Wednesday, January 07, 2004

I aspire to be a risible sort of gal...

My word for the day from yourdictionary.com is worth sharing.

Risible (Adjective)
Pronunciation: ['ri-zê-bêl]--bah, the carets freak; say it like this: RI-zeh-bul

Definition 1: (1) Given to laughter, likely to laugh; (2) related to laughter; (3) eliciting laughter, laughable, funny, comic.

Usage 1: This word reminds us that, in addition to all the other clever things humans do that distinguish them from other creatures, we are also the risible creature, the only species capable of laughter. Babies begin to laugh when they are only 3-4 months old and those that laugh the most throughout their lives, seem to have the healthiest relationships. The adverb is "risibly" and the noun, "risibility."

Suggested usage: Today's word is a bit odd in that it can mean either laughing oneself or causing others to laugh. In this sentence, it could mean either: "Everyone loves that risible Irish darling, Beryl O'Laughs; she keeps everyone in stitches." Here are two that separate the two main senses: "Risible foreigners must enjoy the antics of the US Congress" (sense 1) and "You've invented an electric pencil? That is as risible an idea as I've ever heard" (sense 3).

Etymology: "Risible" comes from Late Latin risibilis, from Latin "risus," the past participle of ridere "to laugh," a root that doesn't seem to appear in recognizable form elsewhere among the Indo-European languages. (We thank Katy Brezger of somewhere in Michigan for the initial spark that provided the risible information in today's word.)

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