Esoteric
Does everyone remember The Esoteric Order of Dagon? What? No one reads Lovecraft anymore? It's mentioned most frequently in one of H.P. Lovecraft's most famous tales of the weird and wicked, The Shadow over Innsmouth.
But that's not really the point of this post. As fascinating as both that short story, and the cult that's mentioned in it are, the word esoteric can have a much broader meaning, and application.
es·o·ter·ic [es-uh-ter-ik] adj. 1. understood by or meant for only the select few who have special knowledge or interest; recondite
2. private; secret; confidential
Synonyms: obscure, private, secret, hidden, inner, mysterious, mystical, mystic, occult, arcane, cryptic, inscrutable, abstruse, recondite, cabbalistic (notice the similarity to our A term: arcane)
Etymology: 1650s, from Gk. esoterikos "belonging to an inner circle," from esotero "more within," comparative adv. of eso "within," related to eis "into," en "in" (see en- (2)). In English, originally of Pythagorean doctrines. According to Lucian, the division of teachings into exoteric and esoteric originated with Aristotle.
I've had that word esoteric thrown at me before. :) Wonderful E post. Lynn
ReplyDeleteFinally a word I recognize.
ReplyDeleteMe and my esoteric crystals.
ReplyDeleteGreat post - though I haven't read Lovecraft yet. It's in my TBR pile though.
ReplyDeleteEsoterikos would be a cool title. Or band name.
ReplyDeleteI know this word. It's even cool to say.
ReplyDeleteNothing I love more than the esotoric! Makes me feel aqll exclusive and special!
ReplyDeletegreat post! will try to weave my new word into a conversation that only a select few will understand...
ReplyDeletefound you on the a to z and am following now! will be back to read more. :)
feel free to take a peek at my blog too if you have time:
http://mothersofbrothersblog.blogspot.com
best,
MOV
Now, this one I can relate to. I didn't know it was synonymous with inscrutable though..reckon I can add that one too!
ReplyDeleteAs soon as I saw your topic I thought of Lovecraft. Weird little things like that make me happy. It's a great word.
ReplyDeleteGosh, so many synonyms!
ReplyDeletetotally learned a new word today
ReplyDeleteCan't say that I've read Lovecraft, learnt a new word. I must admit I like it's meaning.
ReplyDeleteStopping by via the A - Z Challenge, I've visited your added you via GFC.
Feel free to visit me at
http://www.scatteredmusings.net/2012/04/buying-car/
Thanks
Deb
Good word only if our writing isn't labled esoteric. LOL! I think we all aspire to a bigger audience. ; )
ReplyDeleteNo, but I love the word esoteric.
ReplyDeleteI'd completely forgotten about the Esoteric Order of the Dragon... that's how long it's been since I last read Lovecraft. High school.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great new word. It can explain a friendship I use to have. Only her and I knew what the heck we were talking about and meant.
ReplyDeleteI've read Shadow Over Innsmouth!
ReplyDeleteOff I go to re-read my Lovecraft!!! Take care
ReplyDeletex
Oh, this is a new word for me!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to be so much smarter by the end of the month with your challenge theme, Matt. :D
ReplyDeletelearning lots--cool post
ReplyDeleteGreat word, it has a very poetic feel to it. I also like the way it looks on the page. Sometimes the right combinations of letters have a visual appeal that transcends their basic meaning.
ReplyDeleteYeah...why aren't more reading Lovecraft? Great "E".
ReplyDeleteyou know, i don't know if i've ever used "esoteric" in my writing.
ReplyDeleteThat's a perfect word to describe my husband, Matt!...LOL!!!...:)JP
ReplyDeleteAnother great word!
ReplyDeleteCara
I just like saying "esoteric." I think it was a 9th grade vocabulary word, and just liked the word every since.
ReplyDeleteI think I have a little bit of an esoteric feel to part of my WIP...thinking about that.
ReplyDeleteoooh! i think i'm going to start calling "inside jokes" esoteric humors! :P i'll sound smart that way, right?
ReplyDeleteLoved the E word, I have heard of it before. Well done enjoyed the read.
ReplyDeleteYvonne.
I love that word. And thanks for the daily latin lesson. I seriously have always wanted to take latin.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of those words I have to look up every time I run across it. Why won't it stick? Argh! Maybe this time it finally will. I bet you use it all the time, don't you, you brainiac? Thanks for another lesson.
ReplyDeleteHell Yeah...Lovecraft!
ReplyDeleteExcellent! ... to the challenge "E" is for Efficient!
Jeremy [Retro-Zombie]
A to Z Co-Host
IZOMBIE: Visit the Madness
One of my favorite words.
ReplyDeleteMy father was in a band in the 50s called The Esoterics. :-)
And Lovecraft? Please. I love him.
Pearl
I do so like the word esoteric. It even has a nice sound.
ReplyDeleteGreat A-to-Z series, and a great word!
ReplyDeleteAlthough, if you put it together, "esoteric lovecraft" sounds like a 1960's sex manual...
I really have to read some of Lovecraft's short stories. Even if he was a misogynistic racist.
ReplyDeleteLovecraft!
ReplyDeleteLove craft.
*waves in the general direction of Georgia*
What a great word. Never considered it in this way.
ReplyDeleteI think there's a lot of esoteric terms in the writing world. It took me years to figure out some of the abbreviations.
ReplyDeleteLove your A to Z theme... I'll have to log on to your site (which is very nice) more often to improve upon my vocabulary! Thanks for the education!
ReplyDeleteVisiting from the A to Z Challenge http://takingbackmylifemakingitmyown.blogspot.com/
I think Lovecraft is just awesome. I wish they would make "The Mountains of Madness" into a film. It got cancelled but they could have done it for fifty million less than what it cost to launch Prometheus.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my favorite words. In Russian it is pronounced "zagodachnaya"
ReplyDeleteWell, if you're referring to a female. Could also be "zagodachnoy"
Cool that I know that, huh?
I think esoteric and arcane are often confused interchangeably with each other.
ReplyDeleteOf course!
ReplyDeleteGreat word by the way. I picked "Eldritch" myself.
I am trying to read all the A to Z blogs, but coming back to the ones I really like.
Looking forward to seeing what you do all month!
Tim
The Other Side
The Freedom of Nonbelief
Great word choice for E. I vaguely remembered the word but now have it and some of its helpful synonyms in mind.
ReplyDeleteI think I've heard that word thrown around a few times, but never actually stopped to look it up. Great post =)
ReplyDeleteHi, Esoteric is a great word! Thanks for the reminder. Best regards to you. Ruby
ReplyDeleteI love knowing the definitions of words. I was just thinking of the roots of words today in the context of some sanskrit words I know.
ReplyDeleteHP rocks! Esoteric is one of those words that I love because it sounds so intriguing when you say it.
ReplyDeleteYou seem to like words that have to do with special or secret knowledge...
ReplyDeleteI never got around to Lovecraft. Meant to but just never did.
I can't believe I used this word JUST today without even knowing all of this cool stuff :-)
ReplyDeleteLovecraft is on my reading list. How come I have never read his work before?
ReplyDeleteLisa
I absolutely love the sound of this word :-)
ReplyDeleteI read Lovecraft more than 25 years ago.
ReplyDeleteYour post activated some memories ...
Interesting word.
ReplyDeleteI've only read one Lovecraft story (penned under a different name, I believe) but I do want to delve deeper into the mythos. Love using the word esoteric in conversation :)
ReplyDeleteJamie Gibbs
Fellow A-Z buddy
Mithril Wisdom
Yeah! A word I know and love. Finally.
ReplyDeleteI use this word in my normal vocabulary.
ReplyDeleteSia McKye OVER COFFEE
I remember it well! A great word; I kind of wish I'd picked this one myself!
ReplyDeleteThere's also an APA (Amateur Press Association) called The Esoteric Order of Dagon. I was a member for a couple of years before work and family conspired to make me cut down on a few extra activities.
ReplyDelete