Useful English: Exploring Rare and Fascinating Words

Not only is the English language diverse, though, but also fluid — its lexicon never at rest, but always expanding and changing. Although many of you can name a few normal English words, there is still a huge vault of uncommon and low frequency words that would only add more depth and richness to our style of speaking the language. While not words we use on a daily basis, they have precision, they create amazing and vivid images in our head and almost always have some incredible history associated with them. In this article, we look at some of these rare words, examine their meanings and origins, and explore more obscure portions of English.

Orillion

Orillion is a rounded projection on the flanks of a bastion in architecture and fortifications, protecting soldiers and artillery from enemy fire. The term "orillion" is derived from french meaning "little ear," probably due to this structure's ear-like protrusion of the main structure. In the Renaissance fortifications, orillions were prevalent within military architecture as a key design component of such buildings. You may not come across it that often anymore, but it remains an amusing term in the realm of architecture and history.

Russellite

Russellite– A mineral named for the scientist, Alexander Russell Hooey is mainly bismuth, oxygen and tungsten and Canada has a fresh crystalline structure. Russellite is more common in specific geological environments.Russellite typically appears yellowish-brown, which makes it an attractive material for collectors to find. Russellite is one of those terms that are not well-known outside of mineralogy, but in case you have a slight interest in geology or chemistry would be an interesting example for the diversity of minerals present on our planet.

Noogenesis

From Greek, noos (mind) + genesis (origin, birth, etc.) — translated into English as "noogenesis." It is referring to the rise and evolution of an intelligence, particularly within a single collective or species. The term was popularized by the French philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin to discuss the idea of a collective evolution of human thought and mind. Noogenesis still represents a potent idea in philosophical and evolutionary discussions, especially as they pertain to artificial intelligence, the evolution of consciousness, and collective human knowledge.

Fermary

Fermary (historically): Infirmary; a place where the sick are cared for. It comes from the Latin firmarius, meaning to hold up or support, or nourish. Fermaries were standard in the monasteries and abbeys of yore, where monks and other religious community members received care from its premises. This word has mostly disappeared from our dialogue but remains a relevant linguistic relic of the era when hospitals were primarily religious institutions and sheds light on how language surrounding healthcare has changed over time.

Fableau

That type of story from the literature of medieval France would be called a "fableau." These stories were typically verse and generally represented scenes from normality, regularly with a comedic or metamorphic streak. Fableaux (or plural) were in vogue among the lower and middle classes in medieval France, an ancestor of the modern comic tale. Fableau is a word rarely encountered outside of literary studies, but actually does capture the essence of a type of storytelling practised in medieval Europe.

Semitere

Semitere: this less-known term describes the kind of path or walkway that is not fully open or covered. Coming from a Latin word, it means an area semi-cover side open space. Semiteres are a type of half-opened passageways commonly found in ancient and medieval architecture, particularly in a religious or monastic context where quiet routes for reflection during contemplation were required. It is a poetic way to approach spaces that transition from inside to outside.

Poh

Poh, which is an olden term of disbelief, disdain or impatience and is a little like pah or pshaw. It used to be quite a common expression in English conversation, particularly in 18th- and 19th-century literature (where you would have characters saying poh!). (b) to dismiss a proposal or assertion. While lost from common use by today, it is a rather fanciful reminder of the days when interjections were such a colorful part Shakespearean English dialogue.

Kitch

'Kitch'most often, is an alternative spelling of kitsch! pisoslaos a term for art (often visual art) objects that are considered to be in poor taste $$$ because of their mass production, low quality/low-brow nature. Kitsch, which has its origins in German, became a term in reference to mass-produced art lacking authenticity or originality; it was adopted as a way of criticizing mass-producing art. Although "kitch" is rare used kitch or similar can remind us of subtle nuances we make with taste and aesthetic to convey art and culture.

Polyspast

Polyspast is a historical term from mechanics, reserved for pulley systems or hoists that are used for lifting heavy weights. This comes from Greek, "poly" means many and "spast" means pulled or drawn. These tools utilized leverage in an old and often used method of low-tech ancient building to provide practicality by requiring just a little energy from the worker to lift heavy items. It would be interesting facet of mechanical history, but most modern usage has fallen away.

Vespillion

Archaic English term for grave digger or person buried with the dead "Vespillion" In many cultures, this played a major role particularly through plague or other mass casualty occurrences where the vespillion dealt with burial to maintain public health. Vespillion — rarely used these days, this word sounds mournful yet intriguing, suggesting the historical attention to burial customs.

Plancier

There is an architectural expression called "Plancier", which refers to a horizontal support beam/structure. The term, coming from the French word, is also sometimes used to refer to the bottoms of arches or their horizontal surfaces. Planciers served an important role in medieval and Renaissance architecture by supporting many of their architectural features. This term is seldom used today, but it is a specific way of identifying an aspect of structural design.

Demarque

I think "Demarke" means some kind of limit or something which marks boundaries, in general. The word comes from French, in particular its etymology deals with delimiting one area from another. Demarque can refer to the boundaries of a particular concept or sphere, for example, cultural boundaries in a philosophical or social discussion. This term comes into play when talking about the lines we draw between things—those either literally or figuratively.

Leucate

Leucate : A botanical word, seldom used, which refers to the dropping of leaves by plants in reaction to external factors such as temperature or climate. Leucate (also luecate) comes from the Greek word leōkhos literally meaning "white" and may denote an ablation of color, such as in pale leaves to signify that they are about to fall. The term is rather more familiar in the botanical and ecological communities, but would be a poetic way of describing foliage changes through the seasons.

Giglet

A word that I thought was really delightful, giglet (a flirtatious young girl) It comes from Middle English where it was commonly used in medieval times. Although "giglet" is not a term in normal use these days, the word does gives a graceful encapsulation of a certain spirited type of personality, one that makes mischief and dances life. The lighthearted nature of the word provides a glimpse into social dynamics and character archetypes that accompany it in history.

Both English and its words are compressed with the meanings and histories of various times, cultures, and dialects contained within them. Terms like orillion, polyspast and demarque remind us of the more specialized nature of jargon in architecture, mechanics and philosophy, while poh, giglet and fableau provide glimpses into bygone social expression and literary traditions.

Using unique and specific vocabulary can make your communication more colourful, allowing you to convey a point with added nuance. While these are not the most common words we all use in conversation, they represent the beauty of the English language and its ability to adapt to encompass all human life.