So it is the English opposite of the French cognate which doesn't have an English equivalent, or something like that. I guess I'm filling in the gaps in my education by reading the Invitational. At least it's more fun this way and there's no grades!
--- In [email protected], "David Patch" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Let me be clearer about my previous post. Habille may be the > linguistic opposite of dishabille, but it may not really exist, just > as you never see "heveled" used as the opposite > of "disheveled," "gruntled" as the opposite of "disgruntled," > or "kempt" as the opposite of "unkempt." > > > --- In [email protected], "David Patch" <patch@> > wrote: > > > > --- In [email protected], "Ellen" <ellengoodman6@> > > wrote: > > > > > > are clearly WAY smarter than me. Today I learned 3 new words! > > > sebum--the stuff that causes oily hair and skin (lovely, right?) > > > threnody--an elegy > > > dishabille--dressed casually or carelessly > > > > > > Funny thing, the contest was to create portmanteau words and > someone > > > created "yiddishabille," and I wasn't even sure if the original > word > > > was "dishabille" or "shabille"--that is how unfamiliar I was with > it. > > > I guess it's like "disheveled"? Shabille doesn't exist, so I > figured > > > it must be dishabille. This is why I don't enter this contest--I > > > wouldn't stand a chance. More power to these people who are > > > apparently experts in the field of obscure words. > > > > The opposite of dishabille is probably habille. It's a cognate for > a > > French word meaning the same thing. > > > > It may not be familiar to it, but it would appear to be derived > from > > the same linguistic root as "disheveled". > > > > David Patch > > (Word Geek) > > >
