Saturday & Sunday Word: Doula & Glossolalia

[theidolhands.livejournal.com]

dou·la [ˈdu lə]:
origin: Greek; doule= female servant

noun
A trained woman in charge of providing emotional & physical support before, during, and after pregnancy. Whereas, a "midwife" provides medical support and assists in the birthing process specifically.


glos·so·la·li·a [ˌɡlɒsəˈleɪlɪə]:
origin: (1875) Greek; glssa= tongue + lalein= to babble.

noun
A hypnotic trance or episode of religious ecstasy resulting in partly or entirely indecipherable speech; referred to as "speaking in tongues" by mostly Pentecostal churches [Acts 2:4].

Monday word: kenning

[ersatz-read.livejournal.com]

kenning (knng) noun.
A metaphor - usually a compound expression - used in place of a name or noun, especially in Old Norse and Old English poetry.

The kenning 'battle-sweat' (blood) comes from Beowulf.
Wikipedia has a list of kennings.
Modern kennings include 'ankle biter', 'joy juice', and 'couch potato'...can anyone think of a modern kenning that's even half as cool as the ones in Norse poetry?

Etymology:  late 1800s, from Old Norse kenna, to know, to perceive, to name.