Dorsaloquy

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Dr. Goodword
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Dorsaloquy

Postby Dr. Goodword » Thu Mar 31, 2016 10:53 pm

• dorsaloquy •


Pronunciation: dor-sahl-lê-kwi • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: Talking behind someone's back.

Notes: Now we have a word to replace that long phrase in today's Meaning. Someone who talks behind the back of others is a dorsaloquist. We also have another word for "rumor mill", dorsaloquium[dor-sê-low-kwi-êm], when everyone is talking behind everyone else's back.

In Play: How many times have you said, "I want no part of talking behind other people's backs", and wished for a shorter way of expressing it. Well, now we have one: "I want no part of dorsaloquy." How often have you wished for a shorter way to say, "She's a person who talks behind other people's back." Now we have a much simpler way of saying it: "I'm no dorsaloquist myself, but Myna Bird is one in spades!"

Word History: Today's Good Word is a Latin borrowing composed of dorsalis "pertaining to the back" + loqui "to speak". Dorsalis is the adjective for dorsum "back". The history of dorsum died with the passing of the last Roman, but we know quite a bit about loqui. It comes from a metathesized form of the Proto-Indo-European word for "speak", tolkw-. In Russian it popped up as tolkovat' "interpret" and in Lithuanian as tùlkas "translator, interpreter". (This word is a gift of April Phule! who reminds us that this day in the US, Brazil, and the Czech Republic [at least] is April's Fool Day, so don't expect to find this Good Word in any dictionary.)
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Stargzer
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Re: Dorsaloquy

Postby Stargzer » Mon Apr 04, 2016 3:51 pm

Actually, dorsum was a Roman clerk's word describing the number of doors stored in the back of the storehouse.

In use:
Quantitudo foris?
Dorsum XXIII.
Regards//Larry

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Perry Lassiter
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Re: Dorsaloquy

Postby Perry Lassiter » Wed Apr 06, 2016 7:35 pm

Might it be conscripted to apply to the extra tables and chairs stored in our carport closet?
pl


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