Tenebrific (ten-uh-brif-ik)(adjective) –
causing gloom or producing darkness.
(Tenebrific comes from the Latin term tenebrae meaning “darkness”)
‘The swallow has the same mythical meaning as the cuckoo; it is the joyful herald of spring, emerging from the tenebrific winter.’
Angelo de Gubernatis
Faineant (FAY-nee-uhnt) (adjective) – Idle, ineffective
(noun) – a do-nothing; idler.
(From French fainéant, alteration of fait-néant (literally, does nothing) So a mistaken assumption about the derivation of the word turned the original French faignant (feigning) into faineant (does nothing), the present form. In French history, many kings have been called les rois fainéants as the real power was in the hands of mayors of the palace)
Yours is the faineant spirit of the decadent.
Noctambulate (noc.tam.bul.ate)(verb) – To walk about at night.
(1950s. From nocti- + ambulate, after noctambulation, noctambulator)
‘Right up until the nineteenth century the University police could arrest citizens for noctambulating.’ 1988 R. Johnson
Asthenia (as-thee-nee-uh)(noun) –
lack or loss of strength; weakness.
(from the Greek asthéneia weakness)
‘Toward the end of October, his asthenia had diminished enough to allow him to play the piano weakly in three octaves.’
