Word of the Day: CAPRICIOUS
Impulsive or unpredictable
capricious (adj) - given to sudden, impulsive, and often undesirable or erratic changes of mood or behavior; flighty or fickle [kuh-prish-uhs]
caprice is a sudden impulse, whim, or fancy
BREAKDOWN: Capricious is a useful word with an uncertain origin. We can trace caprice through the French word capricieux to the Italian capriccioso meaning whim or fancy. However, etymologists debate two possible sources for these words. The first connects caprice to the Latin capra meaning goat, as in Capricorn. Another theory combines the root CAP- meaning head in words like capitulate with the Italian word riccio meaning hedgehog to associate that having hair sticking up like that on a hedgehog’s head somehow evokes a sudden start or motion.
“Love is a capricious creature which desires everything and can be contented with almost nothing.” —Madeleine de Scudery
[Our Wednesday Wildcards are fascinating and important words that are not derived from classical roots.]
It is often an act perceived as capricious is in truth just another brick in the bridge between peoples. The way is winding and the capitulation simply a reflection of many truths.
Both goat and hedgehog representative of discomfort in defense.