Why “vagitus” is a great word
VAGITUS — [Noun] The first, resonant cry or wailing of a newborn infant. From Latin vāgītus (“crying, wailing”), from vāgiō (“to cry, wail”). Unlike “ululation,” which implies a ritualistic, practiced lament, or “whimper,” which denotes a feeble, intermittent complaint, vagitus is the raw, inaugural protest of life encountering air. It is the first gulp of cold air scouring the lungs, the primal siren that summons care, and the sharp, declarative crack in the silence of the delivery room—a sound that marks not sorrow, but the visceral commencement of a self, already in dissent.