk on tiptoe
acrotous, unapplauding; receiving with disapproval
adapanetous, inexhaustible
adelic, obscure; unknown
adia, freedom from fear
adoxic, unorthodox; disreputable
aeiparthenous, forever virgin
aganacticous, irritable, peevish
agasthenic, endowed with great strength
agathophrontic, good-natured
agrote, a rustic, a greenhorn
agyniac, one that has no wife; wifeless
alastic, not forgetting; desiring revenge
alazonic, roguily boastful
aliped, wingfooted; one that has winged (speedy) feet
alipile, a slave, at baths, that plucks the hair from the armpits
aluta, a soft leather shoe
amblothridian, an abortive child (used of an adult as a term of contempt)
amburbial, around the city
ameletic, unworthy of care
amelic, negligent, careless
amicacous, not half-bad
amphesic, two-edged
amphithoazic, hurrying aimlessly; relating to rushing around
ampotic, relating to the ebb of the tide; on the downgrade
anandrous, without a husband
ananetous, never relaxed
anaphalautic, with high bare forehead
anaptous, invincible
anarrhopic, slanting upwards
anatolic, relating to the east; eastern
ancistron, a fishhook
andromanic, lusting after men
anebous, unable to grow a beard
anecbatous, without exit; dead-end
anemoliotic, full of windy arrogance; boastfully loquacious
anenious, provokingly insolent
aniatic, incurable; hopeless
anicula, a little old woman (used as an endearment)
anilastic, merciless, pitiless
antefict, an ornament or design for a roof-front or a forehead
anteric, relating to or seeking vengeance for slighted love
anymphous., without a bride
aphadic, displeasing
aphanite, destroyer
aphanous, invisible; secret (converse of diaphanous )
aphebic, past ones youth
aphilous, without a friend
aphrasia, folly
aphrodiasm, quick desire
aphthartous, undecaying, imperishable
aplestous, insatiable
apocrote, a snap of the fingers
apocroustic, with power to repel
apoglutic, with tiny rump
apograph, a census-taker
apomaxy, a cleansing
apomosia, denial under oath
apoplymatic, persistently filthy
apotmic, unlucky
aquilifer, a standard bearer (literally, eagle carrier)
arator, a plowman
arbyle, a half-boot
arcary, one in charge of the money
arenate, to strew with sand; to mix with sand; to grind into sand
aretological, relating to or full of talk about virtue
arietate, to butt like a ram
aristodination, the bearing of fine children
arrhatic, relating to a promise, pledge, or pawning
arrhenopiper, one that looks lewdly at men
arter, a felt shoe
arthmotic, relating to a league or union
artigamous, newly wed
artiphrontic, of sound mind
aserous, disdainful; irksome
askera, a fur-lined shoe
aspasian, gladly welcoming
astytic, incapable of erection
asymbatic, irreconcilable
asyretic, relating to lifting ones clothes and exposing ones body; an exhibitionist of this type
atalous, delicate, tender
athanic, not subject to death
athesphatic, great beyond words
athrous, gathered in a crowd; full of mob spirit
aucupate, to hunt or snare birds
axitious, working harmoniously together
azytic, unyoked; unmarried
babacious, chattering; prone to idle talk
banausic, relating to handicraft; made by hand
bastern, a sedan chair
bausic, prudish; priggish
baxa, a wooden shoe
bdolotic, prone to break wind
biastic, one that uses force; relating to the use of force
bisulcate, with two furrows or wrinkles
blichanotic, with running nose
bomolochus, a lickspittle
brabeutic, relating to an umpire
brimage, to snort with indignation
bromation, a light repast
bucranic, bullheaded
bumastous, large-breasted
busycon, a large fig
cacomorphous, ugly in form
cacosmic, relating to a world of evil
caculor, an attendant on a soldier
caecigene, (one) born blind
calendary, an account-book (The Kalends were the days for paying bills.)
callonymic, (relating to) a beautiful name
calobate, a walker on stilts; to walk on stilts
calyptic, hidden
candytale, a clothespress
caperate, full of wrinkles
carbatine, a shoe of undressed leather
carica, a dried fig
carnifex, the executioner
carotic, stupefying; strongly soporific
casabund, on the verge of falling
