Seldom-Used Words

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Here are two words I have never used in my entire life;

penult also penultimate or penultima - noun the next to the last member in a series; esp. the next to the last syllable of a word

penultimate - adj 1. next to the last 2. of or relating to a penult

Antepenultimate - second to last.

Many of the recent words I wouldn't describe as seldom-used, at least not by me. Perhaps I have a plethora of p-words?
 
Og, I must agree with you about whether the last several words I have posted are conforming to my own thread, and they are not. Often, I am interested in the definitions, like pep, which I had no idea came from pepper.

pentomic - adj 1. made up of five battle groups (~ division) 2. organized into pentomic divisions (~ army)
 
palfrey (noun) - a light saddle horse, usually one ridden by a woman

pibgorn, an ancient woodwind musical instrument, often made from bone
 
It was a damned expensive horse and not just for women.
A medieval knight would have his Destrier (war horse) and his palfrey which was for pleasurable riding.

Right you are. A third definition is a horse used by many couriers and messengers. It's interesting how different dictionaries have differing interpretations of the same word. At least they all agree that palfreys were horses not normally used in combat.
 
Great seldom-used words, Carlus.

This next one is not seldom-used, but its definitions are new to me;

penthouse - noun 1.a. a shed or roof attached to and sloping from a wall or building b. a smaller structure joined to a building: ANNEX 2. a structure or dwelling built on the roof of a building
 
During my research today I found two seldom-used words together and decided to post them, "feckless sally".

feckless - adj 1. lacking purpose or vitality; feeble or ineffective 2. careless and irresponsible: fecklessly adv fecklessness noun
From Scots feck, effect (alteration of effect) + less

sally - verb 1. to rush out or leap forth suddenly 2. to issue suddenly from a defensive or besieged position to attack an enemy 3. to set out on a trip or excursion

sallies - noun pl 1. a sudden rush forward; a leap 2. an assault from a defensive position; a sortie 3. a sudden emergence into action or expression; an outburst 4. A sudden quick witticism; a quip 5. a venturing forth; a jaunt

From French saillie, a sally, from Old French, from feminine past participle of salir, to rush forward, from Latin salre, to leap
 
During my research today I found two seldom-used words together and decided to post them, "feckless sally".

feckless - adj 1. lacking purpose or vitality; feeble or ineffective 2. careless and irresponsible: fecklessly adv fecklessness noun
From Scots feck, effect (alteration of effect) + less

sally - verb 1. to rush out or leap forth suddenly 2. to issue suddenly from a defensive or besieged position to attack an enemy 3. to set out on a trip or excursion

sallies - noun pl 1. a sudden rush forward; a leap 2. an assault from a defensive position; a sortie 3. a sudden emergence into action or expression; an outburst 4. A sudden quick witticism; a quip 5. a venturing forth; a jaunt

From French saillie, a sally, from Old French, from feminine past participle of salir, to rush forward, from Latin salre, to leap

feckless is more frequently used over here (particularly by commentators and politicians) , to describe a certain type od person who is more interested in getting something for nothing rather than putting some effort in to achieve it [like working].

To Sally forth is to go out with some determination.
You'll often find a "Sally Port" in a medieval castle, from where swift attacks were made upon the opposition, particularly under siege conditions.
 
Carlus, I cut and pasted that entry from the online dictionary, so I just assumed there were no typos, but you caught it and are correct.

Euphonic, welcome, and I am pleased to know feckless is used somewhere. It is a great word.

Handley, I knew about sally forth as a verb, but sally as an assault was new to me. Thanks for the info about the Sally Port, now I will know what that is when I see it. Has anyone ever used the name as a character in a book? Sally Port sounds like she would be a fun girl. LOL

One word in my last entry that escapes my understanding is the following;

sortie - noun 1. a sudden issuing of troops from a defensive position against the enemy: SALLY 2. one mission or attack by a single plane
 
I believe it comes from the French, Allard, and refers more to the leaving your position for the assault than to the going towards the enemy.

A limited meaning for "Sally" is found in it's use in Yeats' poem, "Down by the Sally Garden."

"Sally" in this case is an anglicization of "sallis," the Gaelic term for "willow" (cf Latin "Salix"). "Garden also referred to a small copse of trees. So the "Sally Garden" is a copse of willows.
 
Hello Tio. I know from my days of studying Spanish that salir means to leave, so that makes sense. Thanks for the other meaning of sally and introducing copse as well. While looking up sortie, I found these two;

sortilege - noun 1. a divination by lots 2. SCORCERY, ENCHANTMENT

sorition - noun the act or an instance of casting lots
 
A Sally Port from a fortification or castle was often a Postern Door (Back Door). Most fortified places had at least two exits/entrances. The Sally Port was often built so that it could be easily blocked if attacked.

Dover Castle has some interesting Posterns in their Medieval Tunnels.

One is intended for mounted men to enter the dry moat and displace any besiegers. In later years it was adapted with loopholes for musket fire and pierced for Carronades - lightweight short range large bore cannon that would fire a round of several hundred musket balls at any attacking troops.

Another late 18th/ early 19th Century Sally Port has a series of interlocking doors. One door cannot be opened until the previous one is closed - like an air lock. If the guards are suspicious of those seeking entrance they can use the doors to direct the visitors into a roofless area with no exit. Then the guards can throw grenades at them from on high.

As built by Henry II, Dover Castle had three main entrances and a Sally Port. During the Baron's War one of the gates was undermined and later blocked.

But uch later a tunnel was dug from the outer bailey right through the outer defences to allow the defenders to sally out. In the first and second world wars the tunnels in the cliffs were extended so far that the lowest level was just above the sea - another sally port.

The Napoleonic fortifications at Newhaven, East Sussex have massive defences on top of a hill and a sally port a long way below at beach level. During 1940, the defenders had positioned drums full of petrol (gasoline) which would have the caps unscrewed and rolled down the stairs at any attackers, followed by a few incendiary rounds to ignite it. Any attackers would have been well roasted.
 
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Thank you very much, Og, for the additional information on sally ports. Castle fortifications are quite interesting to me. Here is a nice grouping of not so seldom words, but they all share the same meaning;

pentangle - noun PENTACLE

pentagram - noun PENTACLE

pentacle - noun a five-pointed and sometimes six-pointed star used as a magical symbol
 
Euphonic, I should mention that this is a backwards alphabetical thread, starting with Z and moving towards A, so we have not as yet reached otiose, which I believe no one has posted.

I looked up prat as we have passed that section and there was no entry in my dictionary. I looked online and found several definitions including but not limited to; a foolish person, a cunning trick, female genitalia and also buttocks. So, I was wondering, which one you were referring to, if any?
 
Euphonic, I should mention that this is a backwards alphabetical thread, starting with Z and moving towards A, so we have not as yet reached otiose, which I believe no one has posted.

I looked up prat as we have passed that section and there was no entry in my dictionary. I looked online and found several definitions including but not limited to; a foolish person, a cunning trick, female genitalia and also buttocks. So, I was wondering, which one you were referring to, if any?


In general, the word Prat is a quite common when referring to a foolish person.
It is often used when in company in preference to a swear-word or similar.
It should not be confused with Prat-fall [a Clown's trick]: an expression coined in the 1960s, where one lands on ones bum, not feet.
 
Yes, Handley. I was just wondering which usage Euphonic was referring to.

penster - noun WRITER; esp: a hack writer
 
More puns

Words beginning pun from Historical Slang:

Punce - a occasional variant of Ponce - to kick someone with one's clogs Lancashire late 19th early 20th Century.

Punch (various normal meanings) plus - to deflower C18th-19th) from Standard English punch - to pierce.

Punch-House - brothel late 17th - mid 19th Century

Punchable Nun - harlot 1709

Puncture - to deflower Cyclists' slang late 19th early 20th Centuries

Punjab Head - (have a) - To be forgetful Indian Army slang 1880s. Service in the Punjab was supposed to impair the brain.

Punker - a frequenter of punks (harlots) ca 1735-1800
 
I used the word "Whinnied" this morning and even though I was pretty sure it was right had to look it up. Just one of those words that "sounds" funny.
 
Og, there is a sentence in there somewhere. An occasional penster, but always a punster was he.

pensionary - noun PENSIONER; esp: HIRELING

pensioner - noun 1. a person who receives or lives on a pension 2. obs a. GENTLEMAN-AT-ARMS b. RETAINER c. MERCENARY, HIRELING
 
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