word.. subserve

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subserve

PRONUNCIATION:

(suhb-SURV)

MEANING:

verb tr.: To help to further something.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin subservire (to serve under), from sub- (under) + servire (to serve), from servus (slave).

USAGE:

"The decisions were ad hoc in nature and were taken to subserve political expediency."
H.N. Das; Ethnic Aspirations; The Assam Tribune (India); Apr 19, 2009.
Explore "subserve" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

One can promise actions, but not feelings, for the latter are involuntary. He who promises to love forever or hate forever or be forever faithful to someone is promising something that is not in his power. -Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, philosopher (1844-1900)

word 21….lentiginous

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lentiginous

PRONUNCIATION:

(len-TIJ-uh-nuhs)

MEANING:

adjective: Covered with freckles.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin lentiginosus (freckled), from lentigo (freckle), from lens (lentil).

USAGE:

"I realised that my freckly Celtic complexion wasn't a curse I had to endure for life, and my offensively lentiginous skin could be smoothed into picture-perfect ivory."
Simon Price; Cover-up, Powder and Eyeliner; The Guardian (London, UK); Dec 14, 2002.
Explore "lentiginous" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

I have ever hated all nations, professions, and communities, and all my love is toward individuals. -Jonathan Swift, satirist (1667-1745)

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word… 20… curtilagee

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"Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws." While there's truth in Plato's words, most of us fall somewhere between good and bad. And for people in that spectrum, laws serve as good deterrents.
Like any other profession, the world of law has its own jargon. Even though legal terms may seem designed to keep laypersons in the dark so that the lawyers can charge hefty fees, there's a need for them. In a field where a single word can make a world of difference, a succinct, and more importantly, unambiguous vocabulary is essential.
May you never have to consult a lawyer (or a barrister, solicitor, attorney, advocate, or whatever they are called in your land), but it's good to know some of the legal jargon. This week we'll summons five of these terms to AWAD.

curtilage

PRONUNCIATION:

(KUR-til-ij)

MEANING:

noun: An area of land encompassing a dwelling and its surrounding yard, considered as enclosed whether fenced or not.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Old French courtillage, from courtil (garden), from cort (court). Ultimately from the Indo-European root gher- (to enclose or grasp) that is also the source of such words as orchard, kindergarten, French jardin (garden), choir, courteous, Hindi gherna (to surround), yard, and horticulture.

USAGE:

"Obtaining a licence to step out beyond the curtilage of the site was critical to the feasibility of this concept."
Rob Gregory; 10 Hills Place; Architects' Journal (London, UK); Sep 10, 2009.
Explore "curtilage" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

The first symptom of love in a young man is shyness; the first symptom in a woman, it's boldness. -Victor Hugo, poet, novelist and dramatist (1802-1885)

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word… 19… vis major

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vis major

PRONUNCIATION:

(VIS MAY-juhr)

MEANING:

noun: An unavoidable disruptive event (such as an earthquake) that none of the parties is responsible for, which may exempt them from the obligations of a contract. Natural instances of vis major are also called acts of God.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin vis major, literally, greater force. Also see force majeure.

USAGE:

"In any case, the dealer neither placed any evidence nor any documents to indicate that any unforeseen circumstance of vis major had occurred to prevent the delivery."
R.N. Sahai; The Dealer; Business Line (Chennai, India); Oct 20, 1999.
Explore "vis major" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

Death must be so beautiful. To lie in the soft brown earth, with the grasses waving above one's head, and listen to silence. To have no yesterday, and no tomorrow. To forget time, to forgive life, to be at peace. -Oscar Wilde, writer (1854-1900)

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word… 18… barratry

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barratry

PRONUNCIATION:

(BAR-uh-tree)

MEANING:

noun:
1. The practice of stirring up of groundless lawsuits.
2. An unlawful act by a ship's master or crew that harms the owner of the ship.
3. The buying or selling of positions in church or state.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Anglo-French baraterie (deception), from barater (to cheat), from Vulgar Latin prattare, from Greek prattein (to do).

USAGE:

"A man with the same legal name as the lead character in the 1960s TV law show Perry Mason is charged with barratry. He allegedly tried to solicit former jail inmates for legal services."
Same Name, Different Fame for Perry Mason Accused of Soliciting Clients for Houston Lawyer; Associated Press; Apr 16, 2009.
Explore "barratry" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

Illegal aliens have always been a problem in the United States. Ask any Indian. -Robert Orben, magician and author (b. 1927)

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word …. 17… res gestae

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res gestae

PRONUNCIATION:

(REEZ JES-tee, RAYS GES-ty)

MEANING:

noun: Facts incidental to a case, admissible as evidence in a lawsuit. For example, exclamations uttered by a robber during a holdup.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin, literally, things done.

USAGE:

"Evidence of a constable as to what was said to him by the victim of a collision in the presence of the defendant 20 minutes after the incident was hearsay evidence and not admissible as part of the res gestae."
Tobi Nickolas; Evidence 20 Minutes After Motor Incident Inadmissible; The Times (London, UK); Jul 23, 1987.
Explore "res gestae" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

On the mountains of truth you can never climb in vain: either you will reach a point higher up today, or you will be training your powers so that you will be able to climb higher tomorrow. -Friedrich Nietzsche, philosopher (1844-1900)

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word… 16… novation

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novation

PRONUNCIATION:

(noh-VAY-shuhn)

MEANING:

noun: The replacing of an obligation, a contract, or a party to an agreement with a new one.

ETYMOLOGY:

From novare (to make new), from novus (new). Ultimately from the Indo-European root newo- (new) that is also the source of new, neo-, novice, novel, novelty, innovate, renovate, misoneism (fear of change), and novercal (stepmotherly).

USAGE:

"They are essentially contracts meant to be honoured subject only to agreed changes by novation."
S. Rajaratnam; Direct Taxes Code; The Hindu (Chennai, India); Aug 31, 2009.
Explore "novation" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are. -J.K. Rowling, author (b. 1965)

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