Word of the Day: ABUT
To adjoin or border on
abut (verb) - to touch, join, or share a common boundary [uh-buht]
BREAKDOWN: A- (to) + BUT- (to beat or strike)
an abutment is a structure built to support pressure or provide stability
See also: buttress
“Knowledge has its boundary line, where it abuts on ignorance; on the outside of that boundary line are ignorance and miracles; on the inside of it are science and no miracles.” —Horace Mann
The "but-" root meaning "to beat or strike" makes the connection to buttress really satisfying — a buttress literally pushes back against the wall it supports, striking against collapse. And an abutment is where two forces meet.
That Horace Mann quote is perfect. Knowledge doesn't gently touch ignorance; it *abuts* it — there's pressure at the boundary. The word choice implies that the line between knowing and not knowing is structural, load-bearing.
Also interesting how "abut" sounds almost dismissive in modern English ("it's neither here nor there, but...") while the actual etymology suggests something more forceful. Words lose their punch over time.