Building a Better Vocabulary

z The phrase lingua franca might tempt you to think that the original

lingua franca was French, but it was actually a language spoken

in eastern Mediterranean ports around the time of the Renaissance.

According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, this Mediterranean

lingua franca was “a stripped-down Italian peppered with Spanish,

French, Greek, Arabic, and Turkish words.”

z Literally, lingua franca is an Italian phrase that means “Frankish

tongue.” Presumably, franca was used to describe this motley

language because Arabic traders had a longstanding custom of

calling all Europeans “)UDQNV”

z Lingua francas are also referred to as bridge languages, that is,

languages that bridge one language group with another.

Discursive (adjective)

Rambling from topic to topic, aimless, digressive.

z The word discursive comes from the Latin verb discurro, which

means “to run to and fro” or “to wander.” To remember this word,

highlight the cur in discursive and link it to the related word

current. A current in a river is usually meandering and rambling,

just as a discursive speaker is.

Sobriquet (noun)

A nickname, usually a humorous or affectionate one.

z We’re all familiar with sobriquets for famous people and places.

For example:

ż The Big Apple for New York City

ż The Big Easy for New Orleans

ż The Queen of Soul for Aretha Franklin