Skip to content

The word for today is…

quondam (adjective) -

: former, sometime

Source : Merriam-Webster

Etymology : Looking for an unusual and creative way to say "former"? Quondam (which came to English in the 16th century from Latin quondam, meaning "at one time" or "formerly") certainly fits the bill. Or maybe you'd prefer one of its synonyms: whilom, ci-devant, or preterit. Or you could really go crazy with umquhile, a word that is extremely rare even in its more natural Scots English setting. Quondam itself isn't exactly ubiquitous, but it's used more than any of the other words above. If you're looking for something a bit more pedestrian, you might try yet another synonym: erstwhile. Despite its wonderfully archaic flavor, erstwhile is a highly favoured alternative.

If you enjoyed this Good Oil word of the day please consider sharing it with your friends and, especially, your children.

Latest

An Attack on the Open Society

An Attack on the Open Society

When a prime minister treats the defence of female private space as planetary eccentricity, the open society is already yielding ground. The cost is paid by the very girls and women the liberal order was supposed to protect.

Members Public
Will We Be Pākehā Freeloaders?

Will We Be Pākehā Freeloaders?

‘Why should you pay for these old, Pākehā dudes, living large on the pension your taxes are funding? You’re from Mumbai, Shanghai or South Auckland and they never did anything for you.’

Members Public