Word of the Day: SUPERCILIOUS
Condescending or contemptuous
supercilious (adj) - displaying cold pride, contempt, or scorn [soo-per-sil-ee-uhs]
superciliousness is haughtiness or arrogance
BREAKDOWN: The word supercilious comes directly from the Latin supercilium meaning both eyebrow and pride. In fact, the word derives from clear roots:
SUPER- (above) + CILIA- (eyelash, eyelid) + -OUS (inclined to)
The figurative nature of this combination of roots deserves attention: supercilious is meant to evoke the arrogance, condescension, or disdain expressed by raising an eyebrow. Ultimately, this word can be traced back to the root CEL- meaning to hide or cover in words like apocalypse, cell, or clandestine.
“Every word which is used to express a moral or intellectual fact, if traced to its root, is found to be borrowed from some material appearance. Right means straight; wrong means twisted. Spirit primarily means wind; transgression, the crossing of a line; supercilious, the raising of the eyebrow. We say the heart to express emotion, the head to denote thought; and thought and emotion are words borrowed from sensible things, and now appropriated to spiritual nature.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
[Our Wednesday Wildcards are fascinating and important words that are not necessarily derived from classical roots.]