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www.wordsofobscurity.com
Home Page ~ Word List Index ~ Featured Lists
Obscure, Rare, Unusual and Obsolete
Logophile Language, Writing and Words Knowledge, Intellect, Deep and Profound
Creativity and Technology
Dark, Mystical, Supernatural and Risqué
Human Psyche, Emotions & Feelings
The Universe and World We Live In
Translating our World | Translating our Slang
Reference Corner - library for language & words
FEATURED LISTS WITH COMMENTARY
Pondering the Phobia | Pirate Story & Language
DIRECTORY OF LANGUAGE and WORDS
Logophile | Words | Obscure | Writing | Speech Literature | Poetry | Rhetoric | Grammar | Vocab Reference Reads | Top 10 Lists | Language Home
Search site below or use Advanced Search
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New, Rare, Archaic, Obsolete or Dead
RELATED ARTICLES
Classification of Words - Rare or Archaic?
Defining the Unusual and Obscure
Death March of an Obsolete Word
Ye Olde Fossil Words Keep On Kicking
Dead Words Get a 21 Rifle Salute
Translated by the Broker of Loan Words
Classification of Words - Rare or Archaic?
Defining the Unusual and Obscure
Death March of an Obsolete Word
Ye Olde Fossil Words Keep On Kicking
Dead Words Get a 21 Rifle Salute
Translated by the Broker of Loan Words
Defining the Rare, Unusual, Obscure Word
Defining obscurity for this list can be easily conveyed by the words unusual, mysterious or unknown. This is my favorite category because learning rare and unusual words in our language is how we boost our vocabulary. Using these words - especially the obsolete ones - brings them into awareness and use. Old and obsolete words may have been long forgotten, but they have surprisingly relevant meanings that we can apply to the world today. Words can be understood like fashion. They can be in fashion or they can be old fashioned. They come and go with the times. But sometimes old fashioned styles come back around and these words need a comeback!
VIEW OBSCURITY OF THE NORM
DEFINING OBSCURE
Dictionary Definition
OBSCURITY is not a true classification used by lexicographers when classifying a word like it would be for calling it archaic or obsolete. I suggest the concept be seen as subjective - the one who classifies a word as obscure is the reader or the writer. We get to decide if a word is obscure based on our knowledge (we know the word), our usage (we speak or write the word) and if we think it’s weird then we get to call it obscure. Obscurity, in a sense, means not mainstream. The general public is not usually aware of it or use it in conversation.
Obscure words give us powers of description that can inform our surroundings, and they can bring clarity and insight to our understanding or the world. When we have a word to describe a feeling or thought we can put credibility behind it. We can trust that the feelings are legitimate and that others feel the same way so we don’t feel alone. Feelings are such a subjective idea and we can have feelings that we just don’t know how to name. Obscure words give us power to define our feelings and know that our feelings are not crazy or weird. And, to the logophile, discovering rare and obscure words are like a prize in a game we love. It is a shot of adrenaline to find something new to us. Obscurity to n itself is a gift or a find. A deviation from the norm gives us new meaning and opens the world up.
SPECIAL FEATURE
There is a Special Feature to the category of Rare, Unusual and Obscure Words that defines the Obscurity of the Norm. This eclectic word list contains all the obscure words for everyday or normal things. Click here to go there now.
Dictionary Definition
- Dark or dim; shrouded or hidden by darkness; not clearly seen or easily distinguished
- Not readily understood or clearly expressed; something mysterious
- Relatively unknown or unused
OBSCURITY is not a true classification used by lexicographers when classifying a word like it would be for calling it archaic or obsolete. I suggest the concept be seen as subjective - the one who classifies a word as obscure is the reader or the writer. We get to decide if a word is obscure based on our knowledge (we know the word), our usage (we speak or write the word) and if we think it’s weird then we get to call it obscure. Obscurity, in a sense, means not mainstream. The general public is not usually aware of it or use it in conversation.
Obscure words give us powers of description that can inform our surroundings, and they can bring clarity and insight to our understanding or the world. When we have a word to describe a feeling or thought we can put credibility behind it. We can trust that the feelings are legitimate and that others feel the same way so we don’t feel alone. Feelings are such a subjective idea and we can have feelings that we just don’t know how to name. Obscure words give us power to define our feelings and know that our feelings are not crazy or weird. And, to the logophile, discovering rare and obscure words are like a prize in a game we love. It is a shot of adrenaline to find something new to us. Obscurity to n itself is a gift or a find. A deviation from the norm gives us new meaning and opens the world up.
SPECIAL FEATURE
There is a Special Feature to the category of Rare, Unusual and Obscure Words that defines the Obscurity of the Norm. This eclectic word list contains all the obscure words for everyday or normal things. Click here to go there now.
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Library of articles defining words & meaning
LOGOPHILE | WORDS | WRITER | GRAMMAR
Language WordMap
