"That's a great deal to make one word mean," Alice said in a thoughtful tone. "When I make a word do a lot of work like that," said Humpty Dumpty, "I always pay it extra."

Thursday 5 March 2009

Numinous

Numinous means filled with awe or wonder; evincing the presence of a deity; feeling that you are in the presence of God or something greater than yourself.

“He felt none of that numinous awe born of emptiness and the ... of plainsong on the silent air that ancient churches could evoke.” - P. D James 'The Lighthouse'

“The silence was numinous, broken only by the sound of the sea.”- P. D James 'The Lighthouse'
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2 comments:

  1. Unknown5 March 2009 at 01:34

    Yay! Thanks for introducing me to a new favorite word. I've always wanted to learn a good word to use in poetry that would rhyme with luminous. :)

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  2. shabby girl6 March 2009 at 02:07

    Added to my "word list" for sure!

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