Effrenate

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Dr. Goodword
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Effrenate

Postby Dr. Goodword » Thu Mar 09, 2023 5:54 pm

• effrenate •


Pronunciation: e-fri-nayt, e-fri-nêt • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Adjective

Meaning: Unbridled, loose, uncontrollable, unruly.

Notes: Today's word is archaic, but it still will be found in historical documents that are read today. The action noun effrenation "unruliness" implies the former existence of a verb, pronounced as in the first sound in the sound bite above. In its adjective usage, this word should be pronounced as the second pronunciation in that bite.

In Play: Let's rescue this Good Word from oblivion with expressions like this: "As soon as Jack Hammer got to college away from his parents, he conjured up such an effrenate life that it astonished his classmates," and "The 60s was an effrenate decade in America and Europe." Even this: "The shy Anne Y. Ohming didn't like the effrenate hairstyles of that decade."

Word History: Today's Good Word is another reworked past participle, this time effrenatus "unbridled", past participle of the Latin verb effrenare "to unbridle", made up of ef-, an assimilated variant of ex- "out of" + frenum "bridle". Latin created its noun by liquid (Rs and Ls) metathesis from PIE dher-/dhor- "to hold, restrain support", source also of Sanskrit dharayati "holds back, restrains", Armenian dadarem "abate", Dutch bedaren "to calm down, subside", Latin firmus "firm, strong", Welsh darbodus "frugal, economical", Lithuanian padaryti "to make do, cause", Serbian držati "to hold", Russian derzhat' "to hold", and Lithuanian diržas "belt, strap". (Now a round of standing e-applause for Luciano Eduardo de Oliveira, a long-time editor of this series and even a longer term contributor of exotic Good Words like today's.)
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Slava
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Re: Effrenate

Postby Slava » Thu Mar 09, 2023 8:03 pm

Okay, it took me a few extra passes, but now I get it. Anne's adjective is part and parcel of her punny name. :D
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Debbymoge
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Re: Effrenate

Postby Debbymoge » Tue Mar 14, 2023 4:51 pm

I suppose frenetic is related to this as well, being the opposite, minus the "ef", no?
I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw.
Shakespear

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Slava
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Re: Effrenate

Postby Slava » Tue Mar 14, 2023 5:24 pm

Nay, sayeth the etymology. Frenetic is from phrenitis, inflammation of the brain. Related to frantic.

Why do you say frenetic would be an opposite to effrenate? They seem quite similar to me.
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.

Debbymoge
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Re: Effrenate

Postby Debbymoge » Fri Mar 17, 2023 12:20 pm

Oh, Slava, the answer to your question is both simple and complicated.

Short form, I'm losing my mind.
I shall try in future to be sure I reread everything before hitting send.
It is hard to establish new habits, but that is one I need to work on more assiduously.

I was surprised by "phrenitis", a word I'd never come across.
Part of my problem is the residue of damage done in my 20s when I had encephalitis-- inflammation of the brain.
I may try to use this new descriptive instead.
I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw.
Shakespear


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