Nouns

“Hoard” vs. “Horde”

Nouns, Verbs, Versus

I sometimes see these words used interchangeably.

Problem:
The words “hoard” and “horde” are not synonyms.

Explanation:
The word “hoard” — spelled H-O-A-R-D — dates back to before 900 to the Gothic word “huzd”, which literally meant treasure.

When it acts as a noun, the word “hoard” means an accumulation that is carefully guarded for future use.

When it acts as a verb with an object, the word “hoard” means to accumulate for future use in a hidden place.

When it acts as a verb without an object, the word “hoard” means to accumulate food, money, or anything else valuable in a hidden place for future use.

The word “horde” — spelled H-O-R-D-E — dates back to about 1550 but apparently originated before then with the Turkic word “ordu”, which literally means royal camp or residence.

The primary meaning of the word “horde” as a noun is a mass or crowd, and an alternate meaning is a nomadic group.

The word “horde” can also be used as a verb without an object, in which case it means to gather or assemble in a horde.

Solution:
Remember that the word “horde” — spelled H-O-R-D-E — seems to come from the Turkic word “ordu”, which means royal camp or residence, to remember that this word relates to a crowd or mass or group of people and to distinguish it from the word “hoard” — spelled H-O-A-R-D — which comes from a Gothic word for treasure.

“sequenced dress”

Mispronunciations, Nouns, Verbs

I heard about this phrase yesterday at a party.

Problem:
The modifier of “dress” is incorrect.

Explanation:
My friends Erik and Nickie F. told me yesterday about this phrase.

It seems that someone was trying to refer to a dress made of sewn-together sequins.

Apparently the originator of the phrase “sequenced dress” heard the plural noun “sequins” — spelled S-E-Q-U-I-N-S — perhaps mispronounced as the verb “sequence” — spelled S-E-Q-U-E-N-C-E — and then added a “d” to make it an adjective to modify the noun “dress”.

The potential for things to go astray in the English language never ceases to amaze me.

Solution:
“sequined dress”

“pixilation” vs. “pixelation”

Nouns, Versus

I saw a technical document refer to “pixilation” when it should have referred to “pixelation” instead.

Problem:
The nouns “pixilation” and “pixelation” are not synonyms.

Explanation:
I was reviewing some technical documents about a month ago.

They referred to “picture pixilation” in the television signals coming from various set-top boxes.

They should have used “pixelation” — spelled P-I-X-E-L-A-T-I-O-N — instead of “pixilation” — spelled P-I-X-I-L-A-T-I-O-N.

The noun “pixie” — spelled P-I-X-I-E — was coined in the early 1600s to refer to a sprite or fairy, especially a mischievous one.

So the primary meaning of the noun “pixilation” is the state or quality of being pixilated — spelled P-I-X-I-L-A-T-E-D — which is an Americanism from the mid-1800s that combines the word “pixie” with the word “titillated” to mean amusingly silly, prankish, or whimsical.

The noun “pixel” — spelled P-I-X-E-L — was coined in the late 1960s as something of a contraction of “picture element” to refer to the smallest element of an image that can be managed and presented by a video display system.

And the primary meaning of the noun “pixelation” is the display of a digitized image such that the pattern of pixels is obvious to the naked eye.

Solution:
Think “pixie” when using “pixilation”. Think “pixel” when using “pixelation”.