The Facts on File Dictionary of Foreign Words and Phrases (Writers Reference) (52 page)

mulatto (m(y)alato, m(y)alahto)
SPANISH [from mulato young mule,
from mulo mule] noun a person
of mixed black and white descent.
-noun, feminine mulatta (m(y)alata,
m(y)alahta) a female of mixed black
and white descent.

mullah (muula), mulla, mollah
TURKISH [from molla, itself from
Arabic mawla master, lord] noun a
scholar or teacher of Islamic law and
doctrine: "He made Kim learn whole
chapters of the Koran by heart, till he

could deliver them with the very roll
and cadence of a mullah." (Rudyard
Kipling, Kim, 1901).

multi- (multee) LATIN [from multus
much or many] prefix many, e.g.,
multimedia, multitalented.

multum in parvo (maltam in Pkvo)
LATIN [much in a little thing] noun
phrase much in little (referring to
something that is small in scale but
much bigger in significance), as in "a
multum-in-parvo pocket-knife" (Thomas
Hard),, The Hand of Ethelberta,
1876).

mumbo jumbo (mamboilm-bo)
MANDINGO [after Mumbo jumbo, a
masked deity of the Mandingo peoples of W Africa] noun gibberish
or nonsensical, meaningless language
or ritual; may also refer to superstition or witchcraft: "Many doctors still
consider alternative remedies a load of
mumbo jumbo."

musique concrete (m),oozeek konkret) FRENCH [concrete music] noun
phrase a style of modern electronic
music in which recorded natural
and instrumental sounds are combined and modified to form a musical
composition.

mustache (mastash, mastash), moustache FRENCH [from Old Italian mustaccio, ultimately from Greek moustaki,
from mystax upper lip, moustache] noun hair grown by some men above
the upper lip.

mustachio (mastasheeo, mastahsheeo)
SPANISH [from mostacho, itself from
Italian mustaccio] noun a mustache
(usually referring to a particularly
large and luxuriant one): "His face,
greatly sunburnt, was more than half hidden by whisker and mustachio." (Edgar
Allan Poe, "The Murders in the Rue
Morgue," 1841).

mutatis mutandis (myootahtas
myootandas) LATIN [with the things
that must be changed having been
changed] adverb phrase with the necessary changes having been made,
with consideration of the respective
differences: "What is said of the army
here is to be taken also to apply, mutatis
mutandis, to the air force and the navy."
(S. E. Finer, Man on Horseback, 1962).

muzhil( (moozek, moozik), muzjik
RUSSIAN noun a peasant in prerevolutionary Russia: "A czarina who should
see a muzhik trying on her imperial son's
blue ribbon would wear no other face."
(Victor Hugo, Les Miserables, 1862).

myopia (miopeea) GREEK [blinked
sight] noun nearsightedness, shortsightedness; may also refer more
generally to any lack of foresight or
vision.

myriad (mireead) ITALIAN [from myrioi
countless, ten thousand] noun a
great number adjective innumerable,
without number: She was faced with
myriad choices."

mysterioso (misteerioso) ITALIAN
[mysterious] adverb (in music) with
mystery, in a mysterious manner.

mystique (misteek) FRENCH [mystic system] noun an atmosphere of
mystery or reverence surrounding a
place, personality, object, or event:
"The mystique surrounding European royalty has remained largely intact despite
recent attacks by the press."

mythos (mithos) GREEK [from muthos
story, myth] noun (plural mythoi,
mithoi) a myth or mythology in
general; may also refer to the plot or
theme of a book or play.

naan See NAN.

Nabis (nabee) FRENCH [from Hebrew
nabhi prophets] plural noun a small
group of French artists of the late 19th
century, including Bonnard, Vuillard,
and Maillol, who, inspired by Gauguin, favored symbolism and broad
surfaces of pure color rather than the
naturalism of the impressionists.

nabob (pybob) PORTUGUESE [from
nababo, ultimately from Arabic naib
governor] noun an Indian provincial governor of the Mogul Empire;
by extension, any person possessing
great wealth or occupying a position
of importance (usually referring to
someone with strong Indian connections): "..Signor Torre del Greco, who
extinguished Vesuvius by pouring into it
the Bay of Naples; Spahi, the Persian
ambassador; and Tul Wil Shan, the exiled
nabob of Nepaul, whose saddle is the new
moon" (Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Manners," 1844).

nacelle (nasel) FRENCH [small boat,
ultimately from Latin navis ship] noun a streamlined bulge on an airplane wing or fuselage housing an
engine or other item of machinery,
or alternatively the basket or car of
a balloon or airship. May also refer
more generally to any similar bulge on
a motor vehicle or boat.

nacho (nahcho, nacho) SPANISH [possibly from nacho flat-nosed or a diminutive of the name Ignacio, after the
Mexican chef Ignacio Anaya] noun a
tortilla chip coated with melted cheese,
peppers, or spices: "Nachos are the latest
trendy snack on the bar menu."

nacre (pykar) FRENCH [from Italian
naccara drum] noun mother-of-pearl.

nad See NADIR.

nada (nahda, nada) SPANISH [nothing, from Latin res nata insignificant
thing] noun nothing, nonexistence:
"The man shrugged his shoulders. `There is
no money left. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. "'

nadir (deer, cedar) FRENCH [from
Arabic nazir opposite] noun the lowest point of something (in astronomy, the area of a sphere opposite
the zenith): "In the most illustrious lives
as in the most obscure, in animals as in
secretary-generals, there is a zenith and
there is a nadir, a period when the fur is
magnificent, the fortune dazzling." (Honore de Balzac, Bureaucracy). ^ abbreviated form nad.

nalf (niccf), naif FRENCH [inborn,
natural, ultimately from Latin nativus native] noun a naive person, an
innocent. -adjective naive.

naissant (na sont) FRENCH [being
born] adjective in an early stage of
development, coming into being: "This
is just one of several naissant projects being
considered by the company."

naive (n1ecv), naive FRENCH [innocent, gullible, from nay inborn, natural, ultimately from Latin nativus
native] adjective innocent, credulous,
gullible, unsuspecting, unaffected,
unsophisticated: "She is more naive than
she pretends."

naivete (nieevt , n eevat , nieevtay,
niee'atay), naivete, naivete FRENCH
[inborn character, from nay inborn,
natural] noun a naive comment or
attitude or naivety in general.

nan (nahn), naan HINDI [from Persian] noun a variety of round, flat,
unleavened bread commonly eaten in
the Indian subcontinent.

narcissism (nahrsisizbm) GREEK
[after the legendary Narcissus, who
fell in love with his own reflection]
noun self-love, an obsessive admiration of or approving interest in oneself:
After his coworkers accused him Of narcissism he hardly dared even look in a mirror."

narcosis (nahrkosis) GREEK [from narkosis benumbing, itself from narkoun
to make numb] noun (plural narcoses,
nahrkoseez) a state of unconsciousness or stupor as induced by drugs.

natura abhorret vacuo (nachoora
abhoret vakyooo) LATIN [nature
shrinks back from something empty]
noun phrase nature abhors a vacuum.

natura naturans (nachoora nachyooranz) LATIN [creating nature] noun
phrase the creative power of nature:
"But taking timely warning, and leaving
many things unsaid on this topic, let us
not longer omit our homage to the Efficient Nature, natura naturans, the quick
cause, before which all forms flee as the
driven snows..." (Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essays, 1841).

nausea (nozeea, noseea, nozha,
nosha) LATIN [seasickness, ultimately
from Greek nautes sailor] noun a
feeling that one is going to vomit; can
also refer more generally to any sensation of loathing or disgust.

n.b., N.B. See NOTA BENS.

ne See NI?E.

nebbish (nebish) YIDDISH [from
nebekh poor, unfortunate, from Czech
nebohy] noun a weak or ineffectual person. -adjective weak, timid,
ineffectual.

nebula (neb)'ala) LATIN [mist, cloud]
noun (plural nebulas or nebulae,
nebyalcc, nebyaI) in astronomy, a
galaxy or a cloud of interstellar gas or
dust; can also refer more generally to
any hazy image or cloud: "They placed
the ca f beside its mother again, took up
the lantern, and went out, the light sinking down the hill till it was no more than
a nebula" (Thomas Hardy, Far From the
Madding Crowd, 1874).

necrophilia (nekrafileea) GREEK [fondness for corpses] noun an erotic
interest in sexual intercourse with
dead bodies.

necropolis (nekrQoalis) GREEK [city
of the (lead] noun (plural necropolises,
necropoles, nekroaleez, necropoleis, nekro)aliz, or necropoli, nekrop4', nekrokalee) a cemetery,
especially in an ancient town or city:
"The step drew nearer, and a guardian in
a braided cap walked listlessly through
the room like a ghost stalking through a
necropolis" (Edith Wharton, The Age of
Innocence, 1920).

necrosis (nakrosis, necrosis) GREEK
[state of death, from nekroun to kill]

noun (plural necroses, nakroseez,
nekroseez) the death or decay of
an organ or tissue through disease
or injury.

nectar (nektar) GREEK [from nektar,
the legendary drink of the gods in
Greek and Roman mythology] noun
a sweet or delicious liquid, often
referring specifically to the sweet
excretions of certain plants, as collected by bees to make honey.

nee (nay), nee FRENCH [feminine of
ne born, past participle of naitre to
be born] adjective born (referring
to the maiden name of a woman
before marriage): "...Jacqueline Kennedy, nee Bouvier." adjective, masculine
ne (nay) formerly called (referring to
the original name of a person, group,
organization, or country).

negligee (neglazy, neglazhay), neglige FRENCH [from neglige, past participle of negliger to neglect] noun a
light dressing gown for women, usually made of sheer material; can also
refer more generally to casual or
informal attire: "She gave her mother a
hideous pink negligee for her birthday"

nem. con. See NEMINE CONTRADICENTE.

nemesis (nemasis) GREEK [retribution, after Nemesis, the Greek
goddess of divine retribution] noun
(plural nemeses, nemascez) an act of retribution or punishment, or the
agent of this: "But, clearly, the old order
was already in part reversed. The Nemesis of the delicate ones was creeping on
apace" (H. G. Wells, The Time Machine,
1895).

nemine contradicente (neminay kontradikentay) LATIN [no one contradicting] adverb phrase unanimously, with
no one dissenting. 'abbreviated form
nem. con.: The resolution was passed
nem con.

neo- (rieeo) GREEK [new] prefix new,
or a modern form of, e.g., neologism,
neo-Nazi.

neon (neeon) GREEK [neuter of neos
new] noun an inert gaseous element
used in electric lighting, the lights
themselves, or the lighting thus produced. adjective of or relating to such
lighting or to colors reminiscent of
vibrant neon lighting: "All the operating
rooms now have neon lighting."

ne plus ultra (nay plas altra, nee plas
altra) LATIN [no more beyond] noun
phrase (plural ne plus ultras) the
acme, apex, or highest point; the
ultimate achievement or example of
something: "A little south of east was
Palos, where Columbus weighed anchor,
and farther yet the pillars which Hercules set up; concerning which when we
inquired at the top of our voices what
was written on them, for we had the
morning sun in our faces, and could not

see distinctly, the inhabitants shouted
Ne plus ultra (no more beyond)..."
(Henry David Thoreau, Cape Cod,
1865).

n'est-ce pas? (nes pa) FRENCH [is it
not?] interrogative is that not so?

netsuke (netskee, netsookee) JAPANESE
noun (plural netsuke or netsukes)
an intricately carved toggle of ivory,
wood, etc., originally suspended by a
cord from the sash of the traditional
Japanese kimono.

neurosis (noorosis, nyoorosis) GREEK
[neuron nerve] noun (plural neuroses,
nooroseez, nyooroseez) a mild mental or emotional disturbance affecting
the personality or, more generally,
any state of anxiety or obsession: "His
neurosis got worse and worse through the
winter."

nevus (rieevds) LATIN [birthmark]
noun (plural nevi, neevl) a birthmark, mole, or other blemish on the
skin.

nexus (neksas) LATIN [binding, linking, from nectere to bind] noun (plural
nexus or nexuses, neksasaz) a connection, a link; a cluster or connected
series; may also refer to the center or
focus of something: "..how a book, Le
Control Social, had the effect of making
Frenchmen begin to drown one another
cannot be understood without an explanation of the causal nexus of this new force with the event." (Leo Tolstoy, War and
Peace, 1863-69).

niche (nich) FRENCH [recess, retreat,
from nicker to nest, ultimately from
Latin nidus nest] noun a recess,
alcove, or cranny; a place or position
in which a person or thing is snugly
or comfortably lodged, a position of
advantage in a marketplace etc., a
place of safety or retreat: "The partnership has occupied a prominent niche in the
market for several months now." -verb to
place in a niche.