Aimonomia

close-up of a plant with lights glowing in background

Aimonomia

n.
the fear that learning the name of something—a bird, a constellation, an attractive stranger—will somehow ruin it, inadvertently transforming a lucky discovery into a conceptual husk pinned in a glass case, leaving one less mystery fluttering around in the universe.

French aimer, to love + nom, name. A palindrome. Pronounced “eym-uh-nohm-ee-uh.”

Rookish

a stone tower with a person seated on top

Galagog

a person alone in a snowy desolate landscape

Boorance

a group of objects on a table

Nemotia

a city with clouds of smoke

Nemotia

a city with clouds of smoke

Etherness

Cover image for the Etherness word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Los Vidados

Cover image for the Los Vidados word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Eftless

a person with hands pressed on a window

The Standard Blues

Cover image for the The Standard Blues word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Keep

Cover image for the Keep word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Gaudia Civis

a close-up of a gear

Evertheless

a person floating in water

Soufrise

Cover image for the Soufrise word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows