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A collection of snippets of the books I write and, occasionally, my life and the things that inspire my writing...

Monday, April 28, 2014

A to Z: X is for xenomancy (and other X words)

Here we are, so close we can see the Z looming in the distance. ;-) The X page at The Phrontistery is full of interesting words for writers.

xenomancy- divination using strangers

xenoglossia- a person's knowledge of a language never studied


xiphoid- sword shaped

xoanon- primitive wooden statue overlaid with ivory and gold

xenomorphic  - having a form not its own

xenogenesis- generation of offspring entirely unlike the parent

xenogeneic  - of a disease, derived from an individual of a different species

xenagogue-  guide; someone who conducts strangers

Looks like inspiration for a scifi story, or even fanstasy.

Although it's fun to peruse words we don't use everyday, or even in a lifetime, The Phrontistery site is a useful resource for writers--and anyone who enjoys etymology.

I wanted to write about this for "P", but needed to do a profile post. ~sigh~ but this worked to squeeze it in. ;-)

 Visit other April Blogging from A to Z Challenge by clicking here

13 comments:

  1. lots of x words there - good job!

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  2. Ooh, those definitions do inspire all kinds of idea seeds...

    I'm not familiar with the Phrontistery - thanks for the link!

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  3. I saw some of those words in my Old Websters, too. I ended up using one of the Xeno words, and don't even write scifiishly. Now, I've got to get to zoomin' in on that dreaded Z.
    Sue at CollectInTexas Gal

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  4. I actually came across the phrontistery site when I was desperately searching for 'X' words ;) Good to know it's useful in general; I'll bookmark it!

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  5. Lots of great words! I have a horse that shows xenogenesis. Nothing like her parents or any relatives.
    Marlene at On Writing and Riding

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  6. I've experienced xenoglossy in many of the past life dreams I used to have, and have heard accounts of it happening to other people in past life dreams and regressions, so I definitely know it's a real phenomenon. I don't dream about Oda nearly so much anymore, since I reclaimed my spiritual birthright and resolved most of the issues from before, but I'll always remember how I felt when I realised I was dreaming in fluent German, and a few times in Dutch and Polish. It was one of the most amazing, supernatural experiences I've ever had.

    One of my other favorite X words is xenomenia, though I'd freak out if that really happened to me. It's menstruation from other orifices.

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  7. Xenoglossia is my favorite. Love all your choices though.

    we're almost there! The end that is.

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  8. You win the award for actually using not just an X word but a bunch. Great job. I am glad you found a way to fit in the website. It is very interesting and will be a helpful resource.

    http://katloveswriting.blogspot,com

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  9. Okay, so many bloggers had issues with X and here you are with a collection, I like it!!!! And Xenomorphic is my favorite. :D

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  10. Great choices for the letter 'X' :)

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  11. Some very interesting words and thanks for the link to the resource - that is going to be so useful.
    Tasha
    Tasha's Thinkings - AtoZ (Vampires)
    FB3X - AtoZ (Erotic Drabbles)

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  12. I was on this site as well, searching for something besides X-ray for today. It's good to know there are so many rich x-words out there to pick from.

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  13. This is a great post on etymology. I, too, checked out The Phrontistery for x words. Thanks for stopping by my blog.

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