As I mentioned here, I’ve been pondering a “word of the day” thingy for the site.  I already do a “quote of the day” thingy (Random Thoughts).  One of the funny things about this is that, as indicated in this comment, I did a word-of-the-day feature when I first began blogging.  I dropped it after a few months for no apparent reason.  I then considered reinstating the practice when I moved my blog to this domain.  Unfortunately, it never went beyond “thinking about it” and remained unrealized, an ethereal synaptic spark in memory of what was and could have been.

Now I’m reviving the practice after more than two years.

Beginning tomorrow, I’ll be posting a hope-to-be daily feature called Vocabularium.  It’ll be my word of the day.

While you can read a basic synopsis of the premise here, let me give you the fifty-cent version by way of this introduction.

Vocabularium will include words and phrases.  Most of them will be English.  I have an extensive repertoire of foreign words and phrases I also use that are generally accepted in standard American English, so you’ll be receiving those as well.

The items offered up for bid will be drawn from my own current vocabulary as well as new words I learn via reading the dictionary, reading in general, and the many “word of the day” mailing lists I’m subscribed to (although very few of their offerings are new to me anymore).  As with the Random Thoughts, you’re invited to submit recommendations for inclusion if you’re so inclined.

I’ve already added the new category to the sidebar on the left.  Just below the Random Thoughts entry is a new item for Vocabularium.

Finally, if you’re interested in knowing where the word vocabularium came from, it’s actually medieval Latin and means “of words.”  It’s from the original Latin word vocabulum (meaning “name”).

This exercise is more for me than anything else.  It’s a fun way to flex my vocabulary while also sharing the new words I learn, and all of that is wrapped up in a package that could possibly help someone else pick up a new turn of phrase.  I don’t think that’s ever a bad thing.