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Word of the Day: Numinous
Tis the season for numinosity! Merriam-Webster’s word of the day today is “numinous”, a particularly apt one for this time of year!
The Word of the Day for December 22 is:
numinous \NOO-muh-nus\ adjective
1 : supernatural, mysterious
2 : filled with a sense of the presence of divinity : holy
3 : appealing to the higher emotions or to the aesthetic sense : spiritualExamples:
As she listened to the choir sing in the candlelit sanctuary, Marianne was overcome by a sense of numinous awe.“The instrumental interlude is notated as a musical staff drawn in a circle with eight more musical staffs protruding as ‘musical rays.’ It’s hard to follow but easy to understand, a thing of numinous visual and aural beauty.” –From a review by Mark Swed in the Los Angeles Times, November 17, 2010
Did you know?
“Numinous” is from the Latin word “numen,” meaning “divine will” or “nod” (it suggests a figurative nodding, of assent or of command, of the divine head). English speakers have been using “numen” for centuries with the meaning “a spiritual force or influence.” We began using “numinous” in the mid-1600s, subsequently endowing it with several senses: “supernatural” or “mysterious” (as in “possessed of a numinous energy force”), “holy” (as in “the numinous atmosphere of the catacombs”), and “appealing to the aesthetic sense” (as in “the numinous nuances of her art”). We also created the nouns “numinousness” and “numinosity,” although these are rare. (source: Merriam-Webster Word of the Day)
Tell us something about your day or this holiday season incorporating the word “numinous” (or any derivation thereof) in it!
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What a beautiful and mysterious word – numinous. I love that it incorporates divine will, and the concept of nodding or assenting, perhaps to God’s will at work in your life. Perhaps numinous can also be a state of mind, that desire to immerse ourselves in the presence of the divine. The other night we were surprised by a knock on our door and opened it to find a group of young Christmas Carolers — a local youth choir. They arrayed themselves on our steps and sang
“It came upon a midnight clear,” filling the cold night with their pure voices. It was a numinous moment!
Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season.
Leigh
Thank you for a delightful word and explanation of the word. May you have a numinous evening