A retired professor of classics in Missouri suggests the Latin word Utinam! as something to exclaim if you belatedly draw the right tile or card in a game. In Latin, utinam introduces the optative subjunctive and translates as “if only.” This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Utinam!”
In Latin, the word utinam introduces the optative subjunctive, and it means basically would that, or if only. It’s spelled U-T-I-N-A-M, utinam. I was reminded of that when we got an email from Rebecca Harrison, who’s a professor emerita of classics at Truman State University there in Missouri.
Well, she was responding to our call with Dana in Reno, Nevada, who wanted a word for that moment when you’re playing cards or a board game and you draw what would have been the perfect card or the perfect tile for the previous turn that you just played. She says, what about ootinam? If only.
Oh yeah, because you can stretch the vowel out, right? As you pound the table. It sounds learned. That’s great. Ootinam. So it means if only. So that’s another option, Dana.
Ooh, to nom.
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