Saturday, September 20, 2014

Word of the Day

ablactate
 \ ab-LAK-teyt \, verb;  
1.to wean.

Quotes:
His style, however, has found imitators; especially of late years, since the rage commenced of disfiguring and debasing our language by innovation. Such writers, instead of brittle, would say fragile; instead of fruitfulness, feracity; and humectate, steril, desiderate, ablactate , indigitate, etc. instead of moisten, barren, desire (or wish for), wean, point out, etc.
-- James Beattie, The Works of James Beattie, LL.D. , Vol. IV, 1809

Ablactate , with propriety, might not be adopted, because Wean is equally expressive and shorter; and, for the same reason Appropinquate, as we have already Approach.
-- John MacLaurin, "Of Dr. Johnson’s Style," The Works of the Late John MacLaurin, Esq. , Vol. III, 1798

Origin:
Ablactate  entered English in the 1700s and combines the Latin prefix ab-  meaning "from" or "away," and lac  meaning "milk."

Dictionary.com