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TREPIDATION

Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 9:00 am
by M. Henri Day
It is not without a certain fear and trepidation that I approach this word ; after all, our good doctor must have had some good reason for not sending this GWotD to the Agora, as I had been led to presume he would do after reading his posting of 29 July on New Words for August. But at any rate, I can now reveal the real reason for Hansel's trepidation in making his proposal of marriage to Beulah - it turns out that he had seen her as the title performer in Turandot at the local opera house the night before...

Henri
• trepidation •

Pronunciation: tre-pê-dey-shên • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun, mass

Meaning: 1. Trembling, shaking, vibration. 2. Fearfulness, anxiety, a sense of worry.

Notes: This Good Word comes from a large and productive family. It is the action noun from the verb trepidate "to tremble, shake". It is based on the adjective trepid "afraid, agitated, shaking with fear", most often encountered in the negative, intrepid. The verb has an adjective, trepidatory [tri-pi-dê-tor-i] "fearful" or you can return to the original, trepid.

In Play: Trepidation has come to refer to physical shaking more than anxiety itself. The susurrous trepidation of the leaves that evening was so remindful of the waves on the shore, that she began feeling a bit queasy and had to retire early." Otherwise, it conjures up a sense of mild fear, hesitation from being unsure, "Hansel approached Beulah with his proposal of marriage with a little trepidation, having heard that she had turned down 11 men before him."

Word History: Today's word comes from Latin trepidatio(n) from trepidatus, the past participle of trepidare, to be in a state of confusion. This verb was generated from trepidus "fearful, anxious, upset", the source of our trepid.

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Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 3:44 pm
by Grogie
Thanks for this word Henri. This is another word that doesn,t get used often enough, especially the first sense.

Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 4:05 pm
by Brazilian dude
Interesting. Trepidação has only the first sense in Portuguese, at least as far as I know. In English I was only aware of the second sense to the extent that I'd correct a student who'd use trepidation for the first meaning. Live and learn.

Brazilian dude

Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 4:06 pm
by Brazilian dude
Live and learn indeed. The second sense of trepidação, according to my dictionary, is tremura dos nervos (trembling of the nerves).

Brazilian dude

Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 10:44 am
by M. Henri Day
Speaking of tremura dos nervos, have the results of the national gun ban referendum in Brazil been published yet ? I haven't heard anything....

Henri

Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 12:14 pm
by Brazilian dude
You knew about that? You don't cease to amaze me. Yes, the results are out, No has won (close to 80% - I voted yes), which means everything will be just the way it was before.

I thought the framing of the question was equivocal itself. It said, "O comércio de armas de fogo e de munições deve ser proibido no Brasil?" (The commerce of fireweapons and ammunition should be prohibited in Brazil?) The two possible answers were Sim (Yes), given key number 2, and Não (No), assigned key number 1 in our voting machines. Both the sentence and the disposition of the alternatives seem confusing and misleading to me (if I, who have attained a certain level of culture, think it's confusing and misleading, imagine the havoc it must have played with a sizable number of people here who aren't equally intellectually blessed).

Brazilian dude

Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 8:48 pm
by gailr
At least you didn't have to shoot out your hanging chads...
-gailr

Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 9:02 pm
by KatyBr
Gailr, I really love your tagline, I didn't 'get' it at first, but I see how devoted the Lady Sevigne was to the cocoa bean product.

Kt

Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 9:20 pm
by gailr
I am even now contemplating a petite slab of dark bitter chocolate zested with orange, my eyes twirling. If only I could share a smidgeon with all my fellow Agorans...

Wait!

What am I saying...

Keep your hands where I can see'em and back slowly away from the chocolates, and nobody will get hurt. Only the intrepid would attempt to heist my chocolates...

-gailr

Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2005 12:05 am
by KatyBr
I detect no trepidation in Gailr's demeanor as she approaches her delictable delights. I just wish she'd send me some, I woves choco, especially Norweigan Chocos. but Orange choco comes close.

Katy
:P ( drooling smiley)