Friday, 10 March 2017

Word To Use Today: measureless.

JRR Tolkien said the loveliest sound in the English language was cellar door, but I think I'd go for measureless.

How soft, languid, and teasing can a word be?

Coleridge spoke in Kubla Khan of Alph, the sacred river, which ran through caverns measureless to man down to a sunless sea

I mean, just look at that: measureless is so swooningly sensuous he even gets away with calling his sacred river Alph!

And then there's poor Banquo, speaking of the king's measureless content to that nasty Macbeth, thus pointing up the happiness and order the eponymous wretch is intent upon destroying. 

Right then. If a word is good enough for Coleridge and Shakespeare...well, what are we waiting for?

So...

...what's the nearest thing to you that's measureless?

Word To Use Today: measureless. This word comes from measure, of course, which comes from the Latin mētīrī, which has an annoying number of long vowels and still meant measure even then.








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