Page 160 - SBV (English)

534 Guide to Obscure English Words

Diaspora—a dispersed people who formerly lived as one
Diatribe—a bitter and abusive verbal attack
Didactic—instructive
Diglossia—use of both a lower and higher quality of a language within a society
Dint—means, effect

Dispraise—to speak words of disapproval
Dissolute—depraved, engaged in immorality
Distich—two lines of verse that end in similar sounds
Doleful—morose, sad
Dross—that which is extrinsic; rubbish
Ecclesiastic—pertaining to church affairs

Efflorescence—a flowering, development like that of a flower
Egress—to come out
Eidetically—involving unusually accurate and vivid recall
Elocution—style of public speaking
Emasculation—a removal of masculinity, strength, or vigor
Emic—concerning an attempt to understand a culture according to its own
concepts; from an insider’s viewpoint
Envisage—to view mentally (especially a future possibility)
Envoy—messenger; concluding section of a literary work

Epicure—a person fond of fine food
Epistemology—methods of gaining knowledge
Equitable—fair
Eremite—a religious hermit
Eschew—to avoid
Etic—concerning an attempt to understand a culture according to preconceived
concepts; from an outsider’s viewpoint
Eudemonistic—pertaining to the theory that the basis of morality is the tendency
of right actions to produce happiness
Eugenic—(adj.) pertaining to selective human breeding
Eugenics—selective human breeding (see vol. 1, p. 308, fn †)
Euhemerism—considering myths to be factual accounts