terra firma: M-W's Word of the Day

****************************************************************
Happy Birthday Noah Webster! At a youthful 247, you're
still the Web Master! Read all about him here:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/info/noah.htm
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for October 13 is:

terra firma \tair-uh-FER-muh\ noun
: dry land : solid ground

Example sentence:
The passengers on the ocean liner looked forward to setting foot on terra firma at the end of the long voyage.

Did you know?
The etymology of "terra firma" hasn't been watered down a bit. The phrase comes directly from New Latin, where it literally means "solid land." When "terra firma" first set foot in English prose in the 17th century, it referred specifically to the dry land of continents or mainlands (as distinct from smaller, more water-bound landforms, such as islands), or even more specifically, to certain Italian mainland territories controlled by Venice. By the end of the 17th century, the broader sense of "terra firma" (any dry land) had also established footing. That sense remains firmly established to this day. Figurative use ("a theory built on the terra firma of facts," for example) is also common. The older senses, however, have since crumbled away.

You Are Subscribed As: WORDFORTHEDAY.DROP@blogger.com
To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2005 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102

*mf mwt 101305 WORDFORTHEDAY.DROP@blogger.com mf*