unbeknownst: M-W's Word of the Day

****************************************************************
Do you enjoy challenging word games? Try WORD SWEEP!, the new board game featuring official Merriam-Webster definitions!
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9780971348769&itm=2

****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for June 30 is:

unbeknownst \un-bih-NOHNST\ adjective
: happening or existing without the knowledge of someone specified

Example sentence:
Unbeknownst to Clarice, we had been planning a surprise baby shower for her for weeks.

Did you know?
"Unbeknownst" derives from "beknown," an obsolete synonym of "known." But for a word with a straightforward history, "unbeknownst" and its older and less common variant "unbeknown" have created quite a flap among usage commentators. Despite widespread use (including appearances in the writings of Charles Dickens, A.E. Housman, and E.B. White), the two words have been called everything from "obsolete" to "vulgar." Our evidence, however, shows that both can be considered standard.

You Are Subscribed As: silentdewdrops.word@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://mw.drhinternet.net/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2007 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

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