Word of the Day - 3/23/12 - celerity

celerity
/suh-ler-i-tee/ IPA: /sɪˈlɛrɪtɪ/, /səˈlɛrɪti/


Noun
1. exceptional speed; swiftness

A cyclist racing forth with great celerity

Origin: Entered English around 1480, from Middle French celerite. Ultimately derived from Latin celeritas, from the root celer- meaning swift, also found in English acceleration. Celerity is formed by combining this Latin root celer- with the suffix -ity, which appears in English as a result of borrowing from French and Latin as well. The suffix -ity takes several different forms, such as -ety as in piety, -iety as in sobriety, and -ty as in safety and bounty. There is also a discrepancy in the first vowel’s pronunciation, as the Oxford English Dictionary transcribes the vowel as a high front /ɪ/, while other sources present the vowel as a central mid /ə/. Both of these pronunciations are written in IPA form above. The OED typically transcribes the appropriate pronunciation for British speakers of English, which could be the cause for the discrepancy.


Notes: Celerity is often used in titles of businesses and capital ventures, perhaps to symbolize the company's hopes of moving swiftly past the competition.


Usage: "For the helmet of Pluto, which maketh the politic man go invisible, is secrecy in the counsel, and celerity in the execution. For when things are once come to the execution, there is no secrecy, comparable to celerity; like the motion of a bullet in the air, which flieth so swift, as it outruns the eye." - Sir Francis Bacon, The Essays: Of Delays (1625)


Quote of the Day: "Actions speak louder than words, but not nearly as often." - Mark Twain (1835-1910)