Make Your Point > Archived Issues > DIURNAL
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pronounce
DIURNAL:
Say it "die YUR null."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
When Latin words entered French, some of them changed their look. They put on berets.
Just kidding. For real, in some Latin words that start with D--not all of them--the D appeared to change into J on its way into French. What happened was that the vowel following the D became a J, and then the D, no longer needed as a consonant, went on its way.
Unless it stuck around to help native French speakers know to not pronounce the J as ZH:
Anyway, I mention all of this spelling hoo-ha because I'm about to tell you that the word diurnal is cousins with the words journal, journey, __journ ("a brief stay"), and s__ di_ ("done outdoors, in the brightness of day"), and I don't want you to think I'm crazy. They all trace back, ultimately, to the Latin word for "day:" dies. In which the D sometimes did, and sometimes didn't, become J as it entered French.
And French is where we stole a bunch of our own words from. Such as: diurnal.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
The word "diurnal" traces back to a Latin word meaning "daily."
Diurnal things are related to the daytime, or related to 24-hour periods of time.
For instance, diurnal animals are awake and active during the day. In that case, "diurnal" is the exact opposite of "nocturnal," meaning "awake and active at night."
And other diurnal things, like diurnal cycles or changes, take place during the daytime or during a 24-hour period.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Adjective: "these diurnal creatures," "the cycle is diurnal."
Other forms:
The adverb is "diurnally." Here's Henry More using it: "The Earth is moved annually and diurnally about the Sun."
The noun is "diurnalness," but it's rare. And ugly! It would sound nicer to say "diurnality," and some people do, but this word isn't recognized by dictionaries. If you'd like to use "diurnality," you have my earnest support.
how to use it:
Centuries ago, we often used the word "diurnal" to talk about the movements of planetary bodies. Here's John Dryden: "The Diurnal Motion of the Sun."
And today, we often talk about diurnal species, diurnal animals, and the diurnal habits of certain creatures. "Watch as these diurnal lizards warm themselves on the sunny rocks."
So, the word "diurnal" has a precise, scientific tone.
In general writing and conversation, you might talk literally about diurnal animals, or diurnal rhythms or cycles.
But you might also strike a sarcastic, overly-formal tone and refer to daily events or daytime events as "diurnal" ones--simply because it's unnecessary, and therefore funny, to substitute the formal, scientific "diurnal" for the word "daily" or "daytime." Here's the Guardian: "the US president’s diurnal reminders that he is a strong, good-looking and very stable genius."
examples:
"The summer day was drawing to a close; the diurnal visits of the pale sun were rapidly shortening, and soon the long polar night, with all its darkness and horrors, would fall upon them."
— Harper & Brothers, Harper's New Monthly Magazine, 1852
"Are the diurnal death threats of boyband fans truly indicative of some psychological cataclysm? Or are they, rather like the increase in public drunkenness, merely a comment on the availability of the medium?"
— Marina Hyde, The Guardian, 15 March 2013
has this page helped you understand "diurnal"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "diurnal" without saying "active during daylight hours" or "related to a 24-hour period."
try it out:
If you've read "The Country of the Blind," one of H. G. Wells's short stories, you might remember how the blind population of the valley are a nocturnal group. It's a smart way for them to live, since they don't need any light to do their work:
"And the eldest of the blind men explained to him... how time had been divided into the warm and the cold...and how it was good to sleep in the warm and work during the cold."
It sounds pretty nice, right? Never having to go out in the hot sunlight?
But most of us humans are diurnal creatures, not nocturnal ones. What are some things you like or dislike about our diurnal existence? What would you like or dislike about it if most of us were, instead, nocturnal?
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 Everyday Etymologies!
If you're in the habit of looking up the etymologies of everyday words (wait, you aren't?), then you find, occasionally, certain ones that strike you as particularly apt, cute, strange, or poetic. I'd like to share some of those finds with you this month. In each issue, I'll give you the etymology of an everyday word, and you supply the word. We'll start easy and move into some tougher ones as the month goes on, but every answer will be an everyday kind of word, one you've been familiar with since, say, adolescence at least. To see the answer, scroll to the bottom of the issue.
Try this one today: This three-syllable noun and verb (that you're probably sick of in 2020) comes from an Italian term meaning "a period of forty days."
review this word:
A. SINGULAR.
B. NOCTURNAL.
C. EVERLASTING.
2. She's a diurnal creature, a lover of _____.
A. music
B. sunlight
C. laughter
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.
When Latin words entered French, some of them changed their look. They put on berets.
The word "diurnal" traces back to a Latin word meaning "daily."
Part of speech:
Centuries ago, we often used the word "diurnal" to talk about the movements of planetary bodies. Here's John Dryden: "The Diurnal Motion of the Sun."
"The summer day was drawing to a close; the diurnal visits of the pale sun were rapidly shortening, and soon the long polar night, with all its darkness and horrors, would fall upon them."
Explain the meaning of "diurnal" without saying "active during daylight hours" or "related to a 24-hour period."
If you've read "The Country of the Blind," one of H. G. Wells's short stories, you might remember how the blind population of the valley are a nocturnal group. It's a smart way for them to live, since they don't need any light to do their work:
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.
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