Make Your Point > Archived Issues > NAISSANT

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connect today's word to others: You know how a renaissance is a rebirth? Take off the "re-" and you get naissance, a birth. Now change that into an adjective: naissant. Something naissant is new, newly born, just now coming into existence. The word naissant also has a specific meaning in heraldry, the art of designing a coat of arms. On a shield, a naissant animal is one that's drawn from the head to the waist only, as if it's popping out of the middle of the shield. As if it's being born: (The image above, used with permission, is from a glossary of heraldry terms provided by MyBlazon.com.) Naissance comes from the Latin nasci, "to be born." That makes it a cousin to words like nation, native, nature, and our word n__, meaning "born with (this name)." And, let's say that naissant is a twin to our word nascent. Both mean "new, newly developing, just beginning to exist," and both are based on the same Latin root. So if nascent and naissant mean the same thing, what's the practical difference between them? Well, nascent is more common, and naissant is more fancy. That's about all I can figure, y'all. I like them both.  (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "NAISSANT" Something naissant is new, as if it's just recently been "born." In other words, naissant things are just now appearing, starting up, being produced, or coming into existence. Pronunciation: NAY sunt Part of speech: Adjective. (Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late." They can be used in two ways: 1. Right before a noun, as in "a naissant industry." 2. After a linking verb, as in "The industry was naissant.") Other forms: naissance How to use it: This is a rare, formal, serious, emphatic word. It came from Latin through French, and it's still got that French flavor to it; plus, it carries with it a whiff of heraldry. (If you need a synonym slightly less formal, pick "nascent" instead.) Talk about naissant projects, programs, concepts, understandings, organizations, nations, industries, economies, literatures, traditions, careers, styles or movements in art or literature or architecture, geographical formations ("a naissant island"), and so on. examples: With bitcoin in its naissance in 2012, prices surged and crashed. "The Union is prepared to embark on the path to a common economic policy, a common treasury and the sharing of debt, which, when added to the single currency, will give it the real power of a naissant federal state."    — Bernard Guetta, Vox Europ, 29 June 2012 study it now: Look away from the screen to define "naissant" without saying "newly born" or "just starting to exist." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "In (some year), (some genre of music, literature, television, or film) was naissant; people weren't sure at first what to make of (some specific artist, album, song, writer, poem, book, director, show, episode, or movie)." Example: "In 1979, hip-hop was naissant; people weren't sure at first what to make of the The Sugarhill Gang." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Complete the Limerick! In each issue this month, finish off the last line of the poem with a word or phrase we've checked out before. From the previous issue: Though the staterooms are quite microscopic, The buffets are highly hedonic. A cruise is a picnic-- Assuming you're not sick From ship-rocking that's metronomic. Try this one today: Eyes focused on all high-def surfaces, Sated by fine foods and services, We're blind to injustice, We don't raise a fuss, 'cause We need only our _________________. review today's word: 1. An opposite of NAISSANCE is A. HEAT. B. DEATH. C. RESIGNATION. 2. Struggling to _____, the company wants to be seen not as naissant but as renaissant. A. stay profitable B. craft a fresh new image C. keep up with changing technologies Answers are below. a final word: Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From Liesl's blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. B