Rhetoric - inkhornism

inkhornism [ˈɪŋkhɔːnɪz(ə)m] n.

1.) An arcane term; a bookish word. Also termed "inkhorn term" (Garner's Modern American Usage 3rd Edition).

Etymology: An inkhorn was variously a a portable case for holding writing materials or a portable ink bottle (originally made of horn). In the Renaissance, a pedantic, ostentatious writer would be said to "smell [or savor] a little of the inkhorn." Hence "inkhornism" came to be used in reference to a word that typifies a style with that particular odor.

"I'm just reporting the linguistic facts. But in a glossary like this one, a little sesquipedality—for the right reader—can be some some fun" (ibid., Bryan A. Garner (ed.), 2009).

(De geleerde in zijn studeerkamer, Willem van der Vliet, 1627)___________________________________________________

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