I am fascinated by words. I always have been. I like to say them out loud and feel them swirl around in my mouth and dance over my tongue. (yep, a shakespeare addict tried and true)
In honor of words that I love to say (and also love the meaning of), I am starting a little series* called “what’s the meaning of the word?”
Today’s word is:
smit.ten adj.
1: (used in combination) affected by something overwhelming 2: marked by foolish or unreasoning fondness [syn: crazy, dotty, gaga, charmed by, sweet on, taken with]
Did you know that smitten comes from the verb ‘smite’? So I looked up smite, too, and found it rather interesting.
smite v.
1. a. To inflict a heavy blow on, with or as if with the hand, a tool, or a weapon. b. To drive or strike (a weapon, for example) forcefully onto or into something else.
2. To attack, damage, or destroy by or as if by blows.
3. a. To afflict: (The population was smitten by the plague.) b. To afflict retributively; chasten or chastise.
4. To affect sharply with great feeling: (He was smitten by deep remorse.)
{definition source = [URL=http://dictionary.reference.com/]dictionary.com[/url]}
Forever a word junkie!
*Hint: you might learn something about what’s a’goin’ on in my world from the words I choose
So, technically, you can’t currently be smitten, you must be smite. Were you smitten… or are you smite? -erica
Actually, no, oops. Smite is a verb, as in ‘to smite’. I could smite someone else, or I could be smitten by something or someone. I messed up, ’cause it’s an adjective. I typed this too fast. Smitten is not the past tense of smite. It comes from the word smite. I just changed this mistake in my post. Thank you, Erica…
Very interesting… if you could now please elaborate on the synonym “gaga” and let us know how it relates to your life. Or if not “gaga,” then at least, “dotty.” I am intrigued!
KO ~ well, I looked up “gaga”.
gaga adj.
1. Silly; crazy.
2.Completely absorbed, infatuated, or excited.
3. Senile; doddering.
And of course, you gotta love “dotty”, too, so:
dotty adj.
1. a. Mentally unbalanced; crazy. b. Amusingly eccentric or unconventional. c. Ridiculous or absurd.
2. Having a feeble or unsteady gait; shaky.
3. Enamored.