Beyond the familiar lies a richer vocabulary. Lexical Frontier guides you there, one word each day. Explore the Lexical Frontier, where language expands.
Today's Word of the Day
emollient
/ɪ'mɑljənt/(adj.): having a softening or soothing effect especially to the skin
The lotion had an emollient effect, making her rough hands feel smooth and comfortable.
(n.): something that has a soothing and moisturizing effect when applied to the skin
She applied the emollient generously to her dry skin after her shower.
Word Origin
The word 'emollient' originates from Late Latin 'emolliens', the present participle of 'emollire', meaning 'to soften'. This Latin verb is formed from 'e-' (a variant of 'ex-') meaning 'out' or 'thoroughly', and 'mollire' meaning 'to soften', which itself comes from 'mollis' meaning 'soft'.
Words with similar origins include 'mollify', which comes from Latin 'mollificare' ('to make soft'), and 'mollusc', derived from Latin 'molluscus' ('soft-shelled'), both ultimately stemming from 'mollis'.
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Yet Another Word of the Day Email List?
Eager to expand my lexicon, I began to search the internet for a word of the day email service that would provide me words that were new, challenging, and interesting. I found many daily newsletters, but none of them were what I was looking for. Some had words that were far too simple - words that I have known since middle school. Some just used words from other languages and pretended that they were words actually used in the English-speaking world.
Unsatisfied with the options available to me, I developed Lexical Frontier as a hobby project. I wanted each morning to receive words that are really used (if not in daily life then at least in literature). I wanted these words to be challenging; maybe I had encountered them before, but had not comprehended their precise meaning. And, of course, I wanted the information to be interesting! Definitions are not diverting or we would all be reading dictionaries. I am curious about not just what the word means but where it comes from. If you break down a word into its smaller parts and learn to build it back up again, you gain tools for breaking down and building up words you have yet to encounter.
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