Tim Southernwood
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Hi Everyone.
This weeks word is:
honorificabilitudinity (ON-uh-rif-i-kay-bi-li-too-DIN-i-tee, -tyoo-) noun
(humorous) The quality of being honourable.
From Medieval Latin honorificabilitudinitas, from Latin honor.]
Another form of this, honorificabilitudinitatibus (27 letters), is the
longest word Shakespeare ever used. It comes out of the mouth of Costard,
the clown, in Love's Labour's Lost:
"I marvel thy master hath not eaten thee for a word;
for thou art not so long by the head as
honorificabilitudinitatibus: thou art easier
swallowed than a flap-dragon."
Note that its spelling alternates consonants and vowels. Some have used an
anagram of this word to claim that Francis Bacon was the author of the works
attributed to the Bard. Honorificabilitudinitatibus anagrams to the Latin
"Hi ludi F. Baconis nati tuiti orbi." which means "These plays, F. Bacon's
offspring, are preserved for the world." Of course, that doesn't prove
anything -- the word had been used by other writers earlier. And if you
torture words enough, they confess to anything. Have fun with anagrams at
http://wordsmith.org/anagram
-Anu Garg (garg AT wordsmith.org)
"Honorificabilitudinity and the requirements of Scrabble fans dictated
that the New Shorter [Oxford English Dictionary]'s makers be open-minded
enough to include dweeb (a boringly conventional person), droob (an
unprepossessing or contemptible person, esp. a man) and droog (a member
of a gang: a young ruffian)."
Jennifer Fisher; Droobs and Dweebs; U.S. News & World Report (Washington,
DC); Oct 11, 1993.
Honor
Honour or Honor (from the Latin word honos, honoris) is the evaluation of a person's trustworthiness and social status based on that individual's espousals and actions. Honour is deemed exactly what determines a person's character: whether or not the person reflects honesty, respect, integrity, or fairness. Accordingly, individuals are assigned worth and stature based on the harmony of their actions, code of honour, and that of the society at large.
to honor (third-person singular simple present honors, present participle honoring, simple past and past participle honored)
1. (transitive, US) To show respect for.
2. (transitive, US) To conform to, abide by, act in accordance with (an agreement, request, or the like).
3. (transitive, US) To bestow an honor on a person
Synonyms: acclaim, admire, adore, aggrandize, appreciate, be faithful, be true, celebrate, commemorate, commend, compliment, decorate, dignify, distinguish, ennoble, erect, esteem, exalt, give glad hand, give key to city, glorify, hallow, keep, laud, lionize, live up to, look up to, magnify, observe, praise, prize, revere, roll out red carpet, sanctify, sublime, uprear, value, venerate, worship
Antonyms: betray, denounce, disgrace, dishonor, disrespect, reproach, shame, debasement, degradation, denunciation, derision, disgrace, dishonor, disrespect, humiliation
Related Concepts
In contemporary international relations, the concept of "credibility" resembles that of honour, as when the credibility of a state or of an alliance appears to be at stake, and honour-bound politicians call for drastic measures.
Compare the concepts of integrity and face in stereotyped East Asian cultures, or of mana in Polynesian society.
The ancient Greek concepts of honour (timē) included not only the exaltation of the one receiving honour, but also the shaming of the one overcome by the act of hubris. This concept of honour is akin to a zero-sum game.
In lands ancient Japan, honour was always seen as almost a duty by Samurai. When one lost their honour or the situation made them lose it, the only way to save their dignity was by death. Seppuku (vulgarly called "harakiri," or "belly-cutting") was the most honourable death in that situation. The only way for a Samurai to die more honourably was to be killed in a battle by a sword.
In many countries the term honour can refer to an award given by the state. Such honours include military medals, but more typically imply a civilian award, such as a British OBE, a knighthood.
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