Sadly, the Book Review is not what it once was and I've stopped keeping a list, but I still enjoy stumbling upon a cool new word here and there and adding it to my collection. Lately, the unusual words I've stumbled across all have a love of books or writing in common, so I thought I'd share them with you and invite you to add any favorites of your own to the list.
Librocubicularist: A person who reads in bed! (Also known as my perfect day.)
Tsundoku: 積 (the Japanese characters for "pile" and "read" -- hey, there's a tattoo idea!) It means leaving a book unread after purchase, adding it to a collection of similarly unread books. (Basically, the act of building your TBR pile).
Bibliobibuli: A person who reads too much. (Um...no such thing!)
Scriptorium: A sacred space for writing. As opposed to the backseat of my car, when hiding from the fam? (Yes, please! I need to get me one of these.)
Epeolatry: The worship of words. (Sounds like my kind of religion.)
Well, Reds and Readers, are any of these new to you? Do you have any favorite book words that I've missed?
Book words? How about logophile [a lover of words] . . . or panagram [a short sentence containing all twenty-six letters of the alphabet] . . . or bibliotherapy [the practice of using books to help solve issues you’re facing] . . . or, for all the wonderful Jungle Red ladies, scripturient [having a strong urge to write] . . . .
ReplyDeleteOh, those are some really good ones, Joan!
DeleteThose are great words, Joan! Adding all to my own list!
DeleteI didn't know any of those - and love them all!
ReplyDeleteFun! Right?
DeleteI love these words Jenn, especially the Japanese character. What a great tattoo that would make!
ReplyDeleteOne of the hooligans studied Japanese an verified the word, if that helps.
DeleteYes, now I am tempted...
DeleteI think you made these up ... And every time I read The New Yorker I trip over words I don’t recognize
ReplyDeleteThis has inspired me to start writing them down
DeleteI love learning new words from the New Yorker!
DeleteOh, yeah, The New Yorker is another good supplier of words!
DeleteThose words are all new to me, but I like them.
ReplyDeleteMy fave is the Japanese one because we have a tsundoku problem around here!
DeleteI love new words, and I'm not embarrassed to look up familiar words, either to make sure I have the meaning right or know from whence it came to be. What is rather sad is that I keep punching words in the NYT Book Review with my finger, trying to bring up the definition. Writing them down is a b better idea.
ReplyDeleteRight now I'm reading Stephen King's latest -- thumping good read -- and I just finished a Dandy Gilver. Talk about words I don't know. But then I don't speak much Gaelic.
Mostly I'm impressed with the vocabularies of writers. I don't think I've read one book since The Bobbsey Twins that didn't have an unfamiliar word in it.
I do appreciate it when writers raise the bar and use interesting words well. And I LOVE being able to tap a word and get the definition.
DeleteI have not heard any of these words before but I love them all. I read in bed so I am very happy to know I am a librocubicularist! Wow! Who knew!
ReplyDeleteIt’s a great word. I end every day, reading in bed. My happy place.
DeleteMe, too, Jenn. No matter the time. The day has to end with a book. Full stop, as the Brits say.
DeleteI only knew scriptorium. My mother took up calligraphy in her retirement and called the room where she wrote her scriptorium. It came from the monks whose job it was to make copies of scripture back in the day.
ReplyDeleteFascinating - I love calligraphy. Such an art form.
DeleteI think I'll get some business cards made up identifying myself as a librocubicularist. (Imagine that, my phone didn't automatically complete that word). That's the only one that was new to me; we've had discussions of this sort on libraryThing. If you want to learn some new words, try reading Gene Wolfe. He uses dozens of real but unfamiliar words in his classic Book of the New Sun. They make great passwords.
ReplyDeleteOh, thanks! I’ll check him out. LOL about passwords - brilliant!
DeleteI love languages of all kind--the study of languages, the meanings and origins of words--the use of words in writing--probably what drew me to poetry in the first place--the playfulness and surprising way the same words, arranged differently, can create new meanings. The millions of ways the same words can be used to tell stories.
ReplyDeleteI don't write meanings down, but will look up words--unfamiliar ones and familiar ones--like Ann said, to make sure I'm getting the meaning right in any particular context.
And I am happy as can be with a book, my bed, and time to read. Right now, reading my way through your library series, Jenn--so much fun!! Thank you!!
Thank you so much! And I’m with you - the use of words has always fascinated me, especially in story telling.
DeleteSo much fun! I love finding words I have never seen… It’s always so curious, you know? How did it happen, after all these reading years, that I have never even come across it? It’s interesting how they become common, though. I have my old college vocabulary notebook, and one of the then-unknown words is ecology.
ReplyDeleteEcology? Wow, that’s amazing. It is interesting how a word will languish until it’s plucked out of obscurity by a person or a movement and becomes part of the global vocabulary.
DeleteI am definitely a librocubicularist with a Tsundoku. Hmmm, sounds like secret code. LOL. Thanks for the cool works, Jenn!
ReplyDeleteLOL - I love it, Cathy!
DeleteHallie made me laugh.
ReplyDeleteI just told my husband, who actually writes scripts for a living (in addition to making the films and videos that go with them), we should start calling his office a scriptorium.
I've seen a couple of these before, but I never remember them.
Yes, it’s the remembering or the spelling of them that trips me up...every time. *sigh*
DeleteJenn, since I've been getting Word a Genius I'm much more aware of new words but I'm not sure I'm going to add any of these to my vocabulary, although I do have a perfect scriptorium in Arizona when we're there in the winter
ReplyDeleteJenn, the only one I knew was scriptorium, which is what we all need. But I'm going to write these down, and contemplate a tattoo:-)
ReplyDeleteNo. Just no.
DeleteJenn, I have seen some of these words on bookstagram (Instagram). I love words too. I once mentioned to Jacqueline Winspear that I always learn new words when reading her Maisie Dobbs novels. I often learn new words when reading novels. I have several friends who love words too and I learn new words like "vapid" from them. I remember we were discussing a tv show and they said the show is vapid and we still are hooked on the show anyway. LOL . Another friend said "evident" and "resonate", which were new to me words.
ReplyDeleteSorry I am late to this discussion today. I planned to chime in earlier. I was busy writing questions for the discussion of Educated over at my Instagram - wonderwomanbookish. The discussion will be going on all day.
Please free to chime in any time today :-)
Diana
I still haven't set myself up on Instagram, Diana, but I continue to be amazed at the way its gown from just pretty snaps of food to places where groups can have real discussions.
DeleteJulia, thank you. A friend mentioned that Instagram is full of pictures of food. LOL. What I love about Instagram is it is easier than Facebook for me to send and receive messages. We are having such fun discussing Educated. Whenever you decide to set yourself up on Instagram, the post will be there for everyone to read :-) . It took me about six months to set up Instagram because it is easier with a smartphone to use Instagram.
DeleteDiana
Educated is on my pile of reads but I know it’s a tough one (emotionally) so I’m working up to it.
DeleteCool! But how do you say them? We’re in London now so my two cents worth may be sporadic.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your time in the city, Pat!!
DeleteHave fun! No idea how to pronounce - have to use the sound option on the online dictionary.
DeleteI love the new words! I similarly enjoyed reading the book reviews in the San Francisco Chronicle back in the day. I remember once walking with my very strong dog to the StopNSave to get a Sunday paper and he was pulling hard on his leash as I was juggling my paper, slushie, and a white chocolate candy bar. He got away for a little bit as I wasn't going to drop the paper and have all the best sections blow away. LOL
ReplyDeleteNice breakfast!!! Respect!
DeleteJenn, all those words were new to me. I bet that everyone who comes to Jungle Red's blog is a Librocubicularist with a Tsundoku. (Hey, Google doesn't know these words, they're underlined in red.)
ReplyDeleteJudy - you know you're smart when you use words Google doesn't recognize!
DeleteHa! We’re now smarter than Google! FTW!
DeleteI'd heard of but forgotten librocuicularist. I also remember reading about Tsundoku, but I didn't know what the Japanese character for it was and that it would make a such a great tattoo. The other three are new to me. I love new words, especially ones dealing with words themselves or reading.
ReplyDeleteOf course, I had to google this subject, and I found an entertaining article entitled, "9 Words about Reading That Every Book Nerd Needs to Know, Because "Bibliophile" Just Isn't Enough." The link for this article is https://www.bustle.com/articles/103760-9-words-about-reading-that-every-book-nerd-needs-to-know-because-bibliophile-just-isnt-enough I will share one of the words with you that hasn't been mentioned here. Bibliosmia is the smell or aroma of a good book.
Bibliosmia is fantastic! Thank you, Kathy! I will add it to my collection.
ReplyDelete