Beautiful Words, Some Meanings, and Some Fictions Too. nik perring
I have been collecting words. But not just any words - though all are good - these are words that I think are beautiful. Their beauty may be their construction, or how they sound, or how it feels to say them - the shapes they push our mouths into. Or perhaps they’re beautiful in what they represent or mean. Here are twenty-six of my favourites. I hope you find some that are beautiful to you too.
Appalachian ‘Appalachian’ is a beautiful word. It sounds like something big. Maybe even another country or planet. But really it’s just mountains. If we were in The Appalachians now I’d give you flowers. The flowers I’d give you would be beautiful. Then again, I’d give you flowers wherever we were.
bracken Bracken’s origins are in Scandinavian languages (Swedish and Norwegian). Bracken reminds Peter of long walks with winds that turned your nose red, and of holding your hand, and of the warmth of open fires when you went inside after. Bracken is beautiful because it reminds him of you.
clasp Clasp is a noun and a verb: it is a device and an action. It’s a nice word to say too. I don’t think you clasp things selfishly. You do it because you want that necklace around you or because you want that hand in yours. Hold me, please.
dravidian The Dravidian are a people and their languages from India and Sri-Lanka. Dravidian is a beautiful word, and when things are written in Dravidian they’re beautiful too. This is beautiful in a few Dravidian languages:
Beautiful
effleurage Effleurage is a word that looks and feels like it sounds. It makes me think of streams and rivers or slowly drifting clouds. The word looks calming. Effleurage is actually a form of massage. It is a French word and means to skim or to touch gently. Beautiful.
fuck Fuck is beautiful because of its power. It is a word much greater than its four humble letters, or seven when it’s used as an intensifier (fucking). It can make anything sound bad, eg: Fucking kittens; Fucking sunshine. Or good too: I fucking love you.
guddle Some words are simply a pleasure to say. Guddle is one. It’s Scottish and it can mean a way of catching fish, under stones in a river, with one’s hands. It can mean a mix up as well. I’m not Scottish and I don’t fish. I do like guddle though.
higgledy-piggledy Originating in the 1500s in reference to the herding of pigs (can you imagine!), it is a joy to say, hear, and read. It’s one of the few words that adults use that sounds like it really belongs in a book of nursery rhymes. Your challenge, if you should accept it, is to say higgledy-piggledy today.
ineludible If something is ineludible, it is unavoidable, inescapable. It will happen. Like death. Or, more happily, like life. Or like the toner running out. Or, more importantly, like falling in love with you.
junkanoo Junkanoo is a masquerade party held in the Bahamas, Jamaica, and Belize, at Christmas time. It began when slaves were given a day off and has continued, and grown, since they were freed. Freedom is another beautiful word.
kiss There’s not much better than being kissed. The word kiss first appeared in English around 1100 years ago. It comes from German küssen and the Norse kyssa. It doesn’t matter what language you speak, sharing that kiss with someone good is a special thing. Even if it’s sloppy.
lover Lover has been with us since the 12th century. More recently, I had a lover. I loved this lover. She was beautiful, and her lips were two halves of perfect. But this lover was allergic to me. I think I made her sick. I don’t see that lover any more.
macaroon A word as lovely as it tastes. When Sally went to the funeral she was sad. There were macaroons there and they were good. They were homemade. After, Sally was still sad, but she was full.
nest A very old word, and common to many languages including Old English, Latin, German, Dutch, Irish, Sanskrit, and Welsh for more than a thousand years. It doesn’t matter where you are, or when you’re from, or even how you speak, chances are you will want a home, whatever that may mean to you.
obcordate We carved our names into the oak’s trunk with a knife. We sealed them inside a heart, and then we lay, warm and happy, on the grass by the shrub. That heart was the same shape as the shrub’s leaves. They were obcordate and perfect, both of them. And, hand in hand, we watched the sky and the shapes the clouds made until those clouds passed in front of the sun and chilled us.
Prostaglandins Paracetemol works by affecting the prostaglandins our bodies release when we’re ill, making us less aware of our injury or ailment, of what’s hurting. I wish there was another kind of pill I could take that made me unaware of what you did. For now, Paracetemol’s all I’ve got.
queue A word that sounds nothing like it looks. As well as being a line, queue can also mean a plait of hair worn at the back of the head. The first time she saw her was from the back, and, from that moment, she knew she would recognise the back of her head anywhere.
reel A reel is a cylindrical device that’s used for winding. Like you get on a fishing rod, when you’re reeling that fish in. It’s a dance too. A lively one. Like a jig. If we danced a reel I’d hope to reel you in and kiss you, and leave you reeling, happily.
senescence Senescence is to deteriorate with age. Alexander found the word in books when he studied biology. It was used to describe cells and plants. Not love. What he feels for Lucy and for cheese could never senesce. Not one bit.
tonic I think that if tonic was a person it would have a very good coat, stand very straight, and wear a smart hat. If it was a man, it would most likely have a moustache. Say the word ‘tonic’ and you’ll instantly sound Victorian – especially when you use it in any reference to cures, medicine, or helpful remedies.
It also goes well with gin.
umbrella Of Italian origin, umbrella is a pleasure to say. It’s a word that sounds happy, though when it’s used few of us are. Umbrellas were used in Ancient Egyptian times as protection from the sun; opening one indoors was seen as an insult to Ra, the sun god. Bad luck indeed.
vim Vim is that odd mix of an Americanised Latin word (vis) that sounds like something from a 1950s UK television commercial. If you have vim you will have an energetic spirit. You will be plucky, spunky, have pep and have energy to burn.
wiffle To whiffle is to make a soft sound, like breathing or like a gentle breeze. It’s also when you cause something to move by a small puff of air, like blowing a feather or dandelion seed, or paper over your desk, or an eyelash from your thumb. Make a wish when you next whiffle.
xerophyte A xerophyte is a plant than needs very little water to survive. It reminds me of you, how I didn’t need much from you. Just an occasional smile. It was enough just knowing you were there.
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zygomas Zygomas are the arches of your cheeks. Lily had good zygomas. High zygomas. Beautiful zygomas. Lily has lovely eyes too. Maybe it’s time I told her.