Sunday, February 8, 2009

The ID

Not the part of the mind in which innate instinctive impulses and primary processes are manifest (thanks Dashboard dictionary app), but the adjective ending. 

Does anyone know where this particular construction comes from or if it has some sort of base meaning? I'm guessing its some flavor of Latin derivation. All the English words I can think of ending with -id are pretty dismal:

Insipid
Torpid
Morbid
Vapid
Stupid
Turgid
Torrid (ok, this one has been resuscitated to refer to love affairs, but its original meaning is still bleak: very hot and dry)
Arid
Fetid

What are some other words ending in -id? Anything cheerful?

5 comments:

M. Roehrich said...

fervid and perfervid, both with more positive meanings. I missed those earlier.

RebeccaV said...

Horrid
Putrid
Rancid

Huh, none of these with a good connotation...beware the ID

M. Roehrich said...

Dad countered with 'lucid,' which definitely stands out as positive.

Unknown said...

Where's the optimism? What about:

Splendid
Avid
Placid
Solid
Vivid
Eyelid (couldn't sleep without them)

M. Roehrich said...

haha...I think this totally illustrates the basic difference between you and me, phillips. You = basically optimistic. Me = basically cynical and pessimistic. Those are all welcome additions to the list though.