by Frank E. Little Jr.
You have a new boat. A dream come true, it seems to be a mistake to place upon it some mash up of you and your wife’s names. Even worse, you cannot bear to give it any of the trite, pun filled, puerile and unimaginative monikers you have discovered thus far.
Face it, you have complex sensibilities. Common men name their boats “Jimmy’s Joy,” “Seaduction,” “Nauti Bouy,” or “Steady As She Goes.” What do you want emblazoned on the escutcheon of your quarter of a million dollar sloop? You already know it won’t be “Dock Holiday” or “Unsinkable III.”
You are articulate. You are reaching for something that is, as yet – undefined. Like naming children, it’s important. Boats and kids live up to the names we give them. Boating is an existential quest, defining you, the boat and your relationship with the sea.
You’re still reading so you are likely refined and enigmatic. The boat’s name must capture some undiscovered salient, embracing your thoughts, words and deeds that spring forth from your heart, mind and soul.
Lucky for you, the richness of the English language provides erudite and metaphorical terms which describe your state. Those spotting your stern with binoculars might well suspect that you have both a command of the English language as well as the sea. Yes, names such as these are conversation starters. They are archaic, obtuse and a few even snobbish.
Type them into Google speak to pronounce them for you. Try them on. They will roll off your tongue soon enough.
See you out on the big water.
PETRICHOR The smell after rain
RIDENT Cheerful
UBIQUARIAN Someone who goes everywhere.
ZIRALEET Expression of joy
GEGENSCHEIN Dust particles in the sky opposite the sun’s position giving a night glow.
INTREPID Hyper-adventerous
AXIOMATIC A self evident outcome of an idea or action.
APODICTIC Established everywhere without dispute
EPAGOMENIC Spontaneous celebration for no worthy reason.
INSANGEIOUS A favorite. To be made equal to the angels.
KAKIKSTOCRACY A government run by the worst citizens
CERULEAN Another favorite. blue like the waters around unspoiled islands.
BLOOTERED Scottish. Very drunk
GOLIARD Wandering student (aren’t we all?)
GLEEK Sharp joke or a superb trick
WHIPJACK A beggar who pretends to be a sailor
XIPHOID For medical people. Racing boat? Spear shaped
AMPHISBAENA Mythical two headed serpent. Named after your mother in law?
CHANTICLEER For alpha males and kings of industry. Rooster like
EUCATASTROPHE Perfect ending or outcome of a story
OPEROSE Displaying great ability and effort for all to see
OPSIMATH A person who begins to learn late in life
RESOUNDING Undeniable. Obvious and clearly marked
RIPARIAN Rights of water-usually drilling related. law term.
PANEMORFI Greek. beautiful
ZEITREISE German. Time travel
ZENIT German. Zenith
METANOIA The process of changing your heart, mind and goals.
MERAKI To do with creativity, passion and resolve
SIDEREAL Determined by the stars
EMACITY A fondness for buying things
APAIXONAR Portugeuse. quaint term. Falling in love – like off a cliff.
AEONIAN Eternal and everlasting
VERKLEMPT Overcome with emotion
DAEDALIAN Deft, intelligent, crafty
ENHALO To place a halo upon. To crown spiritually.
EPITOME The perfect defining example of a type
LUCENT Shining and hard to look at – gleaming brilliantly
DESABAFAR Let off steam and in the process gaining balance.
MOEITY Two equal parts. (husband and wife for instance)
RESPLENDENT Sublime, full of color, dazzling and eye catching
SIGIL Refers to a signet ring or a mark of one’s family.
SWEVEN Dream, vision, premonition.
VISRIENT Must see new things-one who requires visual stimuli
VULPINE From Latin. A fox
ETOILE French. Star
CARCANET A jeweled necklace
VERGESSENHEIT German. oblivion
TRAUMSTAAT German. dream state
LAGOM Swedish. The right moment in time. Aligned.
INSUPERAVEL Portugeuse. Unsurpassed.
GEHEIMGANG German. secret passage
PANTAGRUELIAN Vast
PANURGIC Able or willing to do most anything
THALASSIC Referring to the sea
LEMNISCATE Refers to the figure eight infinity symbol
VOORZIENE Dutch. Foreseen.
VELSIGNET Blessed
EKSAKT Danish. Exact
SCINTILLATE Emits sparks
ALGEDONIC Pleasure and pain together
UENDELIG Norwegian. Infinite
GLORIEUX French. Glorious
UMANI Salt, sweet, bitter, sour. The fifth is umani. Japanese for delicious.
LUCUBRATION The product of laborious study.
OENOPHILE A lover of wine. Not an alcoholic.
ZUGZWANG German. A compulsion to move. Chess term.
NIKHEDONIA The elation that accompanies the moment of victory
BIMARIAN Pertaiing to two seas
DICAEARCHY Fair and just government
EPHYDRIAD Water nymph. Like Esther Williams.
EVENIENCY Coming to pass. Inevitable.
DOSHEACHANTA Irish. Inevitable
GIPESIAN Pertaining to gypsies
HALATINOUS Saline. Salty. (Applies to the boat owner?)
INOCCIDUOUS A star that never dips below the horizon.
ISANGELOUS Equal to angels.
NUBIVAGANT Moving among the clouds.
SPARSILE Pertaining to a star
THEOMENY The wrath of God against evil
TRABBOCANT Superabundant.
TROPAEAN Wind blowing towards land
TROPHAEAL Pertaining to trophies. Many.
ALIFORM Shaped like a wing
ANEMOLOGY The study of wind
CETOLOGY The study of whales and dolphins
LAVEER To sail against the wind
WEATHERLY Able to sail close to the wind with little leeway.
OMNILEGENT An omnivorous reader.Bookworm.
MARISTO Esperanto. Sailor
BEUNDRANSVARD Swedish. Admirable
<b>ENDOXOS</b> Greek. Glorious
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