MUSSITATION

[Dr. Goodword]

• mussitation •

Pronunciation: mê-sê-tey-shên • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun, mass

Meaning: 1. Mumbling inarticulately, moving the lips and making a low vocal sound, or to mutter through the teeth. 2. {Medicine} Moving the lips without making a sound.

Notes: Today's Good Word is the action and process noun of the verb mussitate "to mutter, mumble, to move the lips without making a sound". The adjective, mussitant "muttering", may also be used as a noun referring to someone who mutters or who moves their lips without speaking.

In Play: I don't think we have another word for muttering through clenched teeth, so today's Good Word has a job waiting for its return from the brink of oblivion: "'Take your things and get out of this apartment immediately!' she mussitated angrily through her tightly clenched teeth." As our kids get smarter and smarter, don't be surprised to hear one say, "Mom always mussitates 'I love you' as she leaves our room each night after tucking us in."

Word History: This root of this word comes from Latin mussitat(us), the past participial of mussitare "to mutter", a variant of mussare "to mutter". Mussare is an onomatopoetic (imitative) stem similar to ancient Greek muxein "to mutter" and English mutter. Onomatopoetic words are generated by individual languages and are not always passed along historically as other words. Cockadoodle-doo, for example, is kykkeliky in Danish, kukeleku in Dutch, cocorico in French, kickeriki in German. As you can see, these words show no evidence of being related. The same applies to Latin mussare. (We are happy that Susan Lister spoke up and sent us today's Good Word.).

[Slava]

2. {Medicine} Moving the lips without making a sound.

Not to belittle the medical meaning, but wouldn't this word apply to those who move their lips while reading, too? And to silent prayers?

[Perry]

I think that it would apply.