89 - One of my favorite words (1)
One of my favorite Italian words is "pertinace", which is very rare in my native language. I clearly remember the precise moment in which I discovered it, because it was just 2 months ago. I was writing my degree speech (here in Italy, in many universities, a public speech concerning your thesis work is mandatory in order to attain the degree) and I needed a strong word that could convey the engagement which users put in the system I developed (I am a software engineer and my thesis was about a platform based on crowdsourcing). I was searching online for a synonym of stubborn, tenacious or insistent when I found this magical word: "pertinacious". It is not the kind of word you hear every day, or even every month (at least in Italian. I do not know if it is the same in English...), but more probably only a few times in all your life. But beyond this, I immediately thought that it was the right word (and this is why I called "magical" before). Probably it is the sound, but I think it succeeds in transmitting perfectly what I wanted to say. It was as if I had always known that word, but without remembering it. In fact, when I read it online, I instantly realized that it would have been my choice.
Have you ever heard about this word? And have you have experienced something similar?
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Corrections · 6
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89 - One of my favorite words (1)
One of my favorite Italian words is "pertinace", which is very rare in my native language. I clearly remember the precise moment in which I discovered it, because it was just 2 months ago. I was writing my degree speech (here in Italy, in many universities, a public speech concerning your thesis work is mandatory in order to obtain the degree) and I needed a strong word that could convey the engagement which users put in the system I developed (I am a software engineer and my thesis was about a platform based on crowdsourcing). I was searching online for a synonym of/to/for stubborn, tenacious or insistent when I found this magical word: "pertinacious". It is not the kind of word you hear every day, or even every month (at least in Italian. I do not know if it is the same in English...), but more probably likely only a few times in all your life (in your whole life). But beyond this, I immediately thought that it was the right word (and this is why I called it "magical" before). Probably it is probably the sound, but I think it succeeds in transmitting perfectly what I wanted to say. It was as if I had always known that word, but without remembering it. In fact, when I read it online, I instantly realized that it would have been my choice.
Have you ever heard about this word? And have you have experienced something similar?
Hey great entry! Largely agree with the correction above and added a few other changes. I have definitely never used the word "pertinacious" before, it almost sounds made up! It sounds like someone took impertinent and tenacious and put them together. I will personally never forget the time I learned the word "idiosyncrasy". I was in fifth grade and thought it was basically the coolest word I'd ever heard. I grew up and realized it wasn't all that special, but at the time!
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89 - One of my favorite words (1)
One of my favorite Italian words is "pertinace", which is very rare in my native language. I clearly remember the precise moment in which I discovered it, because it was just 2 months ago. I was writing my degree speech (here in Italy, in many universities, a public speech concerning your thesis work is mandatory in order to attain (although "attain" is accurate, I feel like "obtain" sounds better in the context of a degree) the degree) and I needed a strong word that could convey the engagement which users put in the system I developed (I am a software engineer and my thesis was about a platform based on crowdsourcing). I was searching online for a synonym of stubborn, tenacious or insistent when I found this magical word: "pertinacious". It is not the kind of word you hear every day, or even every month (at least in Italian. I do not know if it is the same in English...), but more probably only a few times in all your life. But beyond this, I immediately thought that it was the right word (and this is why I called it "magical" before). Probably it is the sound, but I think it succeeds in transmitting perfectly what I wanted to say. It was as if I had always known that word, but without remembering it. In fact, when I read it online, I instantly realized that it would have been my choice.
Have you ever heard about this word? And have you have experienced something similar?
What an excellent word! I had never heard of it before reading it in your notebook entry, although I was aware of numerous synonyms to "stubborn." It really is one of those words that one might only hear once or twice in a lifetime! I don't think I have experienced anything quite like your example, though I did overly enjoy using words like "destitute," "nonplussed," and "uncanny" upon learning them.
By the way this is an excellent notebook entry and is nearly flawless!
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Another incredible word! Thanks Cacia!
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Isn't finding a word like that wonderful? I've serendipitously discovered some perfectly apt words before — I wish I could remember them all!
I have come across "pertinacious" in English before, but you're right, it is very rare. It does sound like what it means. One of my favorite obscure words with a sound that seems to fit its meaning is "obdurate," which means "stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or course of action."
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