Make Your Point > Archived Issues > VESTIGE
Send Make Your Point issues straight to your inbox.
pronounce
VESTIGE:
Say it "VESS tidge."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
Just between the two of us, if we dig around in your attic, will we find an old shoebox full of mementos of your ex? Notes, pictures, theater tickets--all the traces or leftover bits from that relationship that no longer exists?
If so, we could call those bits and pieces vestiges: the footprints, or leftovers, from that old flame, that romantic fire that's died out.
What if, instead of dying out, that fire is still glowing a bit in your heart? Then your shoebox doesn't have vestiges, exactly. It has e____s: like glowing pieces of wood, they're little leftover scraps that still seem to throb or glow with life.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
The word "vestige" comes from a Latin one that means the same thing as it does now, in English: "a trace, a mark, or a footprint."
In other words, a vestige of something is a little leftover piece or trace of it, like a footprint on a track.
The word "vestige" looks a bit like the word "investigate" because, literally speaking, to investigate something is to look into traces or tracks of it.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech: noun, the countable kind: "it's a vestige of an earlier age," "these are the vestiges of our shared past."
Other forms:
The plural noun is "vestiges."
The adjective, "vestigial," is really fun to say: "vess TIDGE ee ull."
The adverb is "vestigially."
Finally, this is rare, but if you need to strike a really formal, scientific tone, then instead of calling something a "vestige," you can call it a "vestigium." (Say this "vess TIDGE ee um.") And, if there's more than one, call them "vestigia" ("vess TIDGE ee uh").
how to use it:
This formal word has a scientific, biological flavor, because often when we talk about vestiges, we're referring to biological structures (and sometimes behaviors) that are disappearing in the process of evolution. Here's Darwin: "the vestige of an ear in earless breeds." If you're interested in vestigial things in human bodies and human behavior, especially babies, definitely check out this brief illustrated list from Encyclopedia Britannica. It includes this startling fact: "On rare occasion, a human infant is born with a vestigial tail."
In general writing and conversion, we most often talk about "the vestiges of something:"
"That habit is a vestige from his childhood;"
"That tradition is a vestige from the old dynasty;"
"Every last vestige of that romance has disappeared;"
"Entering your mid-30s means clinging to the final vestiges of your athletic prime" (Washington Post);
"Halting the competition choked off the last vestige of revenue" (Los Angeles Times).
Now, if you're extra-picky about word choice, like I often am, you'll think of vestiges as metaphorical marks, traces, or footprints. Because that's where we got the word "vestige:" from the Latin one for "a mark, a trace, or a footprint."
So, you'll stick to that metaphor with phrases like "uncovering these vestiges," "following after these vestiges," "wiping out these vestiges," or "obliterating these vestiges."
And you'll avoid mixing in other metaphors. For example, because vestiges aren't plants, you won't talk about uprooting, eradicating, or extirpating vestiges.
examples:
"He was lost, astray in a strange house where nothing and no one now stirred in him the slightest vestige of affection."
— Gabriel Garcia Marquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude, 1967
"The royal family is at this point in history mostly just a set of wisdom teeth — vestigial, purposeless, most interesting when something painful happens or a removal is required."
— Mary Elizabeth Williams, Salon, 16 February 2020
has this page helped you understand "vestige"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "vestige" without saying "trace" or "straggler."
try it out:
Think of something you often did as a kid or a teenager: something that, on occasion, you still might do, without thinking.
Fill in the blanks: "If you (hear or see) me (doing or saying something in particular), it's just a vestige from (my childhood or my teen years)."
Example: "If we're driving through a yellow traffic light and you see me kiss my hand and tap it onto the sun visor, it's just a vestige from my teen years, a good-luck ritual."
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
This month, our game is "Caption These!"
In each issue this month, caption the images below (A, B, and C) by matching them to the vocabulary words they illustrate (1, 2, and 3). Need a closer look? Give the images a click. And, if you can, explain the exact meaning of each word. I'll share the answers in the following issue. Good luck!
From the previous issue:
Answers:
A: closefisted, B: diametric, C: akimbo.
(To review a word, give it a click.)
Try these today:
1: fulcrum
2: keystone
3: chrysalis
review this word:
1. A near opposite of VESTIGIAL is
A. MINUSCULE.
B. IN CURRENT USE.
C. SHIMMERING IN THE DISTANCE.
2. The work was excellent; we saw no vestige of _____.
A. the old graffiti
B. the old house's charming character
C. their longstanding reputation for quality
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my 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.
Just between the two of us, if we dig around in your attic, will we find an old shoebox full of mementos of your ex? Notes, pictures, theater tickets--all the traces or leftover bits from that relationship that no longer exists?
The word "vestige" comes from a Latin one that means the same thing as it does now, in English: "a trace, a mark, or a footprint."
Part of speech: noun, the countable kind: "it's a vestige of an earlier age," "these are the vestiges of our shared past."
This formal word has a scientific, biological flavor, because often when we talk about vestiges, we're referring to biological structures (and sometimes behaviors) that are disappearing in the process of evolution. Here's Darwin: "the vestige of an ear in earless breeds." If you're interested in vestigial things in human bodies and human behavior, especially babies, definitely check out this brief illustrated list from Encyclopedia Britannica. It includes this startling fact: "On rare occasion, a human infant is born with a vestigial tail."
"He was lost, astray in a strange house where nothing and no one now stirred in him the slightest vestige of affection."
Explain the meaning of "vestige" without saying "trace" or "straggler."
Think of something you often did as a kid or a teenager: something that, on occasion, you still might do, without thinking.
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
1: fulcrum
1. A near opposite of VESTIGIAL is
|
