Friday, February 14, 2014

Word of the Week: Coruscation

Happy Valentine's Day to you and yours, and welcome to...


This week's word is Coruscation.

Cor·us·ca·tion (ˌkȯr-ə-ˈskā-shən), noun
1. Glitter, sparkle.
2. A flash of wit.

Most recently seen or heard in:

Anne's House of Dreams, by L.M Montgomery.
"How the home lights shine out tonight through the dark!" said Anne. "That string of them over the harbor looks like a necklace. And what a coruscation there is up at the Glen!"
Why I like this word:

It's a sparkling word with softness at its heart. It makes me think of bubbles dancing atop champagne, or the magic of a clear winter's morning when the sun strikes jewelled glints from the snowy ground. Its synonyms are lovely, too: gleam and glitter, scintillation, sparkle, flash and flame; but "coruscation" has an added elegance, a queenliness of appearance and sound that sets it apart.

Coruscation is a slender damsel, fair of skin and sparkling of eye. She dresses in softly-shimmering white; diamonds twinkle like stars from her midnight-black hair. Though she looks like a heroine of romance, her voice is full of mirth and her conversation spiced with humour, varied by flashes of brilliance and insight. You never know what she'll say next; this quality of unexpectedness makes her a delightful companion. (Rather like many bloggers I know.)

Coruscation.

~ ~ ~

With whom would you rather lunch: a witty conversationalist, or a quiet type?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

16 comments:

  1. The witty one, of course! I wonder if I'll have a chance to use that one in conversation?
    ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. The witty one, but only if they appreciate their food, lunching with anyone who pushes food around a plate and would take it or leave it would be such a disappointment!

    Hadn't heard of coruscation before, but I'm a sparkle girl so I will surely use it, I love the word glisten as it is not brash but beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh I like this one, it rolls off the tongue. I shall be looking for an opportunity to slip it into conversation.

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a word!
    I would love to have lunch with a witty conversationalist!
    Have a happy day!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hello SUE, I absolutely LOVE your word today. I love it because it Glitters and Sparkles and I enjoy seeing glitter and sparkle.. How neat that Anne love the word too. I am the only one so far that would enjoy a quiet type to have lunch with. So one that would enjoy our company and chat endless about really nothing of importance. That is Moi... LOL Hugs Judy

    ReplyDelete
  6. A witty conversationist of course. Always enjoy your words, I thought at first you'd been watching too much of the Olympics with all those sparkly costumes.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Another lovely word Sue where do you find them, or are they already a part of your repertoire, I will write it down and take it into work on Monday maybe try and fit it into the conversation with the ambulance drivers see what reaction I will get haha. It is nice to lunch with a witty conversationalist, but I do like a bit of silence while I'm actually eating my lunch. :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love your word posts, Sue! It's such a delight to share someone's joy in language. Have a good one! I hope you had a lovely Valentine's Day!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I can actually see in my minds eye Anne saying that word! LMM was a true word smith that left you in awe of her ability to create a character that left such an impression you could actually feel as though you'd want to be friends with her. I would have loved to have been friends with LMM!

    I love your line, "her voice is full of mirth and her conversation spiced with humor," Brilliant! :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Love this word. You saw the coruscation of a a cake I made. ;-)

    I'd like to have lunch wit you! (Yes wit not with)

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love this word. Sadly I suspect that my dropping it into conversation would leave most of the folk I talk to nonplussed, I shall have to settle for enjoying it in novels and poems. Great post :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. What a glorious word! Thank you for introducing me to it in such a descriptive and poetic manner. I could see your words as I read them!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I love the word of the week idea! And this is a lovely choice. I'll have to work it in to my life somehow.

    ReplyDelete
  14. While I tend to appreciate time on my own away from the social swirl of life, after some thought on it, I realize I would rather lunch with a witty conversationalist, one like Anne who appreciates the coruscation in her environment :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oh, definitely a witty conversationalist. I'd rather fight for the air in a conversation than feel that I have to fill it up all by myself (which is how I sometime feel when with a very quiet person).

    ReplyDelete

I love comments! Speak on....