https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/300Québec was founded by the French explorer Champlain in the early 17th century. It is the only North American city to have preserved its ramparts, together with the numerous bastions, gates and defensive works which still surround Old Québec. The Upper Town, built on the cliff, has remained the religious and administrative centre, with its churches, convents and other monuments like the Dauphine Redoubt, the Citadel and Château Frontenac. Together with the Lower Town and its ancient districts, it WHS cowpoke
"An entity that feigns human emotions is arguably a worse object of affection than a cold, computational device that doesn't emote [ɪˈmoʊt] at all." — Virginia Heffernan, WIRED, 26 Sept. 2023emote [ɪˈmoʊt]
verb
To emote is to express emotion in a very dramatic or obvious way.
Emote is an example of what linguists call a back-formation—that is, a word formed by trimming down an existing word. In this case, the parent word is emotion, which came to English by way of Middle French from the Latin verb emovēre, meaning "to remove or displace" (making the "removal" of the suffix -ion to form emote quite fitting). English cowpoke
Vallée de Mai [vale də mai] Nature Reserve - Seychelles (French)
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/261In the heart of the small island of Praslin, the reserve has the vestiges of a natural palm forest preserved in almost its original state. The famous <em>coco de mer</em>, from a palm-tree once believed to grow in the depths of the sea, is the largest seed in the plant kingdom. 2024-01-20 WHS cowpoke
Some of the exchange students were creeped out by all the gargoyles [ˈɡɑrˌɡɔɪl] they passed during their walking tour of the old European town.gargoyle [ˈɡɑrˌɡɔɪl]
noun
A gargoyle is a strange or grotesque human or animal figure that sticks out from the roof of a building (such as a church) and is used to cause rainwater to flow away from the building's sides.
came to Middle English from the Old French word gargoule English cowpoke
Half-remembering a joke from her favorite sitcom, Ally mangled [ˈmæŋɡəl] the punch line, but honestly this made it even funnier.mangle [ˈmæŋɡəl]
verb
To mangle something is to ruin it due to carelessness or a lack of skill. Mangle can also mean “to injure or damage something or someone severely by cutting, tearing, or crushing.
This meaning comes from Anglo-French.
This other meaning: noun mangle (“a machine for ironing laundry by passing it between heated rollers”) or its related verb (“to press or smooth with a mangle”) English cowpoke
We love having her in our study group because she's good at ferreting [ˈfɛrɪt] out the answers to the study guide.ferret [ˈfɛrɪt]
verb
To ferret means to find something, such as information, by careful searching. It is usually followed by the word out.
The word came to us by way of Anglo-French and can be traced back to the Latin word fur, meaning "thief." English cowpoke
Palace and Park of Fontainebleau [fɔ̃.tɛ̃.blo] - France
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/160Used by the kings of France from the 12th century, the medieval royal hunting lodge of Fontainebleau, standing at the heart of a vast forest in the Ile-de-France, was transformed, enlarged and embellished in the 16th century by François I, who wanted to make a 'New Rome' of it. Surrounded by an immense park, the Italianate palace combines Renaissance and French artistic traditions. WHS cowpoke
He displayed remarkable sangfroid [sɑ̃ˈfwɑːd] when everyone else was panicking during the crisis.sangfroid [sɑ̃ˈfwɑːd]
noun
Sangfroid refers to the ability to stay calm in difficult or dangerous situations.
Sangfroid comes from the French term sang-froid, which literally translates as “cold blood.” English cowpoke
She envisages [ɪnˈvɪz.ɪdʒ] many positive changes and opportunities in the New Year.envisage [ɪnˈvɪz.ɪdʒ]
verb
To envisage something is to picture it in your mind, or to view or regard something in a particular way.
borrowed from French in the mid-17th century
Its near twin envision (“to picture to oneself”), which has been with us since the 19th century, is interchangeable with envisage in many contexts and is somewhat less formal. English cowpoke
"The Springdale Public Library comes under the purview [ˈpɜrvju] of the Washington County Library System." — Laurinda Joenks, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 18 July 2023purview [ˈpɜrvju]
noun
Purview refers to an area within which someone or something has authority, influence, or knowledge.
It can also refer to a range of vision, understanding, or awareness.
from purveu, a word often found in the legal statutes of 13th- and 14th-century England. These statutes, written in Anglo-French, regularly open with the phrase purveu est, which translates literally to "it is provided." English cowpoke
A bona fide (genuine; real) raconteur [ˌrækɑnˈtɜr], Paola can turn even mundane experiences into hilariously entertaining stories.raconteur
noun ˌrækɑnˈtɜr
A raconteur is someone who excels in telling anecdotes [ˈænɪkˌdoʊts] (story, tale, narrative, sketch; urban myth, urban legend; reminiscence).
raconteur - a singsong title better fit for a whimsical storyteller. English speakers borrowed raconteur from French in the early 19th century.
anecdotal | ˌanəkˈdōd(ə)l |
adjective
(of an account) not necessarily true or reliable, because based on personal accounts rather than facts or research. E.g anecdotal evidence English cowpoke
“Themselves a band that likes to push the edge of the technology envelope, and who made video a major part of their performances 30 years ago, U2 opened Sphere with aplomb [əˈplɑːm] , but not necessarily full-bore success.” — Brad Auerbach, Spin, 6 Oct. 2023aplomb [əˈplɑːm]
noun
Aplomb means “complete and confident composure or self-assurance” and is a synonym of poise.
If you do something with aplomb, you do it with composure and self-assurance—you do it with poise. This English noun aplomb was borrowed directly from French, where it carries the meanings of both “composure” and “perpendicularity.” English cowpoke
The volunteers exhorted [ɪɡˈzɔrt] the young adults to register to vote before the upcoming election.exhort [ɪɡˈzɔrt]
verb
To exhort someone is to try to strongly urge them to do something.
Arriving in the 15th century from the Anglo-French word exorter, exhort traces back further to the Latin verb hortari, meaning “to incite to action, urge on, or encourage.” Latin users added the prefix ex- to hortari to intensify it; in essence, exhortari is a succinct way of saying “to really, really urge.” English cowpoke
Palace and Park of Versailles [vɛʁ.sɑj] - France
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/83The Palace of Versailles was the principal residence of the French kings from the time of Louis XIV to Louis XVI. Embellished by several generations of architects, sculptors, decorators and landscape architects, it provided Europe with a model of the ideal royal residence for over a century. WHS cowpoke
Chartres [ʃaʁtʁ] Cathedral - France
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/81Partly built starting in 1145, and then reconstructed over a 26-year period after the fire of 1194, Chartres Cathedral marks the high point of French Gothic art. The vast nave, in pure ogival style, the porches adorned with fine sculptures from the middle of the 12th century, and the magnificent 12th- and 13th-century stained-glass windows, all in remarkable condition, combine to make it a masterpiece. WHS cowpoke
Island of Gorée [ɡɔ.ˈɾe] - Senegal [ˌsɛnɪˈɡɔl] (Senegalese)
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/26The island of Gorée lies off the coast of Senegal, opposite Dakar. From the 15th to the 19th century, it was the largest slave-trading centre on the African coast. Ruled in succession by the Portuguese, Dutch, English and French, its architecture is characterized by the contrast between the grim slave-quarters and the elegant houses of the slave traders. Today it continues to serve as a reminder of human exploitation and as a sanctuary for reconciliation. WHS cowpoke
That tidy little house belongs to an irascible [ɪˈɹæsəbəl] crank who never has a kind word for any of his neighbors.irascible
adj [ɪˈɹæsəbəl]
Someone who is irascible is easily angered and annoyed.
From the Latin noun ira, meaning "anger." From ira, which is also the root of irate and ire, came the Latin verb irasci ("to become angry") and the related adjective irascibilis, the latter of which led to the French word irascible. English speakers borrowed the word from French in the 16th century. English cowpoke
A small but influential cadre [ˈkæˌdɹeɪ] of students ultimately persuaded their peers and then the administration to change the school’s mascot.cadre
noun [ˈkæˌdɹeɪ]
Broadly, cadre can refer to any group of people with a unifying relationship, as in “a cadre of lawyers,” or “a cadre of sportswriters.” More specifically, cadre can also be used for a group of people who are trained in a role or task, and who in turn can train others.
(via French and Italian) of the Latin word for square, quadrum: cadre.
A sense of cadre referring to a metaphorical framework for something (such as a novel or curriculum) soon developed. English cowpoke
He regaled [ɹɪˈɡeɪl] his party guests with stories of his adventures abroad.regale [ɹɪˈɡeɪl]
verb
somewhat formal
1) to entertain or amuse by telling stories, describing experiences, etc.” It is often followed by with.
adapted from the French word régaler. That word traces back to the Middle French verb galer, which means “to have a good time.” (Gala, meaning “a festive celebration,” is from the same source.)
Today, regale still applies when someone is entertaining or amusing another, especially by sharing stories. Regale - a noun meaning “a sumptuous feast.” English cowpoke
Wildfires also emerged at tough-to-control voracity [və˞ˈɹæsəti, (NOT veracity)] and speed, ravaging hundreds of thousands of acres across southern Europe and the U.S. Pacific Northwest.voracity (NOT veracity)
noun [və˞ˈɹæsəti]
1) an immoderate eagerness or enthusiasm for something
2) an intense desire to eat or consume something.
Voracity comes to us (via Middle French) from the Latin word voracitas, which itself comes from the combining of vorax, meaning “voracious,” with -itas, the Latin equivalent of the English noun suffix -ity.
