Pulling a Lugubrious Face

Hello,

I overheard somebody saying lugubrious the other day and I can’t recall the last time I heard it or used it myself. I hope this word isn’t slipping from use as it’s a delight to say and perfectly fits certain situations. If you’re not sure on the pronunciation you can find it here along with its definition as mournful or dismal, particularly in an exaggerated fashion. You might say, for example, “the teenager’s mood was matched only by his dismal and lugubrious brooding”.

This word is one the Romans gave us. It arose in English around 1600 and was originally spelled as lugubrous. It was compounded from the suffix -ous which we use widely in English (splendiferous, for example) and lugubris, a Latin word meaning mournful or relating to mourning. Lugubris comes from the verb lugere (to mourn) and ultimately from the root word leug (to break or to cause pain). That root also gives rise to lygros in Greek (mournful or sad) and rujati in Sanskrit (breaks or torments).

In modern English being lugubrious isn’t always directly linked to mourning and grief, but can be for any form of downheartedness. Although they are rarely used you can also deploy the related words lugubriously, lugubriousness, and lugubriosity (sadness, since 1839).

In the past there was another English word from the same leug root word, luctual. It’s an adjective meaning sorrowful, so pretty similar to lugubrious in meaning as well as etymology but it faded over time, leaving lugubrious all alone and perhaps even more mournful.

On that cheerful note, until next time happy reading, writing, and wordfooling,

Grace (@Wordfoolery)