Thursday, June 14, 2007

A is for...

An abecedarian's adventure attempting an amusing assignment.

Admired A-words:


abecedarian one of my earliest hard-word memories. I remember being thrilled by the use of the "abcd" run to express the idea. Very meta.

Anastasia Syndrome a disease (never researched whether it's real or imagined) that strikes the long-term memory, causing amnesia. I always liked the idea that a person could start their life all over again from scratch.

artifact this word conceals layers of mystery: who used it, what was it, why is it still here?

abyss I like the way the end of this trails off into echoes. And the terror and awe that a chasm encourages.

anchor something that provides stability while one is sitting atop a liquid. Astounding!

architect my first career choice. Buildings still enthrall me -- nice lines, tower windows, the arrangement of light, wood and angles. But the engineering, math and lack of full design control detract.

archaeology my second career choice -- I wanted to dig up the past and know for sure the answers to all those confusing questions and rival stories.

Alaska I love cliffs and snow and water so an Alaskan cruise is perfect.

acrostic I enjoyed writing these as a child because their was a rigid form, but within it there was a lot of room for imagination and expression.

asymmetrical Ideal beauty is either perfectly symmetrical or pleasingly asymmetrical. The latter suggests that perfection is possible through imperfection.

alter to be able to change is a sign of life.

abacus have no idea what it really is, but it always sounded intriguing and out-of-reach.

algebra another item I'm clueless about, but the name makes you want to learn it and, at least when it works, it is beautiful.

Anglo-Saxon my chosen career, a mix of peoples who conquer and create an amazingly complex place.

Alfred bear with me, the name is awful, but etymologically it means "elf-counsel" which is pretty cool!

azure I love the color blue and have never isolated which one azure is but the shift from a to z to u makes my tongue tingle.

Adele this is a name I used to love, in fact, I got myself named it in French classes. But consequently, it became overused and I've turned away from it.

Apocalypse Aside from the scariness of the idea as some churches push it, the notion that the entire world is utterly changed (Yeat's "terrible beauty is born") and there's nothing you can do about it intrigues. And the cultural re-evaluation that people engage in during such a fear is fascinating.

alphabet The potential for language is wrapped up in a mere 26 letters.

Aréte Greek word for perfection or all honorable virtues.

albeit Another word I was pleased as punch to learn. Smush multiple easy words together yet still get an exotic word. And it suggests multiple true perspectives. How can you not love it?!

alliteration That's really what this project is about, isn't it?

art the basis for life, yet something that also keeps one from living -- represents an ideal, yet needs to be accompanied by more than just itself.

Alias both the word and the show. One person, many people. Winning combination.

Abelard just a man. More interesting for what he failed to do than what he did.

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3 comments:

Painted Rock Pictures said...

What a delightful exercise...and such interesting and amusing definitions!
You should continue the assignment!

Painted Rock Pictures said...

Hey-This is Nick...
I dont think that Anastasia Syndrome is real-but theres something called "Capgras syndrome" that is particularly fascinating...

Chelsea said...

Here's wikipedia's definition for Capgras syndrome: "The Capgras delusion (or Capgras's syndrome) is a rare disorder in which a person holds a delusional belief that an acquaintance, usually a spouse or other close family member, has been replaced by an identical looking impostor. The Capgras delusion is classed as a delusional misidentification syndrome, a class of delusional beliefs that involves the misidentification of people, places or objects. It can occur in acute, transient, or chronic forms."

I think the Governator starred in a movie about that! Regardless, sounds fun -- wonder if it coincides with fears of alien abduction?!