Book Reviews

‘The best moments in reading are when you come across something - a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things - which you had thought special and particular to you. And now, here it is, set down by someone else, a person you have never met, someone even who is long dead. And it is as if a hand has come out, and taken yours.’ Alan Bennett

“Many a book is like a key to unknown chambers within the castle of one’s own self.” ― Franz Kafka

Wednesday 13 November 2013

Wondrous Words Wednesday (4)



Wondrous Words Wednesday is hosted by BermudaOnion and is a weekly meme where you can share new words that you’ve encountered or spotlight words you love.  

I'm highlighting words that are new to me/that I really like/that struck me for some reason..!



This week my words are all taken from The Moon Field by Judith Allnatt, a very moving story set in 1914, which I am two-thirds through reading.



revetting (verb) - 'Exhausted by the digging and revetting…'

To retain (an embankment, for example) with a layer of stone, concrete, or other supporting material; provide with a revetment.


cyanotic (adjective) - '…their hair and beards rimed white, their faces with a blue, cyanotic pallor.'

A bluish discolouration of the skin and mucous membranes resulting from inadequate oxygenation of the blood.



3 bole (noun) - 'He got behind the bole of one of the larger trees…'

The trunk of a tree.


4 estaminet (noun) - 'When at rest, he went with Haycock and the others to the warm estaminets; he saw their spirits revive with food and drink.'

A small café
(from French, perhaps from Walloon dialect staminet manger)


Definitions from the free dictionary

8 comments:

  1. All these words were unfamiliar. Don't you just love reading and finding new words? It's the best!

    ReplyDelete
  2. All of those words are new to me. I think I'll try to use bole on someone to see what kind of reaction I get.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Some familiar, others not. As always a great selection.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Very interesting list of new words. Cyanotic interested me. I've seen that bluish tinge in people be had no idea there was a special word for it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Bole is a new meaning for the trunk of a tree for me.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Fascinating list. I like the sound of each of them! Thanks for visiting my Tuesday intro post.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Lindsay,

    Some excellent words and a great new book and author for my reading list.

    The only one of your words I know is 'bole', all the others are new to me, although I like the meaning of revetting. That would be a good word to catch people out with by using it in a sentence, as everyone would assume it had something to do with a 'vet' and therefore something to do with treating animals ... I'm sure I can slip this new word into a conversation somewhere!

    Thanks for sharing,

    Yvonne

    ReplyDelete
  8. I have so many lists of words I've meant to look up and never got around to... complete with page numbers from books I was reading at the time. Love that you're doing this.
    Hilary

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit and leave a comment. It's great reading your comments and I really appreciate them :)