Lexical - Word of the Day - 29/02/16

Lexical 

Adjective

Pronunciation

\LEK-sih-kul\

Definition

1 - of or relating to words or the vocabulary of a language as distinguished from its grammar and construction

2 - of or relating to a lexicon or to lexicography

Examples

For her paper on youth slang, Elyse studied the lexical habits of her generation versus those of her parents and grandparents.

"It should come as no great surprise that writers are behind many of our lexical innovations. But the fact is, we have no idea who to credit for most of our lexicon." — Andy Bodle, The Guardian, 4 Feb. 2016

Did You Know?

The word lexicon can be used as a synonym of dictionary, and the word lexicography refers to the practice of dictionary making. Both of these words, as well as lexical, derive from the Greek word lexis, meaning "word" or "speech." A fourth descendant of lexis is lexiphanic, an archaic adjective describing one who uses pretentious words for effect. Lexis should not be confused with the Latin lex, or "law," which is used in legal phrases such as lex non scripta, meaning "unwritten law."

Quiz

Fill in the blanks to create a word based on Greek lexis that refers to the inability to express one's feelings: a _ _ x _ t _ _ m _

Merriam-Webster

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Oneirocriticism - Word of the Day - 28/02/16

Oneirocriticism 

noun

Pronunciation

/ə(ʊ)ˌnʌɪrəˈkrɪtɪsɪz(ə)m/

Definition

The art or practice of interpreting dreams.

Examples

I practice  oneirocriticism.

Did You Know?

 Early 17th century; earliest use found in John Selden (1584–1654), lawyer and historical and linguistic scholar. From oneiro- + criticism.

Oxford Dictionary

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Keelhaul - Word of the Day - 27/02/16

Keelhaul

Verb

Pronunciation

\KEEL-hawl\

  

Definition

 1 - To haul under the keel of a ship as punishment or torture.

2 - To rebuke severely.

Examples

Several key employees were keelhauled for an error that cost the company millions of dollars.

"Managers have been vilified, criticized and all but keelhauled for stocking teams with their own players in the past—or leaving a qualified pick off the team." — Tom Gage, The Detroit News, 2 July 2007

   

Did You Know?

In the mid-1600s, British monarchs were intent on using their powerful navy to expand their empire. Insubordination was not tolerated, and mutinous sailors were disciplined severely to discourage others from similar rebellion. Keelhauling was one of the worst penalties that could befall a renegade mariner. Although they definitely practiced the gruesome punishment, the British did not invent it—the Dutch did. Keelhaul is a translation of the Dutch word kielhalen, which means "to haul under the keel of a ship." Even after the practice was banned on European naval vessels in the mid-1800s, the word keelhaul remained in English as a term for a severe scolding.

Name That Synonym

Unscramble the letters to create a synonym of keelhaul: SSIHETAC.

Merriam-Webster

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Quantal - Word of the Day - 26/02/16

Quantal

Adjective

Pronunciation

\KWAHN-tul\

  

Definition

1  - of, relating to, or having only two experimental alternatives (such as dead or alive, all or none)

2 - of or relating to a quantum or to quanta (as of energy or a neurotransmitter)

  

Examples

"Many bioassays are based on quantal responses: Challenge assays record whether the subjects are dead or alive (or moribund or not moribund) at the end of the assay; seed-germination assays record whether seeds germinate by the end of the assay." — Ann Yellowlees et al., BioScience, June 2013

"Suppose you shake a crib with a sleeping baby. If you shake it hard, the baby always wakes up. However, if you shake it gently, the baby might wake up. The waking up itself is a quantal event—the baby is either awake or asleep—but the probability of this happening depends on how hard you rock." — Sönke Johnsen, The Optics of Life: A Biologist's Guide to Light in Nature, 2012

Did You Know?

In Latin, quantum is the neuter form of quantus, meaning "how much?" Both of these forms played a role in the development of quantal. The first sense of quantal, used in scientific experimentation to refer to cases in which only one of two possible results occurs, derived from quanti, the plural of quantus. (Quantus is also an ancestor of our noun quantity.) The second sense of quantal is more directly related to Latin quantum and the English noun quantum, which refers to the smallest possible unit of a form of energy (such as light).

Test Your Memory

What is the meaning of astrolabe February 19, 2016 Word of the Day? The answer is  on this link 

 http://wordoftday.blogspot.com.au/

Merriam-Webster

Hale - Word of the Day - 24/02/16

Hale 

Adjective

Meaning

- Free from defect, disease, or infirmity:

- Sound;

- Also: retaining exceptional health and vigour

Examples

"He was a rich and powerful noble, then in his sixty-second year, but hale and sturdy, a great horseman and hunter and a pious man." — Edith Wharton, "Kerfol," 1916

"These twins were New Year's babies in 1926. Today the two men are hale and healthy and love to banter with each other about old times and their lives." — Marilyn Salzl Brinkman, The St. Cloud (Minnesota) Times, 18 Dec. 2015

Did You Know?

When you need a word to describe someone or something in good health, you might pick hale or a synonym such as healthy, sound, or robust. Of those terms, healthy is the most general, implying full strength and vigour or simply freedom from signs of disease. Sound generally emphasizes the complete absence of defects of mind or body. Robust implies the opposite of all that is delicate or sickly and usually suggests muscular strength as well as the ability to work or play long and hard. Hale applies especially to robustness in later life. The phrase "hale and hearty" is often used to describe an older person who retains the physical qualities of youth.

Name That Synonym

Unscramble the letters to create a synonym of hale (but one typically applied to someone at a different stage in life): NOGBUCIN. 

Merriam-Webster

Bumptious - Word of the Day - 23/02/16

Bumptious

Adjective

Pronunciation

  \BUMP-shus\

Definition

 - presumptuously, obtusely, and often noisily self-assertive : obtrusive

  Examples

The talk show often features interesting guests, but the bumptious host's tendency to turn the interview back to himself can get annoying.

"He had a sense of himself that was strong; that’s why he was successful as an actor. But he was never bumptious or presumptive, he was gentle." — Brian Cox, quoted in The Guardian, 15 Jan. 2016

  

Did You Know?

Etymologists believe that bumptious was probably coined, perhaps playfully, from the noun bump plus -tious. (Think of the obtrusive way an overly assertive person might "bump" through a crowd.) When bumptious was first used around 1800, it meant "conceited." Charles Dickens used it that way in David Copperfield: "His hair was very smooth and wavy; but I was informed … that it was a wig … and that he needn't be so 'bounceable'—somebody else said 'bumptious'—about it, because his own red hair was very plainly to be seen behind."

Name That Synonym

What 5-letter adjective is a synonym of bumptious that begins with "b" and can also mean "audacious" or "impudent"?

Merriam-Webster

Vignette - Word of the Day - 22/02/16

Vignette

Noun

Pronunciation

  \vin-YET\

 Definition

1. - a running ornament or design (as of vine leaves, tendrils, and grapes) put on or just before a title page or at the beginning or end of a chapter.

2.

a)     a picture (such as an engraving or photograph) that shades off gradually into the surrounding paper

b)     the pictorial part of a postage stamp

3

a)     a short descriptive literary sketch

b)     brief incident or scene (as in a play or movie)

Examples

The film is a series of vignettes about people and their dogs.

"For years, Rory had been posting vignettes of his travels and care-free activities of himself, friends and family online to social media venues." — Stuart Cassidy, The Perry County News (Tell City, Indiana), 14 Jan. 2016

Did You Know?

Vignette comes from Middle French vignete, the diminutive form of the noun vigne, meaning "vine." In English, the word was first used in the mid-18th century for a design or illustration that ran along the blank border of a page, or one that marked the beginning or end of a chapter. Such designs got their name because they often looked like little vines. It wasn't until the late 19th century that usage of vignette had shifted to cover a brief literary sketch or narrative, as we commonly see it used today.

Quiz

What does a "vigneron" make?

Merriam-Webster

Weird - Word of the Day

Weird 

Adjective

Pronunciation

   \WEERD\

Definition

1 - of or relating to, or caused by witchcraft or the supernatural : magical

2 - of strange or extraordinary character : odd, fantastic

Examples

"Again was I suddenly recalled to my immediate surroundings by a repetition of the weird moan from the depths of the cave." — Edgar Rice Burroughs, A Princess of Mars, 1917

"And yes, I know it's all in my head. But my head is a weird, wonderful place that does a lot of things I wish it wouldn't." — Erin Stewart, The Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City), 20 Jan. 2016

Did You Know?

You may know today's word as a generalized term describing something unusual, but weird also has older meanings that are more specific. Weird derives from the Old English noun wyrd, essentially meaning "fate." By the 8th century, the plural wyrde had begun to appear in texts as a gloss for Parcae, the Latin name for the Fates—three goddesses who spun, measured, and cut the thread of life. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Scots authors employed werd or weird in the phrase "weird sisters" to refer to the Fates. William Shakespeare adopted this usage in Macbeth, in which the "weird sisters" are depicted as three witches. Subsequent adjectival use of weird grew out of a reinterpretation of the weird used by Shakespeare.

Name That Synonym

Fill in the blanks to create a synonym of weird: e _ dr _ t _ h. 

Merriam-Webster

Astrolabe - Word of the Day - February 19, 2016

Astrolabe

Noun

Pronunciation

A-struh-layb

Definition

 -  a compact instrument used to observe and calculate the position of celestial bodies before the invention of the sextant

Examples

"His astrolabe of silver was the gift of the Emperor of Germany…." — Sir Walter Scott, Quentin Durward, 1823

"The astrolabe, whose invention is often attributed to the Greek astronomer Hipparchus, places the Earth at the center of the universe, with all celestial bodies orbiting around it." — Grégory Gardinetti, CNN.com, 6 Jan. 2016

Did You Know?

"Thyn Astrolabie hath a ring to putten on the thombe of thi right hond in taking the height of thinges." Thus begins a description of the astrolabe in A Treatise on the Astrolabe, a medieval user's guide penned by an amateur astronomer by the name of Geoffrey Chaucer. Chaucer is best known for his Middle English poetic masterpiece The Canterbury Tales, but when his nose wasn't buried in his writing, Chaucer was stargazing, and some of his passion for the heavens rubbed off on his son Lewis, who had displayed a special "abilite to lerne sciences touching nombres and proporciouns." Chaucer dedicated his treatise to the 10-year-old boy, setting his instructions not in the usual Latin, but in "naked wordes in Englissh" so that little Lewis could understand. When he got older, Lewis may have learned that the word astrolabe traces to the Greek name for the instrument.

Test Your Vocabulary

Unscramble the letters to create the name for an instrument for observing altitudes of a celestial body from a moving ship or aircraft: NCATTO.

Merriam-Webster

Deasil - Word of the Day - 18/02/16

Deasil

Adverb

Pronunciation

 \DEE-zil\

Meaning

 - in the direction of the sun's apparent course, considered as lucky; clockwise.

Examples

 The worshippers dance around the fire deasil, or sunwise.

"Three times we walked deasil around our central candle. By the third cycle I felt power flowing from Sky's fingers to mine, from my fingers to Alyce's." — Cate Tiernan, Spellbound, 2001

Did You Know?

According to an old custom, you can bring someone good fortune by walking around the person clockwise three times while carrying a torch or candle. In Scottish Gaelic, the word deiseil is used for the direction one walks in such a luck-bringing ritual. English speakers modified the spelling to deasil, and have used the word to describe clockwise motion in a variety of rituals. Deasil it is SCOTTISH and dated.

Name That Antonym

Fill in the blanks to create an antonym of deasil: w _ d _ e _ s _ in

Merriam-Webster

Discombobulate - Word of the Day - 18/02/16

Today's Word

Discombobulate

verb

Pronunciation

dis·com·bob·u·late \ˌdis-kəm-ˈbä-b(y)ə-ˌlāt\

Definition of discombobulate

 - upset, confuse

Examples of discombobulate

I
nventing cool new ways to discombobulate the old order — Kurt Andersen>

discombobulation -  noun

Origin of discombobulate

probably alteration of discompose

First Known Use: circa 1916

Related to discombobulate

Synonyms

addle, baffle, bamboozle, beat, befog, befuddle, bemuse, bewilder, buffalo, confound, confuse, disorient, flummox, fox, fuddle, get, gravel, maze, muddle, muddy, mystify, perplex, pose, puzzle, vex

Related Words

stick, stump, weird out; abash, discomfit, disconcert, discountenance, embarrass, faze, fluster, mortify, nonplus, rattle; agitate, bother, chagrin, discomfort, discompose, dismay, disquiet, distress, disturb, perturb, stun, unhinge, unsettle, upset; beguile, cozen, deceive, delude, dupe, fool, gull, hoax, hoodwink, humbug, misguide, mislead, snow, string along, take in, trick

Rhymes with discombobulate

circumambulate, circumnavigate,  transubstantiate, underestimate

Merriam-Webster

Nimrod - Word of the Day

Nimrod

noun

Pronunciation

Nim·rod  \ˈnim-ˌräd\

Rhymes with nimrod

Ashdod, aubade, Belgrade,

Definition of Nimrod

1 - a descendant of Ham represented in Genesis as a mighty hunter and a king of Shinar

2 - not capitalized :  hunter

3 - not capitalized slang :  idiot, jerk

Origin of nimrod

Hebrew Nimrōdh

First Known Use: 15th century

Merriam-Webster

Sub rosa - Word of the Day - February 16, 2016

Sub rosa 

Adverb

Pronunciation

sub-ROH-zuh

Definition

 - in confidence : secretly

Examples

"For 30 years he kept notes, almost sub rosa, finally publishing his work with his own funds just before his death." — Jeannette Ferrary, The New York Times Book Review, 31 May 1987

"Now, when you say you think they will test it, do you think they will test it openly, essentially, or that they will try to do something sub rosa and wait to be caught?" — Margaret Warner, on PBS.org, 9 Sept. 2015

Did You Know?

Sub rosa literally means "under the rose" in New Latin. Since ancient times, the rose has often been associated with secrecy. In ancient mythology, Cupid gave a rose to Harpocrates, the god of silence, to keep him from telling about the indiscretions of Venus. Ceilings of dining rooms have been decorated with carvings of roses, reportedly to remind guests that what was said at the table should be kept confidential. Roses have also been placed over confessionals as a symbol of the confidentiality of confession. Sub rosa entered the English language in the 17th century, and even before then, people were using the English version, "under the rose." Earlier still, unter der Rose was apparently used in Germany, where the phrase is thought to have originated.

Word Quiz

What adjective related to Latin rosa can mean "resembling a rose" or "overly optimistic"?

Merriam-Webster

Pulchritude - Word of the Day: February 15, 2016

Pulchritude

Pronunciation

PUHL-kruh-tood

Noun

Definition

 -  Physical comeliness

Examples 

The snowboarder's talent won her many medals, and her pulchritude gained her much attention from sponsors looking for a spokeswoman.

"Though the actress playing the queen has the requisite pulchritude, she lacks the gravitas to convince us that she's a 41-year-old, with a lifetime's experience and heartache." — Lee Randall, The Edinburgh Evening News, 11 Aug. 2015

Did You Know? 

If English poet John Keats was right when he wrote that "a thing of beauty is a joy forever," then pulchritude should bring bliss for many years to come. That word has already served English handsomely for centuries; it has been used since the 1400s. It's a descendant of the Latin adjective pulcher, which means "beautiful." Pulcher hasn't exactly been a wellspring of English terms, but it did give us both pulchritude and pulchritudinous, an adjective meaning "attractive" or "beautiful." The verb pulchrify (a synonym of beautify), the noun pulchritudeness (same meaning as pulchritude), and the adjective pulchrous (meaning "fair or beautiful") are other pulcher offspring, but those terms have proved that, in at least some linguistic cases, beauty is fleeting.

Name That Antonym

Fill in the blanks to create an antonym of pulchritude: _ nsi _ _ tl _ n _ _ s.

Merriam-Webster

Tribulation - Word of the Day - 13 Feb. 2016

Noun

Pronounciation

trib·u·la·tion \ˌtri-byə-ˈlā-shən\

Meaning

-  unhappiness, pain, or suffering

-  an experience that causes someone to suffer

-  distress or suffering resulting from oppression or persecution; also :  a trying experience <the trials and tribulations of starting a new business.

Examples

- Her son's illness has been a source of great tribulation.

- The play is about the tribulations of a family of immigrants in New York.

- trials and tribulations

Origin of tribulation

First Known Use: 13th century

Middle English tribulacion, from Anglo-French, from Latin tribulation-, tribulatio, from tribulare to press, oppress, from tribulum drag used in threshing, from terere to rub — more at throw

Synonyms

affliction, agony, anguish, excruciation, hurt, misery, pain, rack, strait(s), torment, torture, travail, distress, woe

Related Words

discomfort; cross, crucible, trial; heartache, heartbreak, joylessness, sadness, sorrow, unhappiness; emergency, pinch; asperity, difficulty, hardship, rigor; ache, pang, smarting, soreness, stitch, throe, twinge; danger, jeopardy, trouble

Antonyms

comfort, consolation, solace; alleviation, assuagement, ease, relief; peace, security; well-being

Merriam-Webster

Marmoreal - Word of the Day

Marmoreal - Word of the Day: February 12, 2016

Adjective

Pronunciation

ahr-MOR-ee-ul

Definition

... of, relating to, or suggestive of marble or a marble statue especially in coldness or aloofness.

Examples

"'Thank you for your submission,' the note begins with marmoreal courtesy. It ends with a wish for success in placing your manuscript with another house." — William Germano, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 20 Feb. 2011

"Marble … has always been synonymous with artistry and luxury. Had it not been glowing marble would Michelangelo's David and the Pieta have looked the same? Not to speak of our Taj Mahal, whose marmoreal splendour has moved many poets to wax eloquent about its beauty." — Soumitra Das, The Telegraph (India), 1 June 2014

Did You Know?

Most marble-related words in English were chiselled from the Latin noun marmor, meaning "marble." Marmor gave our language the word marble itself in the 12th century. It is also the parent of marmoreal, which has been used in English since the mid-1600s. Marbleize, another marmor descendant, came later, making its print debut around 1854. The obscure adjective marmorate, meaning "veined like marble,"

 Merriam-Webster

Incumbent - Word of the Day

Incumbent - Word of the Day - February 11, 2016

Noun

Pronunciation

in-KUM-bunt

Definition

1: the holder of an office or ecclesiastical benefice

2: one that occupies a particular position or place

Examples

The two-term incumbent has already raised almost a million dollars for the upcoming congressional race.

"In recent weeks, the candidates hoping to succeed Obama have backed into an honest debate about what American power can and can't do. On Tuesday, the incumbent himself joined in, explicitly defending his own restrained approach." — Dante Ramos, The Boston Globe, 14 Jan. 2016

Learn a new word every day. Delivered to your inbox!

Did You Know?

When incumbent was first used in English in the 15th century, it referred to someone who occupied a benefice—a paid position in a church. This was often a lifetime appointment; the person could only be forced to leave the office in the case of certain specific legal conflicts. In the mid-17th century, incumbent came to refer to anyone holding any office, including elected positions. These days, in the American political system, incumbent generally refers to someone who is the current holder of a position during an election to fill that position. Incumbent came to English through Anglo-French and derives from the Latin incumbere, meaning "to lie down on."

Exonerate - Word of the Day

Exonerate - Word of the Day - February 8, 2016

Verb

Pronunciation

ig-ZAH-nuh-rayt

Definition

1: to relieve of a responsibility, obligation, or hardship

2: to clear from accusation or blame

Examples

Dana was exonerated for the crime of taking the money after it was found that her fingerprints did not match those on the cashbox.

"… a 2015 measure approved by the Legislature will provide more opportunities for convicted people to request DNA testing of evidence that might exonerate them." — The Daily Herald (Everett.

Did You Know?

We won't blame you if you don't know the origins of today's word. Exonerate derives via Middle English from the past participle of the Latin verb exonerare, meaning "to unburden," formed by combining the prefix ex- with onus, meaning "load" or "burden" (onus itself lives on with that meaning in English). In its earliest uses, dating from the 16th century, exonerate was used in the context of physical burdens—a ship, for example, could be exonerated of its cargo when it was unloaded. Later it was used in reference to any kind of burden, until a more specific sense developed, meaning "to relieve (someone) of blame."

Merriam-Webster

Peccadillo - Today's Word

Peccadillo - Word of the Day - February 7, 2016

Noun

Pronunciation

pek-uh-DIL-oh

Definition

A relatively minor fault or sin.

 Examples

 The sexual peccadilloes of celebrities aren’t necessarily news

Mark's thank-you note to his hostess was sincere and touching; his only peccadillo was addressing her by her first name instead of "Mrs. Henderson."

"[Tanyanne] Ball seemed to have mastered the form of affable confrontation: as soon as she saw someone perpetrating a civic peccadillo, she would stride up and calmly, grinningly ask, 'Are you aware that you have just committed a violation?'" — Tobi Haslett, NewYorker.com, 10 Nov. 2015

Did You Know?

"The world loves a spice of wickedness." That observation by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow may explain why people are so willing to forgive peccadilloes as youthful foolishness or lapses of judgment. The willingness to overlook petty faults and minor offenses existed long before English speakers borrowed a modified version of the Spanish pecadillo at the end of the 16th century. Spanish speakers distinguished the pecadillo, or "little sin," from the more serious pecado, their term for a sin of magnitude. And these Spanish terms can be traced back still further, to the Latin verb peccare, meaning "to sin."

Word  Quiz

What adjective is derived from the Latin verb peccare and means "flawless"?

Merriam-Webster & Oxford Dictionaries

Rescript - Word for February 6, 2016

Rescript - Word of the Day - February 6, 2016 

Noun

Pronunciation 

REE-skript

Definition 

 1: a written answer of a Roman emperor or of a pope to a legal inquiry or petition .

2: an official or authoritative order, decree, edict, or announcement.

3: an act or instance of rewriting Examples The rescript declared

that the lands surrounding the new palace would henceforth belong to the royal family.

'It was noon on August 25 when Japan's Emperor finally broke the silence. His recorded voice was broadcast to the nation, reading the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War.' — Jamie Seidel, The Daily Telegraph (Australia), 15 Aug. 2015

Merriam-Webster

Challah - Word for 5 February 2016

Challah - Word of the Day - 5 February 2016

Pronounced

KHAH-luh

Noun

Definition

Egg-rich yeast-leavened bread that is usually braided or twisted before baking and is traditionally eaten by Jews on the Sabbath and holidays

Examples

My father made a blessing over the challah before it was broken and passed around the Shabbat table.

"The table was graced with the latkes and doughnuts that mark the Jewish holiday, but also featured brisket, challah and tzimmes…." — Deanna Fox, The Times-Union (Albany, New York), 31 Dec. 2015

When English speakers first borrowed challah from Yiddish, they couldn't quite settle on a single spelling, so the word showed up in several forms; challah, challa, hallah, and the plural forms challoth, challot, halloth, and hallot were all common enough to merit inclusion in Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged when it was released in 1961. Today, challah and the anglicized plural challahs are the variants that are usually encountered by English speakers. The initial ch of challah is frequently pronounced as a velar fricative, like the ch in the German Buch or the Scottish English loch.

Test Your Vocabulary

Unscramble the letters to create the word for the linen apron worn in ancient Hebrew rites: HDEOP.

Merriam-Webster

Reminisce - Word of the Day

Reminisce - Word of the Day -February 3, 2016

Verb

Pronunciation -rem-uh-NISS

Definition

: To indulge in the process or practice of thinking or telling about past experiences

Examples

Justin met up with some of his college buddies to reminisce about old times.

"Most of us have a comfort food we eat when we are reminiscing, sad or depressed." — Marion Goldberg, The Poughkeepsie (New York) Journal, 16 Dec. 2015

Derivation

Reminisce and its relative reminiscence come from the mind—that is to say, they come from the Latin word for "mind," which is mens. A root related to mens teamed up with the prefix re- to create the Latin verb reminisci ("to remember"), an ancestor of both words. Reminisce is one of several English verbs starting with re- that mean "to bring an image or idea from the past into the mind." Others in this group include remember, recall, remind, and recollect. Reminisce distinguishes itself from the others by implying a casual recalling of experiences long past, often with a sense of nostalgia.

Merriam- Webster

Foliage - Word of the DAY:

Foliage - Word of the DAY: February 2, 2016

noun 

Pronounced

FOH-lee-ij

Definition

1: a representation of leaves, flowers, and branches for architectural ornamentation

2: the aggregate of leaves of one or more plants

3: a cluster of leaves, flowers, and branches

Examples

A trip to the local conservatory was just the thing to beat my winter blues—the bright flowers against the backdrop of verdant foliage was rejuvenating.

"The builders are charging up to $100 million for apartments that offer helicopter views of lush foliage, jagged skylines, soothing rivers and angelic clouds." — Max Frankel, The New York Times, 31 Dec. 2015

Did You Know?

The English language has its share of common but disputed usages. One such example is the pronunciation of foliage as FOH-lij or, even more irksome to some, FOY-lij. The first of these two pronunciations, though frequently disparaged, is consistent with the pronunciation of the -iage ending in marriage and carriage, as well the less common but widely accepted pronunciation of verbiage as VER-bij. The second of these is often more fiercely denounced, in part because of its association with the nonstandard spelling foilage. Oddly enough,foliage traces back to Middle French foille("leaf"), which is also the source of the English word foil (as in "aluminum foil"). When adopted by Middle English speakers, foil originally meant "leaf."

Merriam-Webster