indomitable

[email protected] 20 Jul 2007 01:51:29 -0000
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The Word of the Day for July 19 is: 

indomitable   \in-DAH-muh-tuh-bul\   adjective
     : incapable of being subdued : unconquerable

Example sentence:
     Molly has always admired the indomitable spirit of her great-grandparents, who endured many hardships when they emigrated from Ireland.

Did you know? 
     The prefix "in-" means "not" in numerous English words (think of "indecent," "indecisive," "inconvenient," and "infallible"). When "in-" teamed up with the Latin "domitare" ("to tame"), the result was a word meaning "unable to be tamed." "Indomitable" was first used in English in the 1600s as a synonym of "wild," but over time its sense of untamability turned from a problem to a virtue. By the 1800s, "indomitable" was being used for people whose courage and persistence helped them to succeed in difficult situations.






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