Make Your Point > Archived Issues > PALIMPSEST

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connect today's word to others: Our word palimpsest comes from Greek and literally means "(something) scraped again" or "(something) rubbed smooth again." That explains why it looks a little like the word palindrome, literally a "running again." (A palindrome is a word spelled the same backwards and forwards, like "racecar.") So anyway, a palimpsest is a writing surface that's been used multiple times, or anything with complex, partly hidden layers. We could say that your family history is a palimpsest, a layer of young gritty entrepreneurs who obscure the older, more aristocratic generations. Or, we could switch metaphors and say that your family history has taken on a pa__na of entrepreneurial grit: a layer of it that accumulated over recent generations. Could you recall that word? It means "a built-up layer of some quality," but we also use it literally to talk about that beautiful crust of age on metal and stone. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "PALIMPSEST"  A literal palimpsest is something (like a piece of paper) that's been written on multiple times, and people have either partially erased the earlier marks or they've just written right on top of them.  A figurative palimpsest is something that reminds you of a used and re-used writing surface: it's something that has layers, and some of those layers are diverse, complicated, and totally or partially hidden.     Pronunciation: PAL imp sest. (Or, drop the middle "p" and say "PAL im sest." Why do we do this? For the same reason the "p" is silent in "psoriasis" and in scientific words starting with "psilo-." Those words, plus the "psest" part of "palimpsest," are related to the Greek word for "scrape or rub smooth.") Part of speech: Countable noun. (Countable nouns, like "bottle," "piece," and "decision," are words for things that can be broken into exact units. You talk about "a bottle," "three pieces," and "many decisions." Likewise, talk about a palimpsest, one palimpsest, or multiple palimpsests.) Other forms: The adjective is "palimpsestic" ("pal im[p] SESS tick"), or you can just use "palimpsest" itself like an adjective, as in "our palimpsest memories." The verb is also just "palimpsest:" you can palimpsest things, or talk about things that are palimpsested. I won't focus on the verb in this issue, though; it's rare. How to use it: When you need to emphasize how hard it is to understand something's complex layers that have developed over time, call the whole thing a palimpsest. Just to give you an idea, here are some things we've called palimpsests: historical buildings, cities, cultures and societies, stories, someone's memories, someone's feelings, someone's personality, the human brain, and human history. To use the adjective, talk about palimpsestic copies, tablets, and papers; palimpsestic layers and residue; palimpsestic records and histories; palimpsestic processes, etc. examples: Hawaiian culture is a palimpsest; you have to look under that outer layer of leis and alohas. In Sandra Cisneros's story "Eleven," Rachel suggests that to be human is to be is a palimpsest: that she's turning eleven but that on the inside she's still ten, still nine, and so on. "Maybe some days you might need to sit on your mama’s lap because you’re scared, and that’s the part of you that’s five. And maybe one day when you’re all grown up maybe you will need to cry like if you’re three, and that’s okay." study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "palimpsest" means when you can explain it without saying "layered complexity" or "complicated thing." try it out: Fill in the blank: "(Something you're still working on, like a product, a project, a presentation, a story, a letter, a song, a garden, a painting, etc.) is a palimpsest of additions and deletions." Example: "This awkward email is a palimpsest of additions and deletions." 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. Our game this month is "The Meanings of Maladies." I'll share a tidbit about the word for a particular symptom, disease, or condition, and you try to name it. We'll start with common maladies and work our way toward the rare and strange. From our previous issue: The word for this disease was coined by an ancient Greek physician, and it literally means "a passing through," with the idea being that the person suffering from it has to pass a lot of liquid through the body. It's related to words like "diametric" and "diaphanous." What is it? Answer: Diabetes. Try this today: The word for this symptom literally means "ship-sickness," which is why it resembles words like "nautical." What is it? review today's word: 1. A near opposite of PALIMPSESTIC is A. ZERO-SUM. B. ONE-DIMENSIONAL. C. TWO-EDGED. 2. It's fascinating how W.E.B. Du Bois _____, rendering his own _____ like a palimpsest. A. spoke Greek and Latin .. mind B. wrote multiple autobiographies .. life C. belonged to the Socialist party for only a few years .. politics 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