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pronounce NUNC DIMITTIS: Say it "NUNK dih MID iss." To hear it, click here. connect this word to others: Today's crazy-looking term, nunc dimittis, is Latin for "now I'm dismissed," or more literally, "Now I'm sent away." Can you recognize one or both of its parts? And connect them to other words you know? Let's look at the nunc part first. It's Latin for "now," so you may have seen it in the phrase hic et nunc, "here and now," used as a motto for schools and companies, probably as a reminder to stay in the moment, to enjoy it. (Hey, we checked out a similar Latin reminder, one that means "do what you're doing." Can you recall it? It's a__ qu__ a___.) Getting back to nunc, you also may have seen it inside the wacky word quidnunc, literally "what now?", and appropriately meaning "someone who gossips all the time." Here's Ross Thomas: "The quidnunc would almost rather die than be the last to know." Now let's look at the dimittis part in nunc dimittis. It's a form of the Latin verb dimittere, meaning "to send away, to dismiss." And, yup: it's where we got the English word dismiss. Inside dimittere you can see mittere, "to put, to place, to send, to release, to let go."  And once you see mittere, I bet you can come up with oodles of related words about literal and figurative putting, placing, sending, releasing, and letting go, like mission, admit, commit, permit, transmit, _mit ("to send out"), m___mit ("to set free"), and the beautiful term mis__e__p___, meaning "a putting into place: the idea, habit, or process of having everything in place, ready to be used." Especially in the kitchen. Now that we've anchored the term nunc dimittis to some others in our memory, let's explore it. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) definition: In the Bible, right after the bit about the baby Jesus being born and then snoozing away in a manger, there's a story called the Prophecy of Simeon, which runs from Luke 2:25-35. In this story, Jesus's parents bundle him up and take him to Jerusalem, where they present him to Simeon, in accordance with tradition. The backstory on Simeon is that the Holy Ghost once told him that he won't die until he lays eyes on "the Lord's Messiah." And here comes the bundled-up baby Messiah, so you see where this is going, right? Simeon holds the baby and says, "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel." (Luke 2:29-32.)  In other words, "I can die happily now, because I've seen the Messiah." In Latin, that's "Nunc dimittis servum tuum Domine..in pace," literally, "Lord, now you let your servant depart in peace." Or, in other translations, "Lord, now you dismiss your servant in peace." And there's our term for today: "nunc dimittis," literally "now I'm dismissed." Everything Simeon says in that quote above (Luke 2:29-32) got turned into a song, the Song of Simeon, sung in church services. And so, if you say that someone is singing his nunc dimittis, you mean he's saying that he's ready or willing to die--or, to just leave. In other words, "nunc dimittis" means "now I'm dismissed" or "now I'm leaving or dying."  And more loosely, a "nunc dimittis" can be a dismissal, a departure, or permission given to leave. grammatical bits: Part of speech: You can use it like a noun: "his nunc dimittis," "they sang their nunc dimittis," "she gave him his nunc dimittis." You can also use it like a comment, either as a whole sentence by itself or as something you insert in a sentence: "Seeing the Eiffel Tower in person, he sighed, 'Nunc dimittis!'" You can even use it like an adjective. Here's Edith Wharton: "It gives me a ‘Nunc Dimittis’ feeling—or would, if I hadn't still about a hundred subjects to deal with!" Other forms: Some writers still italicize it to show that it's foreign. You don't have to. how to use it: The tone of the phrase "nunc dimittis" is positive, even holy. It's one of those rare, fancy, scholarly, biblical terms that can potentially confuse your audience, so when you do choose it, make sure sure your context reveals what it means. Talk about someone singing or saying their nunc dimittis. Or, talk about people receiving, announcing, expecting, or hoping for their nunc dimittis. You can also get figurative and talk about trends, ideas, and movements singing their nunc dimittis. People have written that everything from ghosts, rain, the English Reformation, and the glorification of war have sung their nunc dimittis. examples: "When life is o’er and troubles past, How sweet that rest will be, For weary ones who come at last, Safe under the gidya tree. 'Nunc dimittis,' my work is done, And soon from care set free; That peace I wish will soon be won, Deep under the gidya tree."    — Edward Palmer, Early Days in North Queensland, 1903 "If I could see the abolition of the slavery in the West Indies...I could sing my nunc dimittis with joy."    — Hannah More, as quoted by William Roberts, Memoirs of the Life of Mrs. Hannah More, 1835 has this page helped you understand "nunc dimittis"? Awesome, I'm glad it helped! Thanks for letting me know! If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. study it: Explain the meaning of "nunc dimittis" without saying "now I'm dismissed" or "permission to peace out." try it out: Soon after the publication of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species, T. H. Huxley wrote this to Darwin in a personal letter: "I have finished your book yesterday...I agree thoroughly and fully with all the principles laid down... I trust you will not allow yourself to be in any way disgusted or annoyed by the considerable abuse which is in store for you. Depend upon it you have earned the lasting gratitude of all thoughtful men." Darwin wrote back: "When I put pen to paper for this volume, I had awful misgivings... [I have been] excessively anxious for your verdict. I am now contented, and can sing my 'nunc dimittis.'" Talk about what Darwin meant. Why do you think that Huxley's approval and encouragement made Darwin ready to sing his nunc dimittis? In your own career or family life, what, if anything, could you accomplish that would make you feel ready to sing your nunc dimittis? If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.) before you review, play: Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out. Our game this month is Lightning Rhyming Recall! In each issue this month, see how fast you can recall three words. They’re unrelated in meaning--probably--but they rhyme. To check your answers, scroll to the bottom of the issue. We’ll start out easy and ramp up the difficulty as the month goes on. Enjoy! Each word below rhymes with GRATUITY: A. (4 syllables, noun) Keenness, insight, or sharpness is... B. (5 syllables, noun) Another word for "permanence" or "forever" is... C. (6 syllables, noun) Something that stops and starts instead of continuing smoothly has... review this word: 1. A near opposite of NUNC DIMITTIS is A. ADVENT. B. TENURE. C. TURNING POINT. 2. With phrases like _____ the poet seems to sing her nunc dimittis. A. "the wine and the merrymaking," B. "large in the masts, hull and spars," C. "freed from stress and worldly strife," Answers to game questions: A. ACUITY B. PERPETUITY C. DISCONTINUITY Answers to review questions: 1. A 2. C 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. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. 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.