Make Your Point > Archived Issues > ANNUS MIRABILIS & ANNUS HORRIBILIS
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connect these terms to others:
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times: the annus mirabilis (wonderful year) and the annus horribilis (horrible year).
In each of these terms, the "annus" bit means "year," which is why they look like annual, anniversary, and our word p__enn__l, meaning "lasting all year long; lasting for a very long time; or happening again and again for a long time."
And I'm sure you can explain why the "mirabilis" in annus mirabilis looks like miracle as well as our two-word term mirabile d___u, meaning "marvelous to say, fantastic to report."
You'll notice, also, the similarity between the "horribilis" in annus horribilis and horror, horrid, horrible, and our word __horr__t, meaning "disgusting, horrible, and deserving of hate."
We'll check out both terms today. But as always, I like to focus on the sunny side, the best of times. I hope all your years prove to be anni mirabiles.
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make your point with...
"ANNUS MIRABILIS & ANNUS HORRIBILIS"
"Annus mirabilis" is Latin for "wonderful year." We use it in English to mean just that: a year that's particularly good, special, or remarkable.
And, "annus horribilis" is Latin for "dreadful year:" a year that's particularly bad, horrible, or disastrous.
Pronunciation:
For the good one, "ON oose muh ROB ih liss."
And the bad one, "ON oose hore IBB ih liss."
If you prefer a more English-sounding pronunciation for either, say the first word as "ON us" instead of "ON oose."
Part of speech:
Both are nouns, the countable kind: "1848 was the annus mirabilis of European history," "that annus horribilis of 1968."
Other forms:
The plural forms are "anni mirabiles" (ANNE eye muh ROB uh leeze)
and "anni horribiles" (ANNE eye hore IBB uh leeze).
How to use it:
These terms may be formal and fancy, but they're plenty easy to understand.
Some writers keep them it italics to emphasize their foreignness. (You don't have to.)
Use them to talk about history or the present: "1850 was his annus mirabilis," "that was the annus horribilis of their nation," "just because January has been rotten doesn't mean we're destined for a whole annus horribilis."
examples:
"Schumann's annus mirabilis:... In 1840, the year Schumann married Clara, he poured out his joy in 130 songs."
— Stephen Pritchard, The Guardian, 8 September 2019
"Other events will keep things on the front pages, including:
-Two criminal trials of Catholic cardinals, one in Australia and one in France.
-At least 15 American state attorneys-general and one U.S. attorney with open investigations of local dioceses.
-Legislation in New York and Pennsylvania (maybe elsewhere), making it easier for victims to sue the local dioceses.
-And, probably more Catholic dioceses filing for bankruptcy; three filed in November.
If 2018 were not bad enough [for the Vatican], the New Year is shaping up as an annus horribilis."
— Peter Borre, Boston Herald, 31 December 2018
has this page helped you understand "annus mirabilis" & "annus horribilis"?
study them:
Explain the meaning of "annus mirabilis" without saying "wonderful year" or "miraculous year."
And, explain the meaning of "annus horribilis" without saying "terrible year" or "horrible year."
try them out:
The English poet John Dryden was the first to use the phrase "annus mirabilis" in English.
He used it as the title of a poem about the year 1666. The poem basically retells the stories of that year's most dire events. (Have I read this poem all the way through? No. It is 304 stanzas of thee's, thou's, wert's, and randomly capitalized things like Exiles, Distresses, Cherubs, and Trines.)
Anyway, the year 1666 was so special to Dryden and his countrymen because they felt like they had really gotten their act together: not only did Isaac Newton make many of his important discoveries, but England also won its war with the Dutch and survived the Great Fire of London.
War? Great Fire? It seems to me like 1666 was an annus horribilis for the English, not an annus mirabilis.
Dryden, though, seems more of the "what doesn't kill us makes us stronger" type. His perspective: England won the war and survived the fire.
Consider an important year in your own life or in the history of your own country, a year of many changes and profound turns of event. If you were to call that year an annus horribilis, how would you describe it? And, if you were to call it an annus mirabilis, how would your description change?
before you review, play:
Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first.
This month, we're playing "What's the Word?"
On Reddit, r/whatstheword is a community of about 55,000 members: folks who gather to help each other out when they can't think of a particular word. "It's on the tip of my tongue," they say. Or, "This word might not even exist. Help!"
In each issue this month, check out a post from the community, and see if you can come up with the word or phrase in question. We'll work our way from relatively easy to extremely hard questions as the month goes on.
From the previous issue: A community member asked, "What’s the word for when you try to match the first letter of 2 words so it becomes catchy? I didn’t quite know how to phrase it. For example: Monday madness, pancake paradise, river rush."
Answer: alliteration.
Try this today: A community member asked, "What’s the word for an act when you let out all the hidden emotion and pain from yourself either by speaking or doing?"
I'll share the answer in the upcoming issue, but if you can't wait, you can view the whole original thread here.
review these terms:
1. ANNUS MIRABILIS and ANNUS HORRIBILIS are opposites.
In the middle, right in between these two opposites, could be
A. EON (a very long stretch of time).
B. EPOCH (a particular stretch of time).
C. LONGUEUR (an uneventful stretch of time).
2. In a review titled Annus Mirabilis, Annus Horribilis, Jonathan Mirsky praises the book _____.
A. Tracing Your Ancestors from 1066 to 1837
B. 1968: The Year that Rocked the World
C. Party Like It's 1999
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
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Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times: the annus mirabilis (wonderful year) and the annus horribilis (horrible year).
"ANNUS MIRABILIS & ANNUS HORRIBILIS" "Annus mirabilis" is Latin for "wonderful year." We use it in English to mean just that: a year that's particularly good, special, or remarkable.
"Schumann's annus mirabilis:... In 1840, the year Schumann married Clara, he poured out his joy in 130 songs."
Explain the meaning of "annus mirabilis" without saying "wonderful year" or "miraculous year."
The English poet John Dryden was the first to use the phrase "annus mirabilis" in English.
Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first.
1. ANNUS MIRABILIS and ANNUS HORRIBILIS are opposites.
|