Wondrous Words Wednesday
Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme where you can share new words that you’ve encountered or spotlight words you love. Feel free to get creative! If you want to play along, grab the button, write a post and come back and add your link to Mr. Linky!
I found two more words in One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus.
1. anchorite – “’Good God,” I said under my breath to Helen Flight beside me, “first they send us an overweight Episcopalian pederast on a mule, and now comes a gaunt Benedictine anchorite on a donkey.’”
An anchorite is a person who lives in seclusion usually for religious reasons.
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2. beeves – “There are cattlemen moving into the country around Camp Robinson, and one day as we were passing through some of our young men went out on a hunting party and killed and slaughtered several beeves.”
From the context, I could tell beeves was some sort of animal but I was rather surprised to discover that beeves is the plural of beef.
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What words do you want to celebrate today?
This sounds like a fun book!
I didn’t know the plural of beef either. Also, I thought the word anchorite looked like a name of a gemstone.
Beeves is such a weird word, isn’t it? Never heard it before. And it’s an odd usage in that sentence. Why wouldn’t you just say that they slaughtered several cows?
Perhaps I’m an anchorite but for bookish, not religious reasons? Total seclusion with books often sounds heavenly to me!
The “beeves” word is new to me! I had no idea that it was the plural of beef!
Have you finished that book? A friend of mine raved about it a couple of years ago. I bought it but haven’t read it. Is it worthwhile?
The English language is so inconsistent. I would not have guessed beeves is a plural, it just sounds wrong.
You had me stumped with both words, Kathy!
Beeves? That’s definitely a new one! Saw your comment over on The Debutante Ball and thought I’d say “hi.” (I’m the Friday girl.)
I wouldn’t have known what either of these words meant! I am joining in for the first time today and have added my link. Thanks for this feature!
I didn’t know either of them, and definitely wouldn’t have guessed the meaning of beeves (was thinking “beavers” or “bees” though neither really made that much sense).
Anchorite was new to me. I’ve only heard hermit used.
Hi Kathy,
Both of your words today, are new to me. I didn’t even know there was a plural of beef!
This sounds like such an interesting book, almost too much so for a novel. I know very little about Grant and the Indian Nation, so I am not really sure just how close to the truth of genuinely recorded historical events, this premise comes. I am bery tempted to add this to my reading list though, as I am so intrigued.
Thanks for hosting and enjoy the rest of the book,
Yvonne
I had to giggle over the anchorite quote. =)
No way? Beeves? Really. Wow.
Beeves? That is one of your best words ever!!!
Beeves is a fun word, never thought of it that way.
http://tributebooksmama.blogspot.com/2013/09/wondrous-words-wednesday.html
Both words are new to me, and I also had to look up pederast! That first quote is great.
I knew anchorite from all that medieval history I took in college — but I guessed “beeves” were beavers!
I think I could easily become an anchorite.
I’m sorry, but I inadvertently added two links to the linky. I only discovered this meme today, but I really like it.
Beeves is GREAT! I never heard this before.
I’m surprised I did not know the word anchorite. I’ve never come across it in all my research. We learn something new every day!
I saw this post at bookshelf fantasies.
She’s putting together a current, active list of memes and bloghops but is only adding ones with owner permission. I thought you might be interested 🙂
I actually knew beeves but I’m not sure why!