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Did you know Julius Caesar moved January to the head of the year? Click here for your guide to word histories. http://www.m-w.com/book/literead/wordhist.htm *************************************************************** The Word of the Day for January 5 is: facile \FASS-ul\ (adjective) 1 a : easily accomplished, handled, or attained *b : superficial 2 : readily manifested and often insincere 3 : ready, fluent Example sentence: The book is well-organized, but the conclusions and interpretations are often unduly facile. Did you know? Would you have guessed that "facile" and "difficult" are related? They are! "Facile" comes to us through Middle French, from the Latin word "facilis," meaning "easy," and ultimately from "facere," meaning "to make or do." "Difficult" traces to "facilis" as well, but its history also involves the negative prefix "dis-," meaning "not." "Facile" can mean "easy" or "easily done," as befits its Latin roots, but it now often adds the connotation of undue haste, shallowness, or oversimplifi- cation, as in "facile answers to complex questions." *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. ---------------- Brought to you by Merriam-Webster, Inc. http://www.Merriam-Webster.com ---------------- Subscribe or unsubscribe to Word of the Day via the Web at: http://www.Merriam-Webster.com/service/subinst.htm To join the list via e-mail, send a blank e-mail to: mw-wod-subscribe-request@listserv.webster.m-w.com To leave the list via e-mail, send a blank e-mail to: mw-wod-signoff-request@listserv.webster.m-w.com Questions about your subscription? Write to: mw-wod-request@listserv.webster.m-w.com Questions or comments about the Word of the Day? Write to: word@Merriam-Webster.com © 2002 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated
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