A.W.A.D. - Words Spelled Differently From Everyday Words

If you use spellcheckers in your day-to-day affairs, you know they are not a panacea for cacography (bad spelling). We all have seen spellcheckers approve "their" where "there" was intended, and learned the hard way that there is no substitute for good old eyeballing.

This week's AWAD will feature five words that are spelled only slightly differently from many everyday words. Let's look at these words that render your spellchecker less effective.

therefor
PRONUNCIATION: (ther-FOR)
MEANING: adverb: For that; in return or exchange for something, e.g. "placing an order and sending payment therefor".

ETYMOLOGY: From Middle English therefor, from there + for. The word 'therefore' arose as a variant spelling of this word.

prorogue
PRONUNCIATION: (pro-ROHG)
MEANING: verb tr.:
1. To discontinue a session of something, for example, a parliament.
2. To defer or to postpone.

ETYMOLOGY: From French proroger (to adjourn), from Latin prorogare (to prolong or defer), from pro- (before) + rogare (to ask). Ultimately from the Indo-European reg- (to move in a straight line, to lead or rule) that is also the source of regime, direct, rectangle, erect, rectum, alert, source, and surge.

dissert
PRONUNCIATION: (di-SUHRT)
MEANING: verb intr.: To speak or write at length on a subject.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin disserere (to arrange in order), from dis- (apart, away) + serere (to join). Ultimately from the Indo-European root ser- (to line up), that is also the source of words such as series, assert, desert (to abandon), desert (a dry sandy region), sort, consort, and sorcerer.

ressentiment
PRONUNCIATION: (ruh-san-tee-MAH) [the final syllable is nasal]
MEANING: noun: A feeling of resentment and hostility accompanied by the lack of means to express or act upon it.

ETYMOLOGY: From French ressentiment, from ressentir (to feel strongly), from sentir, from Latin sentire (to feel). Ultimately from the Indo-European root sent- (to head for or to go), that is also the source for send, scent, sense, sentence, assent, and consent.

recision or rescission
PRONUNCIATION: (ri-SIZH-uhn)
MEANING: noun: An act of canceling.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin recision (cutting back), from recidere (to cut back), from caedere (to cut).

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