A WORD A DAY.

Southland Times, Issue 21659, 22 March 1932, Page 8

A WORD A DAY.

OBLOQUY. This word is applied to censorious. or defamatory language; language that casts contempt, on men or their actions. The derivation is from the Latin obloquiem, “contradiction,” from obloqui, “to reproach or speak against,” compounded of ob, “against,” and loqui, “to speak.” Ob-10-quy -is accented on the first syllable, and is pronounced as though spelled ob-lo-kwi, in which the first o is as in odd, second as in obey, i as in it. “‘The propaganda to mention the President’s name with obloquy was uncovered.” VERTEBRATA. For R.O’B.* This word is a zoological term under which are usually classified all forms of animal life with a backbone, or segmented spinal column. It comprises the mammals (including human beings), birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, and a few other lesser divisions. ' . , Other familiar classifications are: Articulata, comprising forms of animal life in which the body consists of a series of ringlike segments; Radiata, those invertebrate forms which have parts arranged radially around an axis; Mollusca, the general division which includes shellfish (not crustaceans).

“Vertebrata” goes back to the Latin, vertebra, “a joint,” from vertera, “to turn.” Ver-te-bra-ta calls for principal accent on the third syllable; sound first e as u in urn, second as in event, first a long as in late, second as in sofa. » “In some of the primitive forms of vertebrata the backbone is represented by a notchcord.”