Table of Contents
The word for today is…
peculiar (adjective, noun):
adjective
1 : characteristic of only one person, group, or thing
2 : different from the usual or normal:
a : special, particular
b : odd, curious
c : eccentric, unusual
noun
: something exempt from ordinary jurisdiction, especially a church or parish exempt from the jurisdiction of the ordinary in whose territory it lies
Source : Merriam -Webster
Etymology :It might strike you as odd that the origins of peculiar are livestock-related, so let us explain. The word’s Latin ancestor, peculiaris, means “privately owned, extraordinary”; it traces back to pecu, meaning “cattle,” by way of peculium, meaning “private property”—cattle of course being a particular kind of private property. Given the monetary value historically placed in cattle, it makes sense that pecu has given us several money-related words, including pecuniary (“of or relating to money”), peculate (“to embezzle”), and impecunious (“having very little or no money”). Peculiar honed in on the “extraordinary” meaning of peculiaris, applying to what is characteristic of only one individual, group, or thing. In modern use that sense is commonly followed by the preposition to, as in “a tradition peculiar to their family.” The “odd” and “eccentric” meanings of peculiar are extensions of that sense, and are now the word’s most common applications.
If you enjoyed this BFD word of the day please consider sharing it with your friends and, especially, your children.
