dirige means A Roman Catholic service for the dead, being the first antiphon of matins for the dead, of which dirige is the first word; a dirge. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
dirige is pronounced /ˈdɪɹɪd͡ʒi/.
Why “dirige” is a great word
DIRIGE — [Noun] A liturgical antiphon or service for the dead in the Roman Catholic Office of the Dead, specifically the first antiphon of Matins. From Middle English, from Latin dīrige ("guide", imperative), the first word of the antiphon 'Dīrige, Domine, Deus meus, in cōnspectū tuō viam meam' ("Guide, O Lord my God, my way by your sight") in the Office for the Dead; a doublet of 'dirge'. Unlike a "dirge"—which broadens to any funeral lament—or a "requiem"—which denotes a full Mass for the dead—"dirige" is the precise, textual root from which the broader sorrow grew. It is the single, plaintive note before the chorus swells, the flicker of the Office candle in the pre-dawn choir stall, the whispered imperative to a silent God—a fragment of liturgy that contains the whole architecture of mourning.
Etymology
From Middle English, from Latin dīrige (“guide”, imperative), from the beginning of the first antiphon in matins for the dead: Dīrige, Domine, Deus meus, in cōnspectū tuō viam meam (“Guide, O Lord my God, my way by your sight”). Doublet of dirge.
noun
- A Roman Catholic service for the dead, being the first antiphon of matins for the dead, of which dirige is the first word; a dirge.