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A.Word.A.Day--compellation

compellation (kom-puh-LAY-shuhn) noun

1. The act of addressing or designating someone by name.

2. A name; an appellation.

[Latin compellatio, compellation-, from compellatus, past participle of compellare, to address.]

"That name and compellation of little Flock, doth not comfort, but deject, my Devotion ... " Browne, Sir Thomas, Religio Medici: Section V., Great Works of Literature, 1 Jan 1992.

If you use a spell-checker in your day-to-day affairs, you know they are not a panacea for cacography. We all have seen them approve "their" where "there" was intended and learned the hard way that there is no substitute for good old eyeballing. This week's AWAD features seven words from a compilation I have made of some relatively obscure words that are spelled only slightly differently from many everyday words. Let's look at these words that render your spell-checker less affective, oops make that less effective. -Anu

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