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pertinacious (pur-tn-AY-shuhs) adjective
1. Holding resolutely to a purpose, belief or opinion. 2. Stubbornly unyielding. [From Latin pertinac- pertinax, per-, thoroughly + tenax, tenacious (tenere, to hold).] "A man is pertinacious when he defends his folly and trusts too greatly in his own wit." Geoffrey Chaucer, Canterbury Tales: Explicit Secunda Pars Penitentie: Part I, 1387-1400 (Translation: Walter W. Skeat). Philosopher, mathematician, and writer, Bertrand Russell, once said, "The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." This week's word describe people falling somewhere in between the spectrum. Can you identify some of those around you in these words ? -Anu P.S. Don't forget to join us for an online chat with Lisa Simeone, host of Weekend All Things Considered on National Public Radio. The chat takes place today at http://wordsmith.org/chat/simeone.html between 7-8 PM EST US (GMT -5). ............................................................................ Until you've lost your reputation, you never realize what a burden it was or what freedom really is. -Margaret Mitchell, novelist (1900-1949) Subscribe: http://wordsmith.org/awad/subscribe.html Unsubscribe: http://wordsmith.org/awad/unsubscribe.html Change address: http://wordsmith.org/awad/address-change.html Gift subscription: http://wordsmith.org/awad/gift.html Pronunciation: http://wordsmith.org/words/pertinacious.wav http://wordsmith.org/words/pertinacious.ram
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