Word of the Week
Created | Updated Feb 4, 2004
In the dim dark recesses of h2g2 history before we moved lock, stock and barrel to our new BBC home there used to be a front page feature The h2g2 Word of the Day. It was a way to highlight some of the lesser occurring or largely obscurer words in the English language. Sadly this feature was discontinued.
Until now...
Word for the Week
This week I'm filling in one of the gaps that was never filled on the
original Word of the Day or yet with my Word of the Week. So this week's
word of the week is brought to you by the letter Y. The word in question was suggested by FG on 24 October 2000, as it is gaining popularity in the Western United States as a shelter or permanent alternative for the environmentally conscious.
Yurt
n. A circular domed dwelling that is portable and self-supporting; originally used by nomadic Mongol and Turkic people of central Asia but now used as inexpensive alternative or temporary housing.
It appears in one edited entry Mongolian Folk
Tales. Also a link takes us to Thorman's homepage which was called 'A Bit About Me...', however he has since removed his details so we can only guess what his connections with Yurt's was.
Yurt's however do crop up quite a bit on the guide in forums. Our former Assistant Community Editor Abi who, on setting up the The Campsite, pitched her Yurt and offered hospitality of a cup of fermented mare's milk on her cushions and skins. From this recognisable feature many of the other campers gave their bearings. The Original Jez also seems to carry one around on his wanders through the guide pitching it on a Breakfast thread and in a discussion about houses.
Motana Redhead considers Yurt to be an
innately funny word. There is a discussion about whether a Yurt is more
portable than a Tipi. Roadkill has had one
experience of a yurt, undefined, but he is anxious for more, curiosity
abounds. So all in all a yurt is well used and travelled across h2g2.
From the Archive
This week's delve into the archive applies particularly to the Government reaction to the Hutton enquiry last week.
It was suggested by English Ben on 17 Feb
2000 with the example of Jeremy Beadle, who at the time was hosting.
Schadenfreude
n. Enjoying another's misfortune
The word is actually an edited entry by a
researcher called surprise, surprise Schadenfreude - their only entry and almost only
contribution to the guide. In response to that entry there were discussions as to what is the opposite, plus Researcher 153488 said that certain chat shows provided started out as schadenfreuden experience - but after 2 weeks off work they ended up feeling miserable themselves.
Keeping up the political theme Agapanthus on 23 October 2003 said that he treated the Conservative Party as a morally acceptable way to get his daily dose of schadenfreude, during a discussion on now departed leader Iain Duncan Smith. And in a discussion on news, blackouts and rhetoric in September 2001 Della the Cat Woman mentioned that in World War II some people had a schadenfreuden attitude to events in Hiroshima.
I just hope this column has schadenfreude for you.
How can you contribute?
- Go and check out words in the archive to
avoid duplication. - Check out the discussion threads and nominate a word that you feel was overlooked before discontinuation.
- Suggest a new word or your forgotten word in the word of the week archive
conversation.
