Cultivated Words for the Lexically Clever Quiz

Answer: linguistics

In linguistics, calque is another word for loan translation - that is, a word or phrase borrowed from another language, and translated word for word. Well-known examples of English words or phrases calqued from other languages are flea market (from the French "marché aux puces"), superman (from the German "Übermensch"), and brainwashing (from Mandarin Chinese "xǐnǎo"). On the other hand, many English words have been calqued into other languages. For instance, skyscraper has become "grattacielo" in Italian, "gratte-ciel" in French, and "rascacielos" in Spanish.

In English, calque can be both a noun and a verb. First used in the 1920s, it is a loanword from French, where it means tracing or close copy. Its origins lie in the Latin verb "calcare" (to tread), which is also the root of caulk. Interestingly, the term loanword itself is a calque from the German "Lehnwort".

Answer: the underworld

First attested in English in the 1880s, the adjective chthonic (or, less commonly, chthonian) denotes a relation with the underworld. It is frequently used in mythology or history of religion in reference to deities such as Hades and Persephone, the rulers of the Ancient Greek underworld, or more sinister entities such as the Erinyes (Furies) or Thanatos, the personification of death. The word chthonic is occasionally used in other contexts, especially when writing in a high-flown style: a mention of the chthonic darkness of a mine or underground cave would emphasize their resemblance to the mythical underworld.

Chthonic comes from the Greek word "khthon", meaning earth or soil; the adjective "khthonios" means in or under the earth. The opposite of chthonic is ouranic (relating to the heavens) or olympic (from the name of Mount Olympus, the abode of the gods).

Answer: jewelry

Corundum is a crystalline form of aluminium oxide, the second-hardest mineral on the Mohs scale after diamond. Though naturally transparent, it also comes in different colours due to the presence of impurities. The red and blue varieties of corundum, known as ruby and sapphire, are among the most valuable of gemstones, extensively used in jewelry. Another widely employed variety of corundum is emery, the abrasive component of sandpaper (and nail files).

First used in English in the early 1800s, the word corundum comes from "kuruntam", which refers to ruby and sapphire in the Tamil language spoken in South India and Sri Lanka (where both rubies and sapphires are mined). This word is related to "kuruvinda", the Sanskrit word for ruby.

Answer: willful contempt of court

A word of medieval origin (first attested in English in the 13th century), contumacy means stubborn resistance to authority. Mainly used in legal jargon, it generally indicates willful contempt of court: for instance, failure to respond to a summons is an act of contumacy. In Italian, the phrase "in contumacia" refers to legal proceedings carried out in the defendant's absence. In Catholic canon law, contumacy means refusal to repent and make reparations.

Contumacy comes from the Latin "contumacia" (stubbornness), through Middle English "contumacie". This word is believed to be related to contempt (from Latin "contemnere") and contumely, a synonym for verbal abuse (probably akin to "tumere", to swell up).

Answer: a soldier

A cuirass (also called a corselet) is a piece of close-fitting armour that covers the upper body from neck to waist, consisting of a breastplate and a backplate. The word - first attested in English in the mid-15th century - can also be used to refer to the protective covering of some animals (such as crocodiles) made of bony plates. Though cuirasses are not worn in combat any longer, bulletproof vests could be considered their modern counterparts.

Though cuirasses were usually made of metal, the word comes from the Latin "coriacea (vestis)", meaning a garment made of leather ("corium"), through Old French "cuirace". A mounted soldier wearing a cuirass is called a cuirassier.

Answer: No

Being a legendary creature, a cockatrice would definitely not be found in any zoo. The word denotes a fabulous part-snake, part-rooster monster - hatched by a toad or reptile from a cock's egg - whose glance was believed to have the power to kill instantly. Cockatrice was sometimes used a synonym for basilisk, another legendary monster with a deadly glance or breath.

First used in 1382 in John Wyclif's English translation of the Bible, cockatrice comes from Old French "cocatriz". In spite of the creature's rooster connections, however, the Old French word is derived from Medieval Latin "calcatrix" (tracker), which translates the Greek "ichneumon". The latter was a mongoose-like creature believed to be a dragon's mortal enemy. Interestingly, the words cockatoo and cockatiel - both parrot species that are often found in zoos, or kept as pets - also have no etymological connection with roosters.

Answer: eating or drinking in excess

Not the most common of words, but maybe a good one to have in your personal lexicon, crapulent is an adjective (first attested in the mid-17th century) that refers to the unpleasant effects of too much food or alcohol. A closely related adjective, crapulous, entered English about a century earlier. Both these words can be used as synonyms of drunken when aiming either for a more elevated tone or for comical effect.

Crapulent comes from Late Latin "crapulentus", meaning very drunk. This adjective is derived from the noun "crapula" (intoxication), which in turn comes from Greek "kraipale" (hangover). Interestingly, "krapula" also means hangover in Finnish, a language unrelated to either Greek or Latin. The rather vulgar English word "crap" bears no relation to any of these terms, as it comes from a British dialectal word meaning residue from rendered fat.

Answer: Moby-Dick

Cachalot is another word for a sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), the massive toothed cetacean that was intensively hunted in the 18th and 19th centuries. Herman Melville's 1851 novel "Moby-Dick" is named after a huge white sperm whale pursued by Ahab, the captain of the whaling ship "Pequod", with vengeful intent.

First used in English in the mid-18th century, cachalot is a loanword from French. However, the word's origins lie in the Portuguese "cachalote", in turn derived from the colloquial term "cachola" (big head) - which aptly describes the appearance of the sperm whale, whose head can be as big as one-third of the whole animal's body. A similar but unrelated word, cacholote, denotes a rather different kind of animal - a passerine bird from South America.

Answer: a cemetery

A columbarium is a structure - a wall, a room, or a whole building - lined with niches for holding funerary urns. In ancient times, columbaria were generally located underground. With the increasing popularity of cremation, columbaria are now found in most modern cemeteries, sometimes within dedicated buildings.

The Latin word columbarium comes from "columba" (dove), and originally meant dovecote. The name was later transferred to the burial spaces because of the marked resemblance of the niches to the small, recessed compartments that housed pigeons. Columbarium was first attested in English in the mid-19th century.

Answer: at a religious service

A crozier or crosier is a ceremonial staff that symbolizes a bishop's office. In Western Christianity, it is always shaped like a shepherd's crook - emphasizing a bishop's pastoral duties to their "flock" of faithful. In Eastern Christianity, it is shaped like the Greek letter tau, or surmounted by a pair of curled serpents (a reference to the staff of Moses).

Crozier (from Old French "crocier") originally denoted the bearer of the pastoral staff; "crocier" is derived from "crosse" (hooked stick). The name of the popular sport lacrosse is etymologically related to crozier. Though some sources mention a derivation from Latin "crux" (cross), this does not seem to be the case. Crozier was first used in English in the mid-14th century.