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
derelict
/'dɛrəlɪkt/(adj.): failing in what duty requires
The official was accused of being derelict in his duties by neglecting the public's concerns.
(adj.): forsaken by owner or inhabitants
We explored the derelict farmhouse, its windows shattered and garden overgrown.
(n.): something abandoned; especially a ship abandoned on the high seas
The Coast Guard spotted a derelict, its mast snapped and hull breached, drifting towards the coast.
(n.): a person without a home, job, or property
The outreach program aims to help the city's derelicts find shelter and support.
Word Origin
The word 'derelict' originates from the Latin word 'derelictus', which is the past participle of 'derelinquere', meaning 'to abandon completely'. It can be broken down into the prefix 'de-' (meaning 'completely' or 'away') and 'relinquere' (meaning 'to leave behind' or 'to abandon').
Words with similar origins include 'relinquish', which also comes from the Latin 'relinquere', meaning 'to give up or surrender', and 'relict', derived from 'relictus', the past participle of 'relinquere', referring to something left behind or a widow.
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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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