Meaning: a hot, dry African wind - one of the winds whose names are lovelier than the reality (not that I've experienced one... yet).
Usefulness: 3 (I've known this word for a long time, but I think this is the first time I've used it.)
Logofascination: 1 (There's something about the names of winds: they have their own Wikipedia article, and there are slightly different lists all over the internet. Growing up, I took the Fremantle Doctor for granted, not realising how lucky I was to know a wind with a name, let alone a pleasant one*. The simoon** is, etymologically, poison.)
In the wild: Yes; I discovered it as the name of a submarine, a Polish espionage movie, and in various bits of Bible commentary.
Degrees: 2
Connections: simoom - wind
Which is used in: The Epigrams, Book One: TO ONE WHO WAS HEAVILY CAST DOWNE IN SPIRIT, BY REASON OF SOME SCANDALOUS SPEECHES, BLASED FORTH TO HIS DISADVANTAGE.
*We did have a hot, dry easterly straight off the desert; that was a nasty wind.
*I prefer this spelling; I didn't realise it was my default until I wrote this, and had to go back and correct most of them, as the OED and various other sites insist that it's simoom.
Usefulness: 3 (I've known this word for a long time, but I think this is the first time I've used it.)
Logofascination: 1 (There's something about the names of winds: they have their own Wikipedia article, and there are slightly different lists all over the internet. Growing up, I took the Fremantle Doctor for granted, not realising how lucky I was to know a wind with a name, let alone a pleasant one*. The simoon** is, etymologically, poison.)
In the wild: Yes; I discovered it as the name of a submarine, a Polish espionage movie, and in various bits of Bible commentary.
Degrees: 2
Connections: simoom - wind
Which is used in: The Epigrams, Book One: TO ONE WHO WAS HEAVILY CAST DOWNE IN SPIRIT, BY REASON OF SOME SCANDALOUS SPEECHES, BLASED FORTH TO HIS DISADVANTAGE.
Be not discouraged at calumniesFor some reason, Sir Thomas did not bring his logofascination to his poetry, and it suffered for it. That's the reason I'm going with, anyway. This is also the reason that only one other poem / epigram has appeared on this blog. He's not terribly compassionate, either; names will only hurt you if you're weak, apparently, so buck up.
Which are not, at the worst, but loads of wind
And therefore, with a strong and patient mind
Most easie, to support if you be wise;
For nat'rally such burthens are but light:
Unlesse the bearer's weaknesse give them weight.
*We did have a hot, dry easterly straight off the desert; that was a nasty wind.
*I prefer this spelling; I didn't realise it was my default until I wrote this, and had to go back and correct most of them, as the OED and various other sites insist that it's simoom.
No comments:
Post a Comment