"Derogate"
derogate \DER-uh-gayt\ (intransitive verb) - 1 : To deviate from what is expected. 2 : To take away; to detract; -- usually with 'from'.
(transitive verb) - 1 : To disparage or belittle; to denigrate.
"According to Sean, there had been a blatant attempt to distort the impact of his leadership during and to derogate or deny his accomplishments. However, to everyone elses mind, he was simply a lousy boss."
Derogate comes from the past participle of Latin derogare, "to propose to repeal part of a law, to diminish," from de-, "away from" + rogare, "to ask, to ask the people about a law."
Roddie
"Velleity"
velleity \veh-LEE-uh-tee; vuh-\ (noun) - 1 : The lowest degree of desire; imperfect or incomplete volition. 2 : A slight wish or inclination.
"While most of his friends thought that his desire to become a singer of popular music was little more than a velleity, in Ted's mind it was a burning desire, superceding all others."
Velleity is derived from Latin velle, "to will, to be willing, to wish."
Roddie
"Mogul"
mogul \MO-guhl\ (noun) - A powerful or influential person; magnate.
"Sadly, we will have to wait for the contractual nondisclosure agreements of disenchanted employees to expire before we can get firsthand accounts of what it is like to work for the world's most reclusive software mogul."
After Mogul, one of the dynasty of Mongol conquerors whose rule in India spanned from 1526 to 1857. Also moghul or mughal.
Roddie
Oh, the word can be used both in formal and informal situations. I've seen it used in "The New Yorker" and in different newspapers that also use tycoon and business magnate to describe that same type of person.
It's quite different than, for example, Big Kahoona, meaning "the big boss", a Polynesian term that is quite colloquial. I just love this expression.
Roddie
PS: I've just remembered Rupert Murdoch, who has always been known as a media mogul or media tycoon.
luminary \LOO-muh-nair-ee\ (noun) - 1 : Any body that gives light, especially one of the heavenly bodies. 2 : A person of eminence or brilliant achievement.
"Marshall groaned as the list of visiting luminaries for the tricentennial celebration, as dealing with them was certain to be a logistical nightmare for the security department."
Luminary derives from Latin luminare, "a window," from lumin-, lumen, "light."
Roddie
I now read the following on today's The New Tork Times:
"MEDIA TITAN Rupert Murdoch, best known in the United States for creating Fox News, leaving a meeting this month with the family that owns The Wall Street Journal. Mr. Murdoch has offered $5 billion for Dow Jones, The Journal’s parent company."
Roddie
PS The man is just incredible. There is even talk of "Murdochracy", meaning the way this man influences government through the media, HIS media. Here's the link just in case you wish to read the article and turn green with capitalist envy:http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/25/business/media/25murdoch.html?
"Eremite"
eremite \ER-uh-myt\ (noun) - A hermit, especially a religious recluse.
"After he was dumped by Cecelia, Brandon became a hermit, a virtual eremite whose room was covered with pictures of his beloved, a shirne to her beauty and his love for her."
Eremite derives from Late Latin eremita, from Greek eremites, "living in the desert," from eremia, "desert," from eremos, "lonely, solitary, desolate."
Roddie
"Hoary"
hoary \HOR-ee\ (adjective) - 1 : White or gray with age; as, "hoary hairs." 2 : Ancient; extremely old; remote in time past.
"While Jeff had considered the company nothing but a hoary artifact of days gone by, he was surprised to discover that they were a very progressive, albeit conservative, institution."
Hoary derives from Middle English hor, from Old English har, "gray; old (and gray-haired)."
Roddie
"Compossible"
compossible (kom-POS-uh-buhl) adjective
Compatible; possible along with something else.
[From Latin com- (with) + possibilis (that may be done), from posse
(to be able). Ultimately from the Indo-European root poti- (powerful,
lord) that is also the source of power, potent, possess, and pasha.]
"I also argue that the presence of compossible options is a precondition of political toleration."
Peter Jones; Making Sense of Political Toleration; British Journal of
Political Science (Cambridge, UK); Jul 2007.
Roddie
I would not know about a Persian pasha, only about the title of distinction given to high-ranking civil or military authorities in Egypt or Turkey. I believe "pasha" as a title arose at the time of the Ottoman Empire. Nowadays it is also used as honorary title, outranking that of "Effendi", and sometimes even bestowed upon Westerners.
Who was "Pasha de Persia"?
Roddie