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rennetremblay2 · 1 year

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10 Words You Might Not Know Were Champions in Past Spelling Bees

Spelling bees have been a staple of American education for over a century, with students from all over the country participating in local, regional, and national competitions. In these competitions, students are asked to spell a wide variety of words, ranging from the common to the obscure.

In this blog post, we'll take a look at 10 words that you might not know were champions in past spelling bees.

Appoggiatura

Origin: Italian

Definition: A musical grace note played before a main note.

Fun Fact: In the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee, Arvind Mahankali, a 13-year-old from Queens, New York, correctly spelled "appoggiatura" to win the competition. It was his third consecutive appearance in the national finals, and he later revealed that he had been studying the word for two years.

Ursprache

Origin: German

Definition: A hypothetical parent language, from which all other languages are derived.

Fun Fact: In the 1998 Scripps National Spelling Bee, Jody-Anne Maxwell, a 12-year-old from Jamaica, correctly spelled "ursprache" to become the first international winner of the competition. She was also the first black winner of the bee.

Elucubrate

Origin: Latin

Definition: To work on something, especially at night.

Fun Fact: In the 1970 Scripps National Spelling Bee, Libby Childress, a 14-year-old from Alabama, correctly spelled "elucubrate" to become the first female champion of the bee. She had previously competed in the bee twice before, finishing in fifth place in 1968 and 1969.

Chaetognath

Origin: Greek

Definition: A type of marine worm with bristle-like structures around its mouth.

Fun Fact: In the 2002 Scripps National Spelling Bee, Pratyush Buddiga, a 13-year-old from Colorado, correctly spelled "chaetognath" to win the competition. He later went on to win the 2003 bee as well, becoming the first speller to win back-to-back titles since 1962.

Xanthosis

Origin: Greek

Definition: A medical condition that causes yellowing of the skin.

Fun Fact: In the 1961 Scripps National Spelling Bee, Ann P. Lenox, a 14-year-old from Colorado, correctly spelled "xanthosis" to win the competition. She had previously competed in the bee twice before, finishing in third place in 1959 and 1960.

Soubrette

Origin: French

Definition: A type of female opera singer who often plays flirtatious or coquettish roles.

Fun Fact: In the 1957 Scripps National Spelling Bee, Ramesh Kumar, a 14-year-old from Texas, correctly spelled "soubrette" to become the first speller from outside the eastern United States to win the competition.

Prospicience

Origin: Latin

Definition: Foresight or foreknowledge.

Fun Fact: In the 1953 Scripps National Spelling Bee, Elizabeth Hess, a 13-year-old from Indiana, correctly spelled "prospicience" to become the first female champion of the bee.

Amphiscians

Origin: Greek

Definition: People who live in areas where the sun's rays fall perpendicularly.

Fun Fact: In the 1952 Scripps National Spelling Bee, Doris Ann Dwyer, a 13-year-old from Missouri, correctly spelled "amphiscians" to become the first speller from outside the eastern United States to win the competition.

Schappe

Origin: French

Definition: A type of silk waste that is used to make fabric.

Fun Fact: In the 1937 Scripps National Spelling Bee, Gloria Beard, a 12-year-old from Ohio, correctly spelled "schappe" to become the first female champion of the bee. Interestingly, she had actually misspelled the word in an earlier round but was given a second chance due to a technical error.

Luge

Origin: French

Definition: A winter sport in which a small sled is ridden down a steep, icy track.

Fun Fact: In the 1965 Scripps National Spelling Bee, Michael Kerpan Jr., a 14-year-old from New Jersey, correctly spelled "luge" to win the competition. He later went on to compete in the sport of luge himself, representing the United States in the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid.

Spelling bees are an excellent platform for students to showcase their linguistic abilities. The words included in these competitions are not only challenging but also quite informative, with many of them being specialized jargon from various fields. While the above-listed words may be difficult to spell, they are still an essential part of the English language and a testament to the skill and knowledge of past spelling bee champions.

So, the next time you come across a word that seems impossibly difficult to spell, remember that there are 10-year-olds out there who can spell "appoggiatura" and "ursprache" with ease. And if you want to test your own spelling skills, why not try studying some of the words from past spelling bees? You might be surprised at what you can learn - and how much fun you can have in the process.

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010001011noise · 2 years

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amputation (n.)

1610s, "a cutting off of tree branches, a pruning," also "operation of cutting off a limb, etc., of a body," from French amputation or directly from Latin amputationem (nominative amputatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of amputare "to cut off, lop off; cut around, to prune," from am(bi)- "around" (from PIE root *ambhi- "around") + putare "to prune, trim" (from PIE root *pau- (2) "to cut, strike, stamp").

*ambhi-

also *mbhi-, Proto-Indo-European root meaning "around;" probably derived from *ant-bhi "from both sides," from root *ant- "front, forehead." It forms all or part of: abaft; about; alley (n.1) "open passage between buildings;" ambagious; ambassador; ambi-; ambidexterity; ambidextrous; ambience; ambient; ambiguous; ambit; ambition; ambitious; amble; ambulance; ambulant; ambulate; ambulation; ambulatory; amphi-; amphibian; Amphictyonic; amphisbaena; Amphiscians; amphitheater; amphora; amputate; amputation; ancillary; andante; anfractuous; be-; begin; beleaguer; between; bivouac; but; by; circumambulate; embassy; ember-days; funambulist; ombudsman; perambulate; perambulation; preamble; somnambulate; somnambulism; umlaut. It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit abhitah "on both sides," abhi "toward, to;" Avestan aibi; Greek amphi "round about;" Latin ambi- "around, round about;" Gaulish ambi-, Old Irish imb- "round about, about;" Old Church Slavonic oba; Lithuanian abu "both;" Old English ymbe, German um "around."

*pau- (2)

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to cut, strike, stamp."

It forms all or part of: account; amputate; amputation; anapest; berate; compute; count (v.); depute; deputy; dispute; impute; pave; pavement; pit (n.1) "hole, cavity;" putative; rate (v.1) "to scold;" reputation; repute.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Latin pavire "to beat, ram, tread down," putare "to prune;" Greek paiein "to strike;" Lithuanian pjauti "to cut," pjūklas "saw."

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