The 9 most beautiful words in the English language according to a Mr. Phil Cousineau:
aesthetics
carouse
coffee
flaneur
ramble
smirk
sub rosa
voluptuous
zenith
To be blunt, I think Cousineau is wrong. Firstly, out of the millions of words that exist in our language, are these really the most beautiful? Secondly, I don't find many of these words to be particularly beautiful. Thirdly, "k" sounds are too harsh for my taste.
Granted, this disagreement probably exists because Cousineau and I are not the same person. We do not think the same way. The problem with gauging beauty is its vague definitions, its excessive subjectivity-- especially when dealing with something not traditionally considered to be beautiful, like words.
What makes a word beautiful? Cousineau's answer is different from mine, just as mine is likely different from yours. A word is beautiful to me because of everything that surrounds it-- its pronunciation, its meaning, its connotation. My favorite words are those that seem to exude warmth, freshness, even happiness. My favorite words are those that sound romantically poetic-- smooth and pacifying in a way that creates an image of calm beauty.
With regards to pronunciations, "s" sounds are nice. "k" sounds are ugly.
Some beautiful words in the English language according to Ms. Jessie Li
serendipity
bliss
licentious (you saw that one coming)
effervescent
fluorescence
ethereal
serene
ambrosia
iridescence
You probably think I'm wrong.
I think the words you picked are more beautiful than those in the original, and it was fascinating to read WHY you liked them.
ReplyDeleteI noticed that in these lists of beautiful words, it seems more words that are not in the basic English vocabulary are included. No one probably would put something as prosaic as air, blue, four, real, tree, very or 'or.' They could all have quite positive meanings for individuals, and might sound pleasing, though.
Perhaps words like ramble and effervescent are more beautiful because they reveal more education and the connotations are more specific? I'm curious to hear your thoughts :)
I think your reasoning for what makes a word beautiful is interesting. Personally, I agree that the sound of the word is important, though I like a word's practical applications too. In a book I just read, a character was asked for his favorite word, and he said "vapor." The reasoning behind this was that "vapor" appeals to every single sense- you can see it, you can feel it, you can hear it, you can taste it, and you can smell it. I thought this explanation was pretty cool, and it aligns pretty well with my definition of a beautiful word as well.
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