Word of the week: Respair
Here’s an old word that feels new and apt at the end of this sad, stalled year.
Respair has just a single citation in the OED, which calls it “obsolete” and “rare.” The word appears to have been coined by Andrew of Wyntoun, a Scottish poet and chronicler who lived between c. 1350 and c. 1423. It’s coined from Latin roots meaning “again” and “hope.”
You’d think that such an interesting and useful word would have a long and vigorous life in the language. But instead respair languished—at least until March 2017, when Lane Greene, who writes The Economist’s language column as “Johnson,” included it in an essay about “why words die”:
The OED has “respair”, both as a noun and verb, meaning the return of hope after a period of despair—an obvious etymological kissing-cousin. But the great dictionary’s only citation for this dates back to 1425. For whatever reason, “respair” is a word that English-speakers decided they could happily live without.
Could happily live without until 2020, that is.
https://nancyfriedman.typepad.com/away_with_words/2020/12/word-of-the-week-respair.html
'The best is yet to come': Trump in farewell address
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGt9iGIhCqU
“Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be, the last of life, for which the first was made. Our times are in his hand who saith, 'A whole I planned, youth shows but half; Trust God: See all, nor be afraid!”
― Robert Browning