plethora of choices

The philolog is overwhelmed, inundated and surrounded by a world where there are just too many interesting words and phrases to dissect and analyze, to pick just one each day. But today the word is plethora. I wonder where that originated. It could be Greek (just a hunch).



Plethora means abundance. Other synonyms are: jackpot, a lot, multitudenous, gazillion, abundance, superfluity, and others too numerous too mention.



It is from Greek!

The Charisma Challenge

The philolog would like to attempt the impossible. But I need your assistance. Please let me know by comment or email your definition of charisma.

Thank you!

P.S. Not fair looking it up in the dictionary!

before the dawn

I had a premonition this morning.



Premonition. Pre means before. Moni means ... what? . Must be Latin. Mono in Greek means one or alone, as in monopoly. Let's figure this out. Precognition means knowing beforehand. Cognition means a thought or insight, so that figures. Tion as a suffix means state of or quality of. And by the way, why does it sound like shun, anyway?

Moni in premonition comes from the Latin word meaning to advise. So a premonition is the receipt of advice before something happens.


I bet you knew I was going to say that!

Subconscious Mind

It happened again. The philologue is astonished. I just read another script written by a certified hypnosis consultant which uses the word "unconscious" instead of "subconscious." These words are not interchangeable, though you might think so. They have been confused for so long that the dictionary even includes unconscious now as a noun with the following definition: the psychic apparatus which will sometimes leak significant but suppressed information (i.e. a Freudian slip). Interesting that they would bring up Freud. This all his fault. He coined the expression "subconscious." Which means UNDER the conscious level.

Subconscious is a part of the mind, which is sometimes divided into Conscious and Subconscious. Unconscious is an adjective which means NOT conscious, unresponsive, like in a COMA!

And I know clients in trance are responsive. Sometimes appearing as if they are in slow motion, but still responding to the sound of my voice.

This is one of the philolog's pet peeves. Thank you for listening.

Desirable Vocabulary

Before we leave the subject of words related to desire, I want to point out the difference between desirous and desirable. Both are adjectives. I chose the wrong one on Musing Log. Desirable means attractive, pleasant. Desirous means greedy or lustful.