Word of the Day: NUANCE

Subtle shades of meaning

nuance (noun) - a slight or subtle distinction or shade of difference [noo-ahns]

• nuanced means differentiated in small and interesting ways; subtle and complex 

BREAKDOWN: The word nuance is a loanword from French meaning shade or subtlety in color. Its origin is the Latin nubes meaning cloud. We only see the root NUB- in one other obscure (pardon the pun) word:

obnubilate (verb) - to cloud over or obscure
BREAKDOWN: OB- (against, in the way) + NUB- (cloud) + -ATE (make or do)

“The English language is more complex than calculus because numbers don't have nuances.” —Andy Rooney

[Our Wednesday Wildcards are fascinating and important words that are not necessarily derived from classical roots.]