SNP’s word of the day: Penetralia

Word: Penetralia

Meaning: The innermost sanctum; a deeply private recess.

Usage: “Mr F. in another compartment of the same labyrinth I have described, for suffering any one to penetrate so far into the penetralia of their temple.” — from Walter Scott‘s The Fortunes of Nigel

You should know it because: Penetralia is my new favourite word, and yes, that is a good enough reason. It sounds almost explicitly pornographic, but means something intensely private. Think of the sanctuary or the shrine at the heart of a temple, or the locked attic in a gothic novel. Very little can penetrate (hence the origins of the word) and nothing ever leaves. No wonder nobody uses this word today. We’ve abandoned privacy.

Penetralia was the name of an American puzzle society est. 1900 and a German metal band est. 1994. Otherwise, as far as I can tell, it’s out of usage. Let’s bring it–and maybe even its meaning–back in 2012.

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