[Loch-Ruadh] word of the day

Jane Sitton jane.sitton at radioshack.com
Thu Jun 20 10:24:28 PDT 2002


This one was interesting:

Your daily vocabulary lesson:
oenophile * \EE-nuh-file\ * (noun) : a lover or connoisseur of wine

Example sentence: The new wine shop is an oenophile's delight, with a
wonderful selection of vineyards and vintages and a helpful, knowledgeable
staff.

Did you know?  "It has become quite a common proverb that in wine there is
truth," wrote the 1st-century A.D. Roman scholar, Pliny the Elder.
The truth about the word "wine" is that it goes back to Latin "vinum,"  but
it is also a distant relative of the Greek word for wine, which is "oinos."
It was the Greek word that modern English speakers chose to combine with
"-phile" (Greek for "lover of") around 1930 to create "oenophile."
Etymologically-inclined oenophiles are sure to know that "oenology"  (the
science of wine making) and "oenologist"  (one versed in oenology) also
trace back to the Greek root.   And they may even know that "wine therapy"
(use of wine for therapeutic purposes) is also known as "oenotherapy."

I could use a little oenotherapy myself sometimes.

Madelina



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