Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly post hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, where people like me who love lists and books can share our thoughts on fun bookish topics. This week’s topic:

October 18: Favorite Words (This isn’t so much bookish, but I thought it would be fun to share words we love! These could be words that are fun to say, sound funny, mean something great, or make you smile when you read/hear them.)

Based on the words, you will see I focused on words I enjoy saying, more than their deep meaning. I got the etymology from Etymonline – Online Etymology Dictionary , a great source for “word nerds”

Onomatopoeia

• definition: a word that sounds like what it refers to or describes
• examples: Bang! Boom! Moo!
• etymology: Greek onoma (word name) + no-men (name) +poein (compose, make)

Oligarchy

• definition: a form of government in which all power is vested in a few persons or in a dominant class or clique; government by the few.
• etymology: Greek oligos (few, small, little) +arkhein (to rule)

Plethora

• definition: overabundance, excess
• etymology: Greek plethore (fullness)

Ominous

• definition: portending threat or harm, foreboding
• etymology: Latin ominosus from omen (foreboding)

Malicious

• definition: intentionally harmful
• etymology: Latin mal (evil, ill, wrong)

Vivid

• definition: strong, bright, intense
• etymology: Latin (spirited, animated, lively, full of life)

Broccoli

• etymology: Italian plural of broccolo (cabbage sprout)

Azure

• definition: sky blue color
• etymology: Persian Lajward (place in Turkestan where blue stone was found) –>Greek Lazour–>Latin Lazur–>Old French azure (the “l” was separated for as an article)

Platypus

• definition: a small, egg-laying mammal
• etymology: Greek platys (broad, flat) + pous (foot)

Aroma

• definition: odor
• etymology: from Greek aroma “seasoning a spice or sweet herb”, the modern meaning of fragrance came from 1814