The Facts on File Dictionary of Foreign Words and Phrases (Writers Reference) (8 page)

Aquarius (akwaireeas) LATIN [of
water] noun (in astronomy) the
Water Bearer, a large constellation in
the southern hemisphere; (in astrology) the 11th sign of the zodiac, occurring between Capricorn and
Pisces.

aquatint (akwatint) ITALIAN [acqua
tinta dyed water] noun an etching
process permitting the reproduction of tones resembling watercolor
washes; an artwork made by such a
process: "He came home with a fine aquatint of the house and garden."

aqua vitae (akwa veeti) LATIN [water
of life] noun phrase brandy, whiskey,
or another type of strong alcoholic
liquor: "Ah, where's my man? give me some
aqua vitae: / These griefs, these woes, these
sorrows make me old" (William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, c. 1595).

arabesque (arabeck) FRENCH [from
Italian arabesco Arabic] noun an artistic or decorative style characterized
by elaborate, intertwined, flowing
lines and scrollwork; also refers to
a ballet posture in which the dancer
stands with one leg extended horizontally backward and, in music, to
a passage that is heavily ornamented:
"Not Art but Nature traced these lovely
lines, / And carved this graceful arabesque
of vines; / No organ but the wind here
sighs and moans, / No sepulchre conceals
a martyr's bones." (Henry W. Longfellow, "My Cathedral," 1880). 'adjective
decorated with arabesques.

arabica (3rabikd) LATIN [feminine
form of the adjective Arabicus Arabic]
noun coffee produced from the ara

bica plant, which is grown chiefly in
Latin America and in Central and East
Africa: "This coffee is made from the finest
arabica beans from Brazil."

arbiter (ahbitar) LATIN [judge, mediator] noun a judge, a mediator with
power to decide a dispute; can also
refer to a person who enjoys great
influence over something: "To whom
these most adhere / He rules a moment:
Chaos umpire sits, / And by decision more
embroils the fray / By which he reigns: next
him, high arbiter, / Chance governs all."
(John Milton, Paradise Lost, 1667).

arbiter elegantiae (ahrbiter eliganteel) LATIN [from arbiter elegantiarum
judge of elegance] noun phrase (plural
arbitri elegantiae, ahbitree eliganteez)
an authority on taste or social etiquette.

arbitrage (ahrbatrahzh) FRENCH [from
arbitrer to judge] noun (in economics)
the practice of buying securities in
one market and immediately reselling
them in another, in order to make a
profit from the price differences.

arboretum (ahrbareetam) LATIN [plantation of trees, from arbor tree] noun
(plural arboretums or arboreta,
ahbareeta) a plot of land where rare
trees and shrubs are cultivated for scientific or educational purposes: "The
arboretum has been open to the public since
the spring and has proved a popular tourist attraction."

arborio (ahrboreeo) ITALIAN [after
Arborio, Italy] noun an Italian variety
of round-grained rice with a high
soluble-fat content, traditionally used
for making risotto.

arcadia (ahrldeea) GREEK [after
Arcadia, a mountainous region of
ancient Greece] noun a place where
a peaceful life of rustic pleasure can
he enjoyed: "If you were not born in
Arcadia, you linger infancy on its margin;
your thoughts are busied with the flutes of
antiquity, with daffodils, and the classic
poplar, and the footsteps of the nymphs,
and the elegant and moving aridity of
ancient art" (Robert Louis Stevenson,
The Wrecker, 1892).

arcana (ahrkahna) LATIN [plural of
arcanum mystery, from arcanus secret,
from arca chest] plural noun mysterious facts or secrets (typically to
be revealed only to a select few);
sometimes referring specifically to
the elixirs formerly sought by alchemists: "He endeavored to initiate me into
the bewildering arcana of their religious
experiences."

arc de triomphe ark da treeomf)
FRENCH [arch of triumph] noun (plural
arcs de triomphe) a triumphal arch.

archipelago (arkapelgo) ITALIAN
[arcipelago chief sea] noun a large
body of water containing numerous
islands, or an island chain: "The whole
archipelago was swamped by a tidal wave."

argot (ahrgat, ahrgo) FRENCH [slang,
jargon] noun the language, vocabulary, and idiom of a particular group
or class of people, often devised as
a means of private communication:
"...the argot of the French underworld."

argumentum ad hominem (ahrgyoomentam ad homanam) LATIN [reasoning to the person] noun phrase
(plural argumenta ad hominem,
ahrgyoomenta ad homanam) a personal attack, or an argument that
aims to appeal to a person's emotions
rather than to their intellect: "Thirdly,
a third way is to press a man with consequences drawn from his own principles or
concessions. This is already known under
the name of argumentum ad hominem"
(John Locke, Essay Concerning Human
Understanding, 1690).

argumentum ex silentio (ahrgyoo
mentam eks silenteeo, ahgyoomentam
eks silentsheeo) LATIN [argument from
silence] noun phrase (plural argumenta
ex silentio) an argument based on a
lack of evidence to the contrary.

aria (ahreea) ITALIAN [air, melody,
ultimately from Greek aer air] noun a
tune or melody, specifically one featuring a solo voice with instrumental
accompaniment: "At a piano, singing an
aria from Bellini, sat a young and very
beautiful woman, who, at my entrance,
paused in her song, and received me with
graceful courtesy." (Edgar Allan Poe, "The System of Dr. Tarr and Prof.
Fether," 1845).

Aries (aireez) LATIN [ram] noun (in
astronomy) the Ram, a small constellation in the northern hemisphere;
(in astrology) the first sign of the
zodiac, occurring between Pisces and
Taurus.

armada (ahrmahda) SPANISH [from
Latin armata army, fleet, from armatus, past participle of armare to arm]
noun a fleet of warships or, more
generally, a large group of boats, vehicles, or aircraft: "To secure the possession
of this land required the co-operation of
a land force, which I agreed to furnish.
Immediately commenced the assemblage
in Hampton Roads, under Admiral D. D.
Porter, of the most formidable armada
ever collected for concentration upon one
given point" (Ulysses S. Grant, Personal
Memoirs, 1885).

Armageddon (ahrmagedan) GREEK
[from Hebrew har megiddon hill of
Megiddo, the site of the final battle
between good and evil predicted in
the Book of Revelation 16:16, possibly
derived from Megiddo, N Israel] noun
a decisive final battle or confrontation,
expected to lead to the utter annihilation of one or both sides: `Privately the
manager feared that the forthcoming game
would prove the team's Armageddon."

armoire (ahrmwahr) FRENCH [from
Latin armarium] noun a tall cupboard

or wardrobe: "The best item in the auction catalog was, in his opinion, a French
armoire with elaborate carvings."

arpeggio (ahrpeejeeo, ahrp.jo) ITALIAN [like a harp, arpegiare to play on the
harp, arpa harp] noun (plural arpeggios)
a rapid series of notes of a chord
played on a musical instrument: "Lise,
my daughter, was sitting before a book,
and the old nurse, with my youngest child,
was beside the table, turning the cover of
something or other. In the parlor I heard
a slow arpeggio, and his voice, deadened,
and a denial from her" (Leo Tolstoy, The
Kreutzer Sonata, 1889).

arriere-pensee (areeair-pons4)
FRENCH [behind-thought, arriere
behind and pensee thought] noun (plural
arriere-pensees) an afterthought,
a mental reservation, a concealed
thought, an ulterior motive.

arrive (areev) FRENCH [having
arrived, past participle of arriver to
arrive] noun a person who has risen
rapidly to fame or success. 'adjective
successful.

arrivederci (areevaderchee, areevadairchee) ITALIAN [until we meet
again] interjection goodbye for now,
farewell for the present, until next
time: "The youth left with a final arrivederci' and a wave of his hand."

arriviste (ariyeest), arrivist FRENCH
[go-getter, from arriver to arrive] noun an upstart, an ambitious newcomer seeking success, wealth, social
status, or critical praise: "The old hands
were inclined to dismiss him as an emptyheaded arriviste interested only in the
money to be made."

arrondissement (arondismon(g))
FRENCH [roundness, district, arrondir
to make round] noun a chief division of a French department, or
an administrative ward of a French
city: "Within three months of settling in
the Rue Vanneau, Madame Marne had
entertained Monsieur Crevel, who by that
time was Mayor of his arrondissement and
Officer of the Legion of Honor" (Honor-6
de Balzac, Cousin Bette, 1846-47).
'abbreviated form arron.

arroyo (aroio) SPANISH [stream, gutter] noun a watercourse, gully, or
creek.

arsenal (ahrenal, ahrsanal) ITALIAN
[arsenate dock, ultimately from Arabic
dar sina'ah workshop] noun a store
of weapons and munitions or, more
generally, any store or reserve: "She
still had a few weapons left in the arsenal
with which to impress her superiors."

ars gratia antis (ahrz grahteea ahrtis)
LATIN [art for the sake of art] noun
phrase art for art's sake (rather than
for financial reward).

ars longa, vita brevis (ahrz longa veeta
brcvis) LATIN [art long, life short]

noun phrase art is long, life is short
(emphasizing that a work of art outlives its creator): "`Ars longa,'said Captain Wragge, pathetically drifting into
Latin `vita brevis! Let us drop a tear
on the lost opportunities of the past, and
try what the present can do to console us
(Wilkie Collins, No Name, 1862).

artiste (ahrteeSt) FRENCH [performer]
noun a performing artist, an entertainer: "The show featured several promising new artistes."

art nouveau (ahrt noova) FRENCH
[new art, originally named after a
shop in Paris] noun phrase the ornamental and artistic style characterized
by flowing lines and foliate designs
that became popular in the late 19th
century: "Art nouveau relished the sinuous line."

arugula (aruugala) ITALIAN [from
dialect arucula, ultimately from Latin
eruca colewort] noun a Mecliterranean plant of the cabbage family used
in salads, also known as "rocket."

ashram (ashram) SANSKRIT [asrama
hermitage] noun a hermitage or religious retreat in India, or any group of
people sharing similar spiritual aims:
"Her parents met in a hippie ashram run
by an emaciated Indian guru with a taste
for cheap bourbon."

asphyxia (asfikseea, asfikseea) CREEK
[stopping of the pulse, a non and sphyxis pulsation] noun suffocation resulting
from a lack of oxygen or an excess of
carbon dioxide in the body.

assassin (asasin) ARABIC [hashshashin,
hashshash one who takes hashish]
noun a person who commits murder, typically for political motives or
for payment (originally a reference
to members of a secret Muslim order
that murdered Christians during the
Crusades while under the influence
of hashish): "Police across the nation have
been warned to keep a sharp lookout for
the assassins."

assegai (asagi), assagai ARABIC [azzaghaya] noun an iron-tipped spear
of the type used by the Zulu warriors
of southern Africa.

asthma (asma) GREEK [from aazein
to breathe with open mouth] noun a
chronic respiratory disorder in which
wheezing and difficulty in breathing
are experienced as a result of muscular spasm of the bronchi. It is often
associated with allergies: "People with
asthma should avoid smoky atmospheres."

asylum (asilam) LATIN [from Greek
asylos inviolable and sylon right of
seizure] noun a place of retreat or
sanctuary, or the granting of official
protection to a refugee by a nation,
embassy etc.; can also refer to an institution where the mentally or physically ill may be treated or confined: "A
merchant in Hopeton last winter donated

three hundred yards of wincey to the asylum. Some people said it was because he
couldn't sell it, but I'd rather believe that
it was out of the kindness of his heart,
wouldn't you?" (Luc), Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables, 1908).

atelier (ateleeay) FRENCH [workshop,
studio, Middle French astelier woodpile, a diminutive of astele splinter]
noun an artist's or craftsman's studio
or workshop: "Above this floor was a
large atelier, which had been increased in
size by pulling down the partitionsa
pandemonium, in which the artist and the
dandy strove for preeminence" (Alexandre
Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo,
1844).

a tempo (ah tempo) ITALIAN [in time]
adverb phrase (in music) returning
to the original tempo.

atman (atman) SANSKRIT [breath,
soul] noun in Hinduism, the spirit
or innermost essence of an individual,
or the world soul.

atoll (atol) MALDIVIAN [atolu] noun a
coral island comprising a central
lagoon surrounded by a reef: "The
atoll was devastated by its usefor nuclear
tests over two decades."

a tort et a travers (a tor ay a travair)
FRENCH [with wrong and with fault]
adverb phrase at random, haphazardly, indiscriminately, recklessly,
heedlessly.

atrium (4tree5m) LATIN [central
court] noun (plural atriums or atria,
4tree5) the central room in a
Roman house and, subsequently,
the main hall or portico of a modern house (often with a glass roof):
"Standing in the shade of the dull passage, and looking through the doorway,
he beheld the atrium of a Roman house,
roomy and rich to a fabulous degree of
magnfcence" (Lew Wallace, Ben Hur,
1880). Also, one of the upper chambers of the heart.

a trois (a twa) FRENCH [for three]
adverb phrase for three persons: "They
decided to spend the evening d trois."

attache (atash, atashay) FRENCH
[attached, past participle of attacker to
attach] noun a person with expertise in a particular field (sometimes
pertaining to trade or the military)
who works with the diplomatic staff
of an embassy or legation: "He had
now finished his breakfast; but he was
drinking a small cup of coffee, which had
been served to him on a little table in the
garden by one of the waiters who looked
like an attache" (Henry James, Daisy
Miller, 1879).