Tuesday, October 6, 2009

A Beautiful Word

I've been thinking about the beauty of words. How some words create images in and of themselves. And as I looked over the list of 100 Beautiful Words (see my previous blog), I realized there are words that speak beauty and nobility to me, words that contain so much meaning and emotion that I'm moved or challenged or convicted when they whisper through my mind and heart. Lately, one word has been doing all of that:

Integrity.

Even as I write it, I feel my heart move. So much is contained in that word. So much that has blessed people, so much that seems lost on today's world.

Before I go any further, though, I want to know what that word means/says to you.

What is integrity? Where do you see it? What does it mean to the world today?

Look forward to your thoughts!

Karen

Friday, October 2, 2009

Beautiful Words...100 of Them!

I'm still pondering the article on being purposeful in our word choices and use. As someone who has studied other languages (French, Spanish, and Russian), I love the physicality of words.When you speak either French or Russian, your whole lower face gets a work out. It's as though you're tasting the words as well as speaking them.

Happily, English has words like that as well. Consider the following:
  • impecunious
  • circuitous
  • mellifluous
  • exsanguinate
  • ebullient
  • flummery
Words like these are not only fun to use, they're fun to say. The feel of some even reflects their meaning. Impecunious has a tight, stingy feel to it. Mellifluous rolls off the tongue. Flummery feels a bit foolish as it escapes you.

I was trolling the internet, just looking for articles on felicitous (there's another one!) words, and came across a delightful site: The 100 Most Beautiful Words in the English Language.

Writers, Readers, Word Lovers, do yourselves a favor and check it out! I had a blast just trying to pronounce some of them. And I thought there were several that should have been on the list. How about you? I'll share my words after some of you share yours.

Blessings--and beautiful words--to you today.

Karen