Pronounced Bak-sif-er-uhs, bacciferous comes from an old Latin word that means capable of producing berries. This word first began to appear in northern Italy (as we know this area today) from 1650, but appears to have only been in popular use for the following ten years before being relegated to the realms of academia.
2. Baculine (ouch)
Answer: Pertaining to flogging
Baculine comes from a Latin word associated with punishment, and flogging with a rod or cane in particular. It sprang into use from 1700 onwards, but as the era of corporal punishing began to fade away in both the realm of law and classrooms, thank goodness, so did this word. If used at all today, this word is one associated more with a walking stick or cane.
3. Badinage
Answer: Playful banter
Meaning repartee or playful banter, badinage was a word that described slightly flirtatious conversations or repartee between the ladies and gentlemen of the upper classes - but ever so proper of course. Appearing in use from 1650, this word derives from the French word "badin", which means to joke or trifle. You may have seen it cropping up now and then at later dates in lighter novels from around the Georgian period onwards.
4. Baedeker (bearings)
Answer: A guide book
A Baedeker is a word for a guide book. It originated with the German publisher Karl Baedeker (1801-1859), who wrote a series of travel guide books of places to see and visit while in (for the most part) Europe. Eventually this word came to mean a guide book alone, and is still used on the odd occasion even into the 21st century. Rarely, though.
5. Baft (by the yard)
Answer: A cheap cotton material
Although Baft is also a city in Kerman Province, Iran, the meaning for this quiz is a coarse and very affordable cotton material manufactured in India. It originated from the Persian word "bafta" which means woven, but, after making its way into the Indian language, it became the woven material called baft. Apart from that, there's little other information available for this obscure word.
The encyclopaedia Britannica even fails to elaborate on same.
6. Balatron (most amusing)
Answer: Joker or clown
A balatron, in the original sense of this Latin-derived word, meant a joker or clown. It came out of the Latin word "balatro" which meant a jester. The word took on a slightly darker meaning in later usage when it came to mean more of a self-indulgent pompous buffoon who sprouts a lot of nonsense.
7. Baisemain (oh Sir Godfrey)
Answer: A kiss on the hand
Baisemain is a "Ye Olde English" word that found its way into that language from the original French, where it meant submission. Used in the feudal times of the Middle Ages in England, it is associated with the kiss a vassal gave to his lord on the hand as a sign of respect or homage. Following on from that it became associated as well with the gallant kiss upon the dainty hand of a lady that a gentleman gave upon saluting or farewell.
8. Balbutient
Answer: Pertaining to stuttering
Derived from the French word "balbutieur" which means a stutterer or stammerer, "balbutient" as used in the English is an adjective describing that unfortunate condition some people have when trying to enunciate certain words - but which can be overcome with perseverance and an understanding attitude on the part of listeners.
9. Balmorality (look at the first part)
Answer: Superficial idealisation of Scotland
Balmorality was a word created by the Scottish novelist David Cleghorn Thomson in his 1932 work "Scotland in Quest of Her Youth". He defined it as "A superficial idealization of Scottish culture", the kind inspired by people who visit the country once or twice, and then waffle on eternally about its wonders and heritage and go about dressed in kilts and the like.
10. Barathrum (gulp)
Answer: Hell or the pit
Barathrum was an ancient Greek word that in later times came to mean hell or The Pit (same place) specifically. Before that, however, its meaning was that of a large pit in Athens into which criminals and law-breakers of every kind were tossed. Whether or not they were ever allowed out again is not known - so, if not, it really would have been hell.
A lesser meaning of this word was one who was considered insatiable.
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.
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