This week’s theme
Words that aren’t what they seem

This week’s words
quotennial
philocynic
obviate
mamaguy
diplomatics

This week’s comments
AWADmail 995

Next week’s theme
There’s a word for it

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A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(dip-luh-MAT-iks)

MEANING:

noun: The study of documents, especially historical documents, in an effort to authenticate, date, interpret, etc.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin diploma (a letter of recommendation or an official document), from Greek diploma (a folded paper). Ultimately from the Indo-European root dwo- (two) that also gave us dual, double, doubt, diploma (literally, folded in two), twin, between, redoubtable, dubiety, diplopia, and didymous. Earliest documented use: 1808.

NOTES:

In ancient times, an official document was folded over and sealed. A diplomat is one who carries a diploma, literally a folded paper or a letter of introduction. You could say that in diplomatics one vets a document to make sure it’s not been doctored.

USAGE:

“Vella’s manuscript could not have survived a careful examination conducted according to the rule of diplomatics.”
Marco Codebò; Narrating from the Archive; Fairleigh Dickinson University Press; 2010.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: