Somnambulist
Roger from Sault Ste
Marie asked about the word somnambulistic. It’s the adjective form of the noun
somnambulist, which breaks down into the Latin somn-, sleep, and ambul-, to walk. Somn- also shows up in words such as insomnia and
somniferous, and ambul- appears
in ambulation and ambulance, which was originally a field hospital that followed a moving army.
Four words designate
types of walking, though one of them is a nonce word.
- funambulist: a tightrope performer [L. fun-, rope]
- noctambulist: a sleep walker who moves about
at night [L. noct-, night]
- somnambulist: a sleep walker [L. somn-, sleep]
- vicambulist: one who walks about hoping to
be seen and recognized [a nonce word, a word used on one specific
occasion or in one specific text or writer's works. L. vicus, street]
Available from McFarland & Co.: Word Parts
Dictionary, 2nd edition
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posted by Michael J. Sheehan at 12:21 PM
2 Comments:
Dear Professor,
I have a question and I need your help. I noticed that in a medieval text the author addressed the reader as my brother. I heard that Newton, for example, had his own way of addressing himself and maybe the reader that was common in that period. Today, researchers address themselves as the researchers or authors. What do you call this? I mean the way the author addresses himself/herself and/or the readers? Terms of address? I googled it but my attempts were vain. I am interested in reading a couple of studies in this regard but cannot think about proper key words, you know. I will be very glad of your reply.
Thanks a universe.
Cheers,
Zahra
I've usually seen it referred to as "direct address" or "speaking to the reader." In Latin, it's called the vocative, and I suppose that term could apply to the same situation in English.
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