Make Your Point > Archived Issues > PERIPATETIC

Send Make Your Point issues straight to your inbox.

connect today's word to others: Peripatetic literally means "walking around." Its Greek roots are peri and patein: "around" and "walk or tread," respectively. So, could you explain why peripatetic looks like perimeter and peripheral? And, are you peripatetic? If so, you travel regularly from place to place, as a way of doing business, or as a way of life. And if you're peripatetic, you might have wa_____ust: a powerful desire to travel or roam around. (Not me, though. Home is my favorite place.) (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "PERIPATETIC" It's good to know the old, original meaning of this word. Peripatetic schools, philosophies, and philosophers are related to the teachings of Aristotle, who was known for teaching and debating while walking around. But here's the more general meaning that we'll focus on. Someone or something peripatetic travels around regularly from place to place (or seems to). Pronunciation: PAIR uh puh TET ick 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 peripatetic thing" or "a peripatetic person." 2. After a linking verb, as in "It was peripatetic" or "He was peripatetic.") Other forms: peripatetically How to use it: For hundreds of years, the word "peripatetic" had a humorous tone: we used it to be silly, since the word is such a mouthful. But now, it's become more normal.  For example, you'll see sportswriters use a conversational tone as they mention peripatetic athletes (those who keep getting traded onto different teams), and you'll see critics use a serious tone as they mention peripatetic films (those with a setting, storyline, or sense of pacing that wanders around). So, feel free to talk about peripatetic people, such as peripatetic doctors and salespeople, peripatetic artists and dancers, peripatetic Army families, and peripatetic generations of farm workers. You can also talk about peripatetic quests and journeys, as well as peripatetic schedules, habits, phases, childhoods and upbringings, careers, lifestyles, and lives. To get abstract, talk about peripatetic thoughts or stories (those that seem to wander or ramble from part to part), or speakers, writers, and narrators who tell stories or cover topics in a peripatetic way. It's rare, but "peripatetic" can also be a noun: it means a person who always travels around, especially by walking. ("As an especially laid-back town, Hilo appeals to peripatetics.") If you use the word this way, you're probably doing it to be funny--because it's pretty ridiculous to call someone a peripatetic instead of a traveler. And that brings us back around to the idea that "peripatetic" is a mouthful, a bit of a ridiculous choice of word compared to, say, "traveling" or "wandering." But you can't deny how fun it is to say. Hear all that alliteration within the word? Peripatetic! Like verbal popcorn. examples: Thanks to his peripatetic career, he adapts quickly to new places and new work cultures. I could never buy into that plot line from Pete's Dragon or Mary Poppins--the magical, peripatetic friend who sticks around for only as long as the sorrowful children "need" him or her--don't they need stability? study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "peripatetic" means when you can explain it without saying "walking around" or "wandering from place to place." try it out: Think of something you've read, watched, or listened to that you disliked because it seemed to ramble around pointlessly. Fill in the blank: "I had no patience for that peripatetic (account of some topic or event, explanation of someone or something, or story about someone or something)." Example: "I had no patience for that peripatetic exploration of every character's backstory in Lost." 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. This month, see if you can associate a snippet of song lyrics with a word we’ve studied before. For example, here's Dave Matthews: "Wasting time, let the hours roll by doing nothing for the fun. A little taste of the good life." Those lyrics call to mind the word LOTUS-EATING. From our previous issue: In "Circus," Britney Spears sings, "There's only two types of people in the world: the ones that entertain, and the ones that observe." Do those lyrics call to mind the word DICHOTOMY, TELEOLOGICAL, or WELTER? Why? Answer: DICHOTOMY. A dichotomy is a way of categorizing things into two neat parts. Would you call Britney's observation a false dichotomy? Try this today: In "Real World," the members of Matchbox 20 sing:   "I wonder what it's like to be the head honcho. I wonder what I'd do if they all did just what I said.  I'd shout out an order, I think we're out of this, man, get me some.  Boy don't make me wanna change my tone." Do those lyrics call to mind the term ACID TEST, DICTATORIAL, or HYDRA? Why? review today's word: 1. A near opposite of PERIPATETIC is A. CHIC. B. FIXED. C. DIVERSE. 2. Peregrin Took's first name hints at that character's peripatetic life: a "peregrinage," a word which first appeared in print in the year 1340, is _____. A. a mischievous practical joke B. a journey or a pilgrimage C. a battle or a war 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