#Unusual words

[mimble-sparklepudding]

A Little OC Ask List of Difficult to Describe Emotions.

Some emotions are difficult to explain clearly. Perhaps your OC has experienced one of these? Can they remember a specific example? If they haven't then can they imagine what it might be like to experience?

Sonder: The profound feeling of realizing that everyone, including strangers passing in the street, has a life as complex as one's own, which they are constantly living despite one's personal lack of awareness of it.

Opia: The ambiguous intensity of looking someone in the eye, which can feel simultaneously invasive and vulnerable.

Kenopsia: The eerie, forlorn atmosphere of a place that's usually bustling with people but is now abandoned and quiet.

Monachopsis: The subtle but persistent feeling of being out of place.

Jouska: A hypothetical conversation you compulsively play out in your head.

Altschmerz: Weariness with the same old issues that you've always had - the same flaws and weaknesses that you've been gnawing on continuously for years.

Greng Jai: A feeling of unwillingess to accept help from someone, out of concern for the trouble it might cause them.

Liberosis: The desire to care less about things than one does.

Dolce Far Niente: A feeling of pleasure from doing absolutely nothing.

Mauerbauertraurigkeit: The inexplicable urge to push other people away, even close friends, lovers or those that you trust.

Enouement: The bittersweetness of having arrived in what was once the future, seeing how things turned out, but being unable to tell (or warn) your past self.

Kuebiko: A state of exhaustion inspired by exposure to acts of senseless violence.

Exulansis: The urge to give up trying to talk about an experience, because other people are unable to relate to it.

Adronitis: Frustration with how long it takes to get to know another person.

Attriage: The state of having lost all control over how you feel about someone.

Wildred: The feeling of haunting solitude in extremely remote places.

Mudita: A feeling of joy at another person's good fortune.

Aulasy: The sadness that there’s no way to convey a powerful memory to people who weren’t there at the time.

Ioia: The wish that you could see statistics overlaid on every person you encounter, perhaps to check the strength of their compatibility, measure their trustworthiness, or even just know for certain how they’re really feeling.

Yeorie: A certain scent that has the power to sweep you back into memories of childhood.

Thrapt: Being awed at the impact someone has had on your life, feeling intimidated by how profoundly they helped shape your identity.

Dolonia: A state of unease prompted by people who seem to like you too much, which makes you wonder if they must have you confused with someone else — and feeling vaguely disappointed that they’re unwilling to spend the time it takes getting to know the real you.

Antiophobia: A fear experienced while leaving a loved one, wondering if this will turn out to be the last time you’ll ever see them, and whatever good-bye you tossed their way might have to serve as your final farewell.

Harmonoia: An itchy sense of dread when life feels just a hint too peaceful.

Dolorifuge: Something which brings about a feeling which banishes or mitigates grief.

Compunctious: Feeling remorse or regret, but wishing to avoid actually apologising.

Callosity: A lack of feeling or capacity for emotion.

Mimeomia: The frustration of knowing how easily you fit into a stereotype, even if you never intended to do so.

Pronoia: A strange, creeping feeling that everyone’s out to help you...

Awumbuk: A feeling of emptiness or heaviness after someone else departs.

[duckprintspress]

What are a bunch of writers if not a huge collection of nerds who love words? So we at Duck Prints Press thought we'd celebrate National Word Nerd Day to share some words we love!! Seventeen of our authors contributed to this list, many offering up multiple favorites cause dang it we just love words that much! Definitions are from Merriam-Webster unless otherwise specified.

hurkle-durkle. scottish; to lounge in bed long after it’s time to get up

认床 [rèn chuáng]. (chinese) the feeling of having difficulty sleeping in a bed other than one’s own (definition from duchinese)

ubiquitous. existing or being everywhere at the same time: constantly encountered

plaudit. an act or round of applause

bubkes. the least amount; nothing

vituperative. uttering or given to censure: containing or characterized by verbal abuse

lugubrious. exaggeratedly or affectedly mournful

antithetical. being in direct and unequivocal opposition: directly opposite or opposed

consanguineous. of the same blood or origin – specifically: descended from the same ancestor

nacreous. possessing the qualities of, consisting of, or abounding in nacre; iridescent

pareidolia. the tendency to perceive a specific, often meaningful image in a random or ambiguous visual pattern

defenestrate. a throwing of a person or thing out of a window; a usually swift dismissal or expulsion (as from a political party or office)

petrichor. a distinctive, earthy, usually pleasant odor that is associated with rainfall especially when following a warm, dry period and that arises from a combination of volatile plant oils and geosmin released from the soil into the air and by ozone carried by downdrafts

sanguine. marked by eager hopefulness: confidently optimistic; consisting of or relating to blood

hydrochlorothiazide. a diuretic and antihypertensive drug

eyjafjallajökull. a volcano in Iceland (source: wikipedia)

vestigial. remaining as the last small part of something that existed before

gloaming. the fall of the evening as the time of dusk or gloom; the twilight (source: wordnik)

insouciant. lighthearted unconcern, nonchalance

squamates. any of an order (squamata) of reptiles including the snakes and lizards and related extinct forms

flabbergasted. feeling or showing intense shock, surprise, or wonder: utterly astonished

rapscallion. a person who causes trouble, rascal

fiddlesticks. something of little value, trifle

liminal. of, relating to, or situated at a sensory threshold: barely perceptible or capable of eliciting a response

ipsedixitism. dogmatic assertion or assertiveness

flibbertigibbet. a silly flighty person

oscillating. to swing backward and forward like a pendulum; to vary between opposing beliefs, feelings, or theories

fomite. an object that may be contaminated with infectious agents and serve in their transmission

sequelae. an aftereffect of a disease, condition, or injury

susurrus. a whispering or rustling sound

ascetic. practicing strict self-denial as a measure of personal and especially spiritual discipline; austere in appearance, manner, or attitude

時々 [tokidoki]. japanese; sometimes (source: wictionary)

sequelae. an aftereffect of a disease, condition, or injury

onomatopoeia. the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it

bodzermoggl. (franconian) pinecone (definition provided by neo scarlett)

petrodraconic. a word created by australian rock band king gizzard & the lizard wizard (source: wikipedia)

What are YOUR favorite words? Tell us in the tags or comments!

[zorubark]

have a silly post :3

I have autism… You have no melanin?! that's albinism

youre against authoritarianism?! thats anti facism

youre on the opposing side of the narrative?! thats antagonism

youre not syncronized?! that's anachronism

you're good at sports?! that's athleticism

you need to go to a neurologist?! that's an aneurysm

you like climbing?! that's alpinism

you're selfless?! that's autruism

you're an addict?! that's alcoholism

you're against racial inequality?! that's antiracism

you need glasses?! that's astigmatism

you have no colors?! that's achromatism

you do gymnastics?! that's acrobatism

you have the belief that objects have consciousness?! that's animatism

you can date certain clay objects by measuring the extent to which they have been magnetized by the earth's magnetic field?! that's archaeomagnetism

you're on the neurodivergent spectrum?! that's- wait..

[pensivegladiola]

Altschmerz

n. weariness with the same old issues that you’ve always had

[lawhimsy]

Word Nerd: Heliotropic

Heliotropic is the property of some plants of turning under the influence of light. Heliotropic is derived from helio- (a combining form meaning “sun”) and -tropic (a combining form with the meanings “turned toward, with an orientation toward”). Heliotropic was first used around 1870-1875. Heliotropic is a word often used in the plant world since many flowers and plants are heliotropic. I think…

[goth-hovatius]

labyrinth can be translated into Italian with the word "labirinto", but we also have the word "dedalo".

it comes from the name Dedalus (in italian Dedalo), the extremely skilled architect from greek mythology.

it can be:

• a noun, meaning "a place where it's easy to get lost, a labyrinth"

• an adjective, meaning "cleverly conceived and executed, ingenious"

(got inspired by another post about Russian that I can't seem to find anymore)

[textsearchaccessgooglemicrosoft]

[spookysalem13]

[writinginnorthnorfolk]

Limerence

I am an unripe field with scarlet seepingthrough green stalks, a stain of fluttering blooms studded with the teary aftermathof warm summer rain. I take your breath and set your world on fire. Just one glanceis all it takes for you to fall. One close dance means that you are in my thrall, and I in yours.Disregarding any obstacles or flaws, we are melted together, hot with desire –until time…

[sparrow-web]

[bloobydabloob]

Holy shit I love your Dirk interpretations, it's so true and I could talk about this shit forever. I feel like another part of his character that people seem to forget (along with Roxy for some reason) is that he's from the future in solitude in an apocalyptic wasteland. I just see that part of his character always removed which is disappointing because I feel like that's a pretty big part, especially regarding his themes around technology, his brother's theme of Time, his own isolation, and how he plays in the vastness of the universe and spacetime.

Art I drew related to the subject because I like to respond to asks with art.

But absolutely. I certainly understand where the lack of discussion over his isolation + upbringing comes from, considering a majority of the fanbase that I have seen builds their ideas based on their own version of postcanon. I’m not entirely sure how that would be fixed, but certainly even in the somewhat recent past I would see a lot more content regarding his upbringing both literally and symbolically. I don’t have much to add regarding the things you’ve mentioned, because they just are what they are. Dirk being confined to a singular room left to him by a father figure he never met, in a future where the only other person left on the planet is someone he cannot pursue a relationship of because of himself, with purely 3 robots to keep him companion, one being an exact replica of his own brain who is *also* trapped inside a pair of glasses, is about as literal as it gets to me.

The contrast to me involving the flooded, organic world in comparison to the little speckle of Dirk’s apartment packed with the dude and his technics is not only a representation of his isolation and entrapment within himself, but also of his lack of control. I think his obsession with & themes of control are a direct product in the case of Dirk specifically *of* this kind of upbringing. His themes of technology are also related to his themes around control. So much of his character is actually revolved around this to me like so much. Dirk is so deeply disconnected from humanity in every way and so much of his character + symbolism is based around that.

It doesn’t even have to be about the symbolism or anything though. It’s just pretty *interesting* in the literal sense that he lives in the middle of the ocean in the future. There’s not only a lot to theorise on to do with his young life there, but on how it might affect him in the way he acts for the rest of his life. The latter part is probably what I see mentioned the most by people talking about Dirk regarding this, I’m surprised I don’t see more discussion on the former too though. I really ought to actually talk more about Homestuck stuff on here. I will do it myself.

Roxy & Dirk’s relationship is largely ignored though because there is a narrative a certain demographic spreads that Dirk resented and blamed Roxy for her interest in him, and thus too many people believe that their relationship was or would continue to be an abusive one. Realistically, I believe it’s important to acknowledge that the way Roxy treated Dirk regarding his homosexuality wasn’t right while still acknowledging the obvious amount of respect and admiration Dirk had for Roxy. I mean we have a huge piece of dialogue from their post trickster mode conversations on the quest beds from Dirk purely stating how he feels about Roxy that people completely ignore somehow. I think this usually happens to characters that are women though. I know everyone says it, but it is true. Jane gets the exact same treatment of boiling her down to solely her negative aspects. The things I see completely mischaracterising both of them are horrific.

I mean how much more explicit can it get that their relationship is obviously very important to Dirk? But I digress. I think the best or I should say “most interesting” interpretations of their relationship usually come from DirkRoxy shippers actually.

I would be interested to hear about Dirk’s relation to his brother’s theme of time though. I don’t have any thoughts on this and I don’t recall ever hearing anyone talk about it before. If you or anyone else would be willing to enlighten me I’d be thrilled.

[my-autism-adhd-blog]

Autistic Love Languages

Lil Penguin Studios/Autism Happy Place

[serpentface]

A typical example of a kulimane hunting dog, a prized animal in Imperial Wardin. They represent the most positive feelings towards dogs in this cultural sphere, an animal that otherwise has an often ambiguous or even disdained status.

Kulimane are the 'hybrid' offspring of domesticated sighthound breeds and the kuliku (colloquially called 'salt wolves'). Kuliku are not actual wolves, but rather the feral descendants of VERY ancient domesticated dogs that have been living wild for millennia in grassland, savannahs, and semi-desert, and are fully functional and efficient predators. Kuliku have slender builds, huge lungs, and long legs, and use bursts of tremendous speed to chase down prey. They mostly take small game, like rabbits, hares, birds, and hippegalga, though pairs are capable of bringing down mid-sized ungulates. They do not readily mate with fully domesticated dogs, but can be encouraged to do so in captivity, thus producing the kulimane.

The production of kulimane was introduced by the third Burri empire and has been fully adopted into contemporary Imperial Wardin. Kulimane are commonly seen as the best and most ideal of hunting dogs, combining the speed, power, and heat resistance and predatory instincts of their wild parents, and the loyalty and tameness, and other bred-in qualities of their sighthound parents. In practice, most Kulimane used in hunting will have been the product of several generations of breeding to produce an ideal animal (initial 'hybrid' generations are often still too wild). Their appearance can vary wildly, but the ideal form for a kulimane is to have a domestic-type coat (fully solid colors are preferred, but rare) and to retain the pointed ears and black tail tip of their wild ancestors.

Most kulimane are independent, intelligent animals that will form close and protective bonds with their handlers, but will be shy and wary of strangers. They usually retain strong territorial instincts from their wild ancestors, and can double as excellent guard dogs. Their disposition towards other dogs can vary- a well socialized kulimane can usually be introduced to new dogs with few issues, but some have striking tendencies to aggression towards strange dogs, and are often muzzled in public. Most are kept in same-sex sibling pairs, and away from unfamiliar or unrelated dogs. They are rarely outright cuddly, often preferring to sit at a distance than to sit on one's lap, but are appreciative of praise and affection from their owners.

Well trained kulimane make for truly excellent sighthounds. They can quickly adapt to changing situations in the field with little to no input from handlers, and quickly and instinctively dispatch most small prey. Their high prey drives Can be a problem for owners. They are frequently known to kill livestock and sacrificial stock, and have a tendency towards surplus killing. You don't want a kulimane to get in with your poultry.

Good kulimane stock is very difficult to produce and takes several generations of breeding, and the animals can be very costly to maintain and keep in good hunting conditions. As such they are VERY expensive animals, and function as status symbols. Sighthounds in of themselves have associations with wealth, and kulimane are specifically associated with royalty and the social elite. They represent the most venerated and beloved end of a very, very wide spectrum of cultural opinions towards dogs in the Imperial Wardi sphere.

The status of dogs in the cultural schema mostly depends on their perceived role. Working dogs tend to have positive cultural connotations- guard dogs and especially hunting dogs are seen as noble animals and symbols of loyalty, and herding and livestock guardian dogs are of great practical value in the rural sphere. Keeping dogs for pure companionship is fairly uncommon, though there are a few established companion breeds in the region. The practice of raising livestock dog breeds has decreased or become obsolete in parts of the region, largely due to Burri influence (which regards the meat of predators and scavengers as wholly unsuitable for consumption), but meat specific breeds like the salutachin are still valued in the city-state of Wardin as providers of an excellent, delicacy meat. The commonality between all valued dogs in Imperial Wardin is their utility, well-established roles, and sharp distinction from feral dogs.

Feral dogs are a fact of life around most settlements. Imperial Wardi cultural outlooks on them tend to be highly negative, characterizing these as uniquely greedy, cowardly, lowly pest animals at best and depraved corpse eaters at worst. Exact attitudes vary throughout the Imperial Wardi cultural sphere, but one near-ubiquitous element is regarding the excrement of feral dogs (and corpses of feral dogs) as potent sources of spiritual pollution that should never be touched with bare skin, and should ideally be removed and buried in barren ground (or their polluting influence should at least be mitigated with a blessing of the tainted location). Superstition holds that stepping in the feces of feral dogs can inflict curses, and the word for 'dogshit' is one of the most insulting terms available in the language.

Hatred of feral dogs is particularly acute in the city-state of Godsmouth. The core city experienced a collective cultural trauma as a result of a siege during the formation of the Wardi empire, in which civilians starved en-masse and descriptions of bodies being eaten in the streets by feral dogs (which were, in turn, eaten by starving civilians) dominate historical records of the event. Feral dogs are by and large hated in this part of the region and seen as outright vile animals and acute sources of spiritual pollution via their very presence. They are actively culled on a routine basis. The outskirts of the city of Godsmouth and some of the city-state's towns have unique practices of allowing semi-tame hyenas free movement through settlements, where they fulfill the dogs' function as refuse cleaners and keep dog populations in check.

While the keeping of feral dogs is generally frowned upon throughout the region, individuals caring for their local feral populations or adopting feral puppies is not unknown, and the distinction between feral and kept dogs (and stigma towards the former) is MUCH less pronounced in many rural communities, where semi-feral dogs may be valued as likable or useful village animals.

No dog breeds are standardized (or even technically 'breeds' in any modern sense), but there is usually great effort to keep working, livestock, and companion dog stocks wholly separate from feral dogs. The word that roughly means ‘mutt’ in this language does not refer to mixed dog breeds as a whole (or even crosses between different types of working dog), but specifically crosses between kept breeds and feral dogs, which is generally regarded as unfavorable (though not uncommon, both due to inevitability in a world without spaying, and practicality- these crosses may produce perfectly good working or companion dogs, and introduction of feral stock reduces inbreeding).

The dog is one of the constellations in the Wardi zodiac, found at the heel of the Hunter constellation and variously interpreted as either being a noble hunting dog trailing its master, or a lowly scavenger looking for scraps. The latter characterization tends to win out in terms of the characterization of its associated birthsign. Being born under the sign of the dog is mostly regarded as inauspicious, and a potential indication of a cowardly, stupid, lustful, and greedy character (though some positive qualities are ascribed, chiefly loyalty).

‘Chinops’ (literally ‘dog-born’) refers neutrally to the dog birth sign, while ‘chinmachen’ (‘dog-faced’) is an epithet given to those considered to have the associated personality traits, which is rarely anything BUT an insult. (These also spawn the purely derogatory phrases of ‘chisnops’, ‘chismachen’, and ‘chismache’, which have functional meanings closest to ‘son of a bitch’ ‘bitch/slut’ and ‘cunt’ respectively)

[lawhimsy]

Word Nerd: Tohubohu

Tohubohu (pronounced to-hoo-bo-hoo) means chaos; disorder; confusion. Tohubohu derives from the Hebrew phrase tōhū wā-bhōhū (without form and void), which is from from tōhū (formlessness, confusion) and bōhū (emptiness). Tohubohu was first used around 1611 or so.  Tohubohu was first used in a  translation of the Bible, specifically in Genesis 1:2. Tohubohu refers to the emptiness and desolation…