6 words I want to talk about.

By Mandy DelVecchio

A highly indulgent and meaningless trail through a few of my favourite words.

1. Christmas. Every time I discover a new word that appeals to my aesthetic eye, or has a profound meaning, it is like Christmas! Like Christmas – 'Christmas', the word, evokes joy, anticipation, nostalgia. It is such a nice looking word, but I don’t think about the word too much. When I was young I didn’t think about the word too much, because if I did it would have done a job on me.

Christ-Mas? But what do presents and tinsel and turkey have to do with Christ? Do I even believe in Christ? What about the The Goldman's, they don't believe in Christ… they don’t celebrate Christmas?? What??? 

2. Wednesday. It has a silent syllable! A silent syllable!

3. Saudade. A Portuguese word. It doesn’t translate directly into English and like so many foreign words that don’t translate, it carries a sense of mystery and wonder. Saudade originated from early times when Portuguese fishermen and discoverers would set sail for a long journey, leaving behind their families and loved ones ...and never return. Sad isn't it? Saudade’s loose translation is ‘missing something’ or ‘nostalgia’. The word carries a deep melancholy, and some say is the ‘essence of Portugal’. The feeling of something missing, like a deep hole, incomplete – the feeling the English language has without this word. Saudade, you complete me.

4. Derivative, 5. Irrelevant, + 6. Inevitable. Words with ‘v’ in the middle feel so good to say; especially when they have a couple of tasty syllables wrapped either side. On reflection, it could be because they are similar creatures to my surname, ‘DelVecchio’. Anyway, here are some other reasons:

• Inevitable. I remember the first time I was asked what my favourite word was. (Weird memory to keep I know) It was in primary school, I can’t remember the context in which it was asked, but I simply rolled the word ‘inevitable’ off my tiny, little, unformed tongue. It felt good. For some reason I knew what it meant and no one else beside the teacher did. It has felt good ever since.
• Irrelevant. I heard this splendid word while watching an episode of The Young Ones with my older brother and sister. The rest of the show flew graciously over my nine-year-old head, but this one scene tickled my fancy – someone had farted and no one was taking ownership, the scene cuts to a matchbox in the corner of the room. The matchbox opens its animated mouth and exclaims, “don’t look at me, I’m irrelevant.” This appealed to me ever-so much. That day ‘irrelevant’ earned a special place in my heart – as did lentils. 
• Derivative. Need I even explain this one? – Because everything has derived from something! And it is a very sexy word.