Ecsis

a hand holding a fossil

Ecsis

n.
the haunting sense of mystery infused into certain random details that beckons you to wonder how it ended up here at this point in time—marveling at a patch of white on a dog’s chest, a bubble trapped in an old window, a glimpse of Saturn’s rings shivering in a telescope lens—knowing that behind the thing itself is a long chain of causes and effects that veers off into the shadows of prehistory, anchored somewhere near the dawn of time, even though the end result is somehow right there in front of you, shimmering in place.

Indonesian eksis, to exist, to be. Pronounced “ek-sis.”

Adomania

a person riding a horse

Eftless

a person with hands pressed on a window

Aoyaoia

a person holding a guitar

Aimonomia

close-up of a plant with lights glowing in background

Ecsis

a hand holding a fossil

Achenia

a close-up of a bottle with an organic object inside

Craxis

a tall house of cards

Arroia

people standing on a stage

Nilous

a person standing at a bus terminal

Hem-Jawed

an abstract image of someone touching their face

Suerza

a tunnel with a light emanating from the end

Furosha

a storm raging in the sky over a building

Winnewaw

a person wearing a party hat

Aponemia

a group of people standing together

Nodrophobia

close-up of a stained shirt

Angosis

a table full of food

Mogging Folly

a person sitting on a bench

Ellipsism

a hand clawing at a wall

Idlewild

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

Daguerreologue

Daguer-reologue

a man sitting in blurred silhouette at a desk

Affogatia

miscellaneous items on a table

Emodox

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

Fitching

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

Symptomania

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

Etterath

a graduation cap and gown on a chair

Adomania

a person riding a horse

Gobo

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