A.W.A.D. - Not-So-Common Words

Most of the words we feature here in AWAD are nouns, adjectives, and verbs. We have also discussed many adverbs. We have even featured a whole week of prepositions -- but not a single conjunction.

It's as if we had unknowingly been committing asyndeton, the fancy word for for omission of conjunctions, as in "I came, I saw, I conquered." The word is from Greek an- (not) + syndetos (bound together). On the other hand, if one is extravagant with conjunctions, as in "Uncle Charlie gobbled cookies and bagels and pizza and pasta," it's called polysyndeton.

It's time to redress the years of injustice and neglect of conjunctions in AWAD. We'll bring this overlooked part of speech into the limelight. This week let's look at five not-so-common conjunctions.

argal
PRONUNCIATION: (AHR-guhl)
MEANING: conjunction, adverb: Therefore.

ETYMOLOGY: By alteration of the Latin ergo (therefore). The word argal is usually used to indicate that the reasoning presented is ludicrous.

sobeit
PRONUNCIATION: (so-BEE-it)
MEANING: conjunction: Provided that.

ETYMOLOGY: From so + be + it.

whencesoever
PRONUNCIATION: (hwens-so-EV-uhr)
MEANING: conjunction, adverb: From whatever place.

ETYMOLOGY: From whence (from what place) + soever (at all, of any kind).

albeit
PRONUNCIATION: (al-BEE-it)
MEANING: conjunction: Even though; although.

ETYMOLOGY: From Middle English al be it (all though it be).

forwhy
PRONUNCIATION: (for-HWY)
MEANING:
adverb: Why
conjunction: Because

ETYMOLOGY: From for + why

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