Nonagesimus Nonus: August 27, 2008: Lingo
Theme for this week: Words learned through the etymology of A.Word.A.Day
lingo, lingere, linxi, linctum
Definition: to lick, lick up
Sententia: Canes laminas linxerunt/catillaverunt* ut etiam minima frusta essent.
The dogs licked the plates so that they might eat even the smallest scraps.
*This word means "to lick a plate!" See the 17th word of the day, catillo.
The English word which derives from this word is linctus, found online at http://wordsmith.org/words/linctus. When I first saw this word I assumed that it would be another one of those "very rare" words, unsuitable for weekday words of the day. However, this word is indeed used twice in non-syllabus Catullus, poems 97 and 98. The word "lingua" also derives from the same root as this one, which makes sense as both of them most basically deal with tongues.
NB: Bold and underline == macron