In an age where AI and Donald Trump have left many doubting the truth, US dictionary Merriam-Webster has revealed 2023’s most looked-up word. Photo: Pexels
Word of the day: Annus mirabilis
Expand your vocabulary with The South African’s word of the day. Each day The South African offers you an opportunity to learn new words.
In an age where AI and Donald Trump have left many doubting the truth, US dictionary Merriam-Webster has revealed 2023’s most looked-up word. Photo: Pexels
Learn some of the most interesting English words from The South African’s WORD OF THE DAY!
If you are a wordsmith or want to learn a new word to impress that special someone, this content is for you!
Today’s word of the day is:
Annus mirabilis
Annus mirabilis means “a remarkable or notable year.”
Pronunciation: [ann-us-muh-RAH-buh-lus]
To British poet John Dryden, the “year of wonders” was 1666. That was the year of a great British naval victory over the Dutch, as well as the date of the great London fire. When he titled his 1667 poetic review of 1666 and its events Annus Mirabilis, Dryden became one of the first writers to use that Latinate phrase in an otherwise English context. Annus mirabilis is a direct translation from New Latin, the form of Latin that has been used since the end of the medieval period especially in scientific descriptions and classification. The phrase is not particularly common, but it is used by writers and historians to denote any notably remarkable year.
Example: Devoted film buffs often argue over whether cinema’s annus mirabilis was 1932, 1967, or 1971, but most of the time they simply choose the year their favorite movie came out.
RECENT WORDS
SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE WORD:
Do you have a favourite WORD you would like to share with The South African?
If so, email info@thesouthafrican.com or WhatsApp to 060 011 0211 to get the WORD published.
You can also follow @TheSAnews on Twitter and The South African on Facebook to read the latest word of the day.
