756-1: Feedback, notes and comments

Inenarrable Many subscribers got in touch with me about one word I used in this piece last week. Andrew Haynes commented, "I loved your reference to authors borrowing the word inenarrable 'to enpurple their prose'. But shouldn't the word be empurple? (I was tempted to suggest that you had chosen enpurple to demonstrate the breadth of your own vocabulary, but that would have been too rude, so please ignore this sentence.) Anyway, your use of that lovely word has started me thinking. Are there are other colours that can be verbed by adding the prefix en- or em-? I have searched OneLook.com for words such as enyellowed and emblued, but without success. In fact, apart from redden, whiten and blacken, I can't think of any other verbs meaning to imbue something with a particular colour."

You're right, Mr Haynes, to suggest that I included the word to have a little fun with vocabulary. Empurple is indeed much more common, though even after all the readers' responses the en- form still feels better in my mouth. It has been in the language since about 1590 and has been variously spelled down the centuries, not only with em- and en- but also with im- and in-. The default spelling of the prefix in English is en-, in the sense "to bring into a certain condition or state or to invest with a certain quality" (from the OED), but it derives from the Latin in-, which is why those forms have also appeared as variants, in many other words as well as this one. En- and in- usually turn into em- and im- before b, p and m. I know of no other verbs for instilling a colour apart from the ones you quote.

Batmanning "I hadn't heard of that new use of the verb," wrote Neil Hesketh. "The term has been around for decades in the mountaineering community, in reference to a method of climbing up a rope hand-over-hand, leaning back with your feet braced against the rock to imitate the way Batman and Robin climbed buildings in the old TV show with Adam West."

Gazump I wrote last week that this curious term is probably from the Yiddish gezumph, to overcharge or cheat. Robert A Rothstein responded, "I doubt that there is any such word in Yiddish, although numerous sources cite this alleged etymology (probably borrowing from one another). The closest that I could find in any Yiddish dictionary is the expression aynfirn in a zump (literally, 'to lead into a swamp'), which means to lead someone astray, to lead someone into a jam, to ensnare someone." Dr Rothstein is Professor of Judaic and Slavic Studies at MIT and — among his many other duties — he teaches Yiddish, so he surely knows whereof he writes. I would better have reproduced the cautious comment in my online piece of 11 years ago about the word: "Some dictionaries suggest this odd word comes from the Yiddish gezumph, to cheat or overcharge."

"The mention of gazunder," wrote David Chase, "reminded me of two related faux-portmanteaux words that are occasionally used in my field (music arranging for Broadway). When we are discussing music written for the purpose of transitioning into (or out of) a song, dance or underscored scene, we will refer to this usually brief but well-crafted bit as a guzzinta or a guzzoutta. I can't swear to the proper spellings, but saying them aloud will quickly reveal their intended nature."