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Gracious Word: Yoko Meshi

6/24/2014

 
Yoko Meshi
Word every Gracious Individual should know: Yoko Meshi

Definition: Yoko Meshi (pronounced: yO-kO me-shE); Japanese; noun
1. The peculiar stress of speaking a foreign language.

Why I love this word:
Taken literally, meshi means 'boiled rice' and yoko means 'horizontal,' so combined you get 'a meal eaten sideways.' Kinda funny huh? Well, this is how the Japanese define the peculiar stress induced by speaking a foreign language: yoko is a humorous reference to the fact that Japanese is normally written vertically, whereas most foreign languages are written horizontally. So this is where the word stems from. 

Photograph by Hideaki Hamada


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    Gracious Words

    With the Word of the Day and the Monthly Book Club, this page is for the intellectual reader or for anyone who wants to improve their vocabulary.

    As intellectuals, having a remarkable vocabulary speaks measures. Knowing the right words sharpens communication skills and opens minds to help express ourselves better whether in our personal or professional lives. Practice these Words of the Day and join in on the conversation. 


    Unless indicated ©Mariya Dondonyan, most photos on this page are works of other photographers. I believe in giving credit where credit is due, so every post recognizes the source where the photographs were found. If at anytime you see work that is improperly recognized, please send me a quick note and I will update the information. 
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