glanders

Sep. 9th, 2010 07:46 am
[identity profile] prettygoodword.livejournal.com posting in [community profile] 1word1day
glanders (GLAN-derz) - n., a contagious disease of equines characterized by swellings beneath the jaw and a profuse mucous discharge from the nostrils.


Communicable to other animals, including humans, which is why I found this medieval term in a glossary of terrorism (as a potential biological warfare agent). Caused by a bacterium called either Pseudomonas mallei or Burkholderia mallei. First used around 1480, borrowed from French glandre(s), swollen glands, from Latin glandulae, swollen glands, from glāns, acorn + -ule, diminutive suffix. Yes, that's right, those glands of yours are literally acorns in Latin -- just as your muscles are little mice (mūs + -ule) under your skin. But getting back to glanders, I first encountered the word in 1066 and All That, so I'll use that as my example usage -- it's from a list of the VIII wives of Henry VIII:

"Anne of Cloves, whom he had on approval from Belgium and sent back on discovering that she was not really a queen at all but a “fat mare with glanders.""

---L.

(no subject)

Date: 2010-09-09 03:35 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] teareaux.livejournal.com
That word is going straight to the head of the line in words that are not fun, not pretty and way not sexy. Still, I'm glad to have it in my arsenal.

(no subject)

Date: 2010-09-09 04:55 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] idrainu.livejournal.com
perhaps you meant Anne of Cleves?
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