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?

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5 comments:

  1. M. RoehrichFebruary 9, 2009 at 3:44 PM

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

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  2. RebeccaVFebruary 10, 2009 at 3:54 AM

    Horrid
    Putrid
    Rancid

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

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  3. M. RoehrichFebruary 10, 2009 at 12:52 PM

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

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  4. UnknownMarch 19, 2009 at 6:09 AM

    Where's the optimism? What about:

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

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  5. M. RoehrichMarch 19, 2009 at 3:21 PM

    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.

    ReplyDelete