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GALORE

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2005 12:01 am
by Dr. Goodword
• galore •

Pronunciation: gê-lor

Part of Speech: Adjective

Meaning: In abundance

Notes: Today's good adjective is unusual in that, rather than appearing before the noun it modifies, it appears after it: "Words galore mean fun galore." Enough, the original meaning of today's word, is an adjective that may be placed on either side of its noun: "I have had enough turnips for one day" or "I have had turnips enough for one day." Galore, however, may only follow its noun.

In Play: The opportunity to use today's word lurks wherever there is superfluity: "Investigators of Enron Corporation's management have found guilt galore." (Plenty to go around.) Since his novels often deal with excesses, it should be no surprise that the world of Ian Fleming offers opportunities for the exercise of this word: "Even though he is in captivity for much of the novel, James Bond has adventures Galore in Ian Fleming's novel, Goldfinger."

Word History: Today's good word comes from Irish Gaelic go leór "enough", based on go, an adverb particle + leór "enough". Leór is a variant of Old Irish roar, a reduction of Proto-Indo-European ro- "for" + werê "truth". In Latin we see the same root in verus "true", a word at the base of many English borrowings referring to truth: verify, verdict, aver. Yes, very also came from Latin verus via Old French verai "true". The PIE root werê also emerged in English warlock "male witch", from Old English wærloga "oath-breaker": wær "oath" + loga "liar". (Which reminds us, we are very grateful to Jon Jackson for providing us lexical fun galore with the suggestion of today's word.)

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2005 6:13 am
by Flaminius
Couldn't help saying this,
I find Bangalore bungalows galore.