soothsaw means A true saying; truth. It carries an Arena rating of 1638, earned across 24 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, soothsaw ranks #41 of 13,461 for Most Whimsical Words, #581 of 13,461 for Most Beautiful Words, #2,261 of 13,461 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #2,585 of 13,461 for Most Ingenious Words.
Why “soothsaw” is a great word
A statement or maxim recognized as an established truth, from the Middle English sothesawe, a compound of sooth (meaning "true") and saw (meaning "a saying, discourse"). Unlike a soothsay, which forecasts the future, or an adage, a traditional saying that may lack this explicit root in verity, a soothsaw is a declaration already ratified by time. It is the cold weight of a stone in the hand, the unarguable geometry of a plumb line, the residual warmth in a hearth-stone after the fire dies—a truth so plain it has shed all ornament, standing as a quiet monument to what simply, persistently is.
Etymology
From Middle English sothesawe, sothsaȝe; equivalent to sooth + saw (“a saying”). Cognate with Icelandic sannsaga (“truth-telling, soothsaying”). Compare also Middle English sothsawel, sothsaȝel (“truth-telling”, adjective).
noun
- A true saying; truth.
Words closest in meaning
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