• souvenir •
Pronunciation: su-vê-nir • Hear it!
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: 1. A token of remembrance, a keepsake, a memento, something you keep as a reminder. 2. A memory, an act of remembering.
Notes: Souvenir is a lexical orphan, excepting only that it may be used 'as is' as a verb, as 'to souvenir a trip to Hawaii with a hula doll'. Remember, the 'u' sound is spelled OU and that the accent is French, always on the last syllable.
In Play: Souvenirs are usually concrete objects: "He kept the shirt with the lipstick on the collar as a souvenir of his evening with Lucy Lastik". It may be used figuratively, too: "Mable elicits pain in all her friends, a souvenir of all she suffers." Souvenir is used less often as a verb: "Vi Carius always souvenirs the in-room amenities she doesn't use in whatever hotel she stays in on business trips."
Word History: Today's Good Word used to be a French word, souvenir, an Old French noun use of the verb souvenir "to remember, come to mind". French received its word from Latin subvenire "to come to mind", built out of sub "(up from) below, under" + venire "to come". The Latin preposition-prefix sub was handed down from PIE sup- "below, under", probably a reduction of ex- ([eks]) "away from" + upo (out from) under", source also of English up. Venir came from PIE gwa- "to go, come", which went into the making of both English go and come, and German gehen and kommen. We also see traces of it in Lithuanian gimti "to be born, arrive" and Sanskrit ji-ga-ti "goes". (Now, let's all thank our newest contributor, Anna Jung, and one of our oldest, William Hupy, for suggesting today's great Good Word.)
Souvenir
- Slava
- Great Grand Panjandrum
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Souvenir
An AWOL Good Word, from 5/14/2021:
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- Great Grand Panjandrum
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Re: Souvenir
Souvenir reminds me of my misspent youth and this little musical offering, dig that lonesome sax interlude. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OZXhUx9Xo0
It is dark at night, but the Sun will come up and then we can see.
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- Grand Panjandrum
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Re: Souvenir
An oldie but a goodie, Philip. Fun to be reminded.
Most of our souvenirs acquired on holidays are sitting on mantlepieces here. They are what my Mother always referred to, rather disparagingly, as dust-traps.
Most of our souvenirs acquired on holidays are sitting on mantlepieces here. They are what my Mother always referred to, rather disparagingly, as dust-traps.
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- Great Grand Panjandrum
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Re: Souvenir
I am a cheapskate when it comes to souvenirs. Smooth stones from a riverbed remind me of The Pecos and Devils river of my youth. [They are tributaries of the Rio Grande.] A chunk of pink granite from the Colorado [a Texas river] reminds me of the river and the state capitol building. No, I have never copped a stone from the capital building.
It is dark at night, but the Sun will come up and then we can see.
Re: Souvenir
You must have a lot of fun at checkin when traveling, Philip.
"What do you have in this suitcase? Rocks?"
My college roommate is a professional geologist. The answer for her has often been "Yes."
"What do you have in this suitcase? Rocks?"
My college roommate is a professional geologist. The answer for her has often been "Yes."
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- Grand Panjandrum
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Re: Souvenir
Love your Biblical style, Philip. "The Pecos and Devil, rivers of my youth". Abana and Pharpa, rivers of Damascus. I haven't checked to see how they are spelt, but that's how I used to say them. One of my favourite stories because it is so beautifully told. And with the prophet's servant, Gehazi, (great name) running messages.
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- Great Grand Panjandrum
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Re: Souvenir
Gehazi tried to pull a fast one on Elisha and got his comeuppance in spades. As a child I was taught that the hero if this Bible passage was the Hebrew slave girl that set it all in motion.
It is dark at night, but the Sun will come up and then we can see.
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- Grand Panjandrum
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Re: Souvenir
Yes, Leprosy was a pretty tough gig in those days.
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- Great Grand Panjandrum
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Re: Souvenir
It is not always a good idea to take what one finds when traveling. Sometimes it's against the law. Don't pick a bouquet of bluebonnet flowers on a Texas roadway. Don't take any of the crown jewels while visiting the Tower of London. If you find an artifact while visiting the site of a defunct western fort in Texas, be sure to give it to the attendant. What should you do of you find a $20 bill blowing in the wind? When he was a first grader, my son found such a bill while walking to school. His sister said he had to take it to the office at school. Instead he let it loose to fly in the wind.
It is dark at night, but the Sun will come up and then we can see.
- Slava
- Great Grand Panjandrum
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Re: Souvenir
For nature trips, isn't the ideal to take only pictures and leave only footprints? Humans are rather acquisitive, though, so it can be difficult to resist the urge to pick up that pretty rock.
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.
- Dr. Goodword
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Re: Souvenir
I loved the ending of your story, Philip.It is not always a good idea to take what one finds when traveling. Sometimes it's against the law. Don't pick a bouquet of bluebonnet flowers on a Texas roadway. Don't take any of the crown jewels while visiting the Tower of London. If you find an artifact while visiting the site of a defunct western fort in Texas, be sure to give it to the attendant. What should you do of you find a $20 bill blowing in the wind? When he was a first grader, my son found such a bill while walking to school. His sister said he had to take it to the office at school. Instead he let it loose to fly in the wind.
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