ASPERSION

[Dr. Goodword]

• aspersion •

Pronunciation: æs-pêr-zhên • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: 1. Spattering, sprinkling, especially of holy water. 2. The bespattering of someone's character, slander, defamation of character.

Notes: This Good Word comes to us from the verb, to asperse "to sprinkle or spatter". The noun followed two widely different routes: (1) the sprinkling of holy water during a religious ceremony and (2) the bespattering someone with metaphorical mud. It is used today in the cliché, to cast aspersions on someone but below we will suggest a wider usage. There is an adjective, aspersive "defamatory, slanderous, maligning", as a remark aspersive to her integrity.

In Play: Remember that today's word basically means sprinkling or bespattering, "Ferguson didn't take the aspersion of muddy water on his new shorts well at all and chased the car that aspersed him three blocks before giving up." However, "slander" is the sense in which you will most likely encounter this word: "The conversation around the water cooler is filled with aspersions about the way business is conducted at the firm."

Word History: Today's Good Word is obviously of Latin origin, this time from Latin aspergere "to sprinkle on, spatter" based on ad- "(up)to" + sparger "to strew, scatter." The past participle of spargere is sparsus "scattered", the origin of our word sparse.

[Slava]

While I was living in Russia my father came to visit several times. One of them was during the Easter holidays, and we were able to visit a church for the blessing of the offerings. I do believe the best memory we both have of the event is when the priest took out the aspergillum and "cast aspersions" on the offerings. Many of them had lighted candles in them, many of which were extinguished by the drops of water. Both my father and I also took rather full blasts to the face. A strange experience, but uplifting nonetheless.

[LukeJavan8]

The Roman Church used the Asperges before Sunday
High Mass, back when it had such things, to bless the
congregation. It still does it on Easter and Holy Saturday
eve Mass after the renewal of Baptismal vows., or so I'm
told.