So many words in the English language, and still, so many are conspicuously missing

[capri0mni]

A few weeks ago, I bemoaned the lack of any word for an adult whose parent had died, akin "widow" and "widower."

The other day, indefatigable42 was looking for the word that means the opposite of "lonely."

In an interview on the radio, last year, about his new book Alphabet Juice, Roy Blount Jr. pointed out how we needed a better way to give sympathy than either "I'm sorry..." (too murky) or "my condolences" (too aloof).

So:

[Poll #1354379]

Comments

[indefatigable42.livejournal.com]

I have another one for you -- yesterday, mousewrangler and I were trying to figure out if there was a word that means "being turned into wood".

We started out with arborification (which has something to do with mathematical functions) and dendrification (which is something about how developing nerves branch out). I think we settled on lignification, which literally means turning into wood -- it's how a little green tree sprout turns into a sturdy wooden tree.

I can't remember now why we needed this word.

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

You're right (both of you). We have a word for turning into stone: Petrification, but not wood.

I don't know why you two thought up the need for this, but I can think of examples from folklore and mythology where this happens: Daphne excaping Apollo's attempt to rape her by turning into a laural tree (with the help of her father, iirc). And then there are the dryads and nymphs who transform back and forth from flesh to wood and vice-versa.

How about xylophication? From Ancient Greek Xylon, which means "wood" (hence the musical instrument Xylophone), and Xylem, the vascular tissue in trees that carries sap...

[indefatigable42.livejournal.com]

Well, one of the things we found when googling for it was the myth of Baucis and Philemon, who were spared from their town's destruction because they gave shelter to gods in disguise. Their house was turned into a temple to the gods, and at their own request, upon their death they were turned into trees growing in front of the temple.

I think we googled "arborification" and found some pretentious modern poem that vaguely had something to do with the myth. ^^;

I have to ask my mother if she remembers why we were thinking about that. :P

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

Nice story. Personally, I think being turned into a tree, to spend the next several centuries living and being in your favorite beautiful spot is a much more satisfying reward than being given a halo and a harp. ;-)