As I writer, I, of course, love words. I still remember vividly the moment in high-school English when I learned how many words William Shakespeare invented, and one that sticks with me to this day is one that I find extremely mellifluous: incarnadine.
Come to think of it, mellifluous is a pretty mellifluous word, too.
The web site Deshoda offers a list of the “100 Most Beautiful Words in the English Language” — these are among my favorites from its list:
Cynosure A focal point of admiration.
Demesne Dominion, territory.
Ephemeral Short-lived.
Inglenook A cozy nook by the hearth.
Mondegreen A slip of the ear.
Pastiche An art work combining materials from various sources.
Serendipity Finding something nice while looking for something else.
Mellifluous is on its list, too.
(These are appearently sourced from the book The 100 Most Beautiful Words in English by Robert Beard [Amazon U.S.] [Amazon Canada] [Amazon U.K.].)
What do you think? What are the most beautiful words in the English language?
(If you have a suggestion for a QOTD/QOTW, feel free to email me. Responses to this QOTW sent by email will be ignored; please post your responses here.)
