manqu??
[email protected] 5 Nov 2007 10:59:33 -0000
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The Word of the Day for November 5 is:=20
manqu=C3=A9 \mahng-KAY (the =E2=80=9Cng=E2=80=9D is not pronounced, bu=
t the preceding vowel is nasalized)\ adjective
: short of or frustrated in the fulfillment of one's aspirations or=
talents -- used postpositively
Example sentence:
Clarke has a remarkable gift for drawing, but unless he applies him=
self, he=E2=80=99ll always be an artist manque.
Did you know?
The etymology of "manque" is likely to vex left-handers. English sp=
eakers picked up "manque" directly from French more than two centuries a=
go, and it ultimately comes from Latin =E2=80=9Cmanco,=E2=80=9D meaning =
"having a crippled hand." But in between the Latin and French portions o=
f this word's history came the Italian word =E2=80=9Cmanco,=E2=80=9D whi=
ch means both "lacking" and "left-handed." Lefties may be further disple=
ased to learn that "manque=E2=80=9D isn't the only English word with a h=
istory that links left-handedness with something undesirable. For exampl=
e, the word "awkward" comes from =E2=80=9Cawke,=E2=80=9D a Middle Englis=
h word meaning both "turned the wrong way" and "left-handed." And the no=
un "gawk" ("a clumsy stupid person") probably comes from a =E2=80=9Cgawk=
=E2=80=9D that means "left-handed" in English dialect.
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