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Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

lèse-majesté

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster

Arts, Literature, Language Courses, Education

4.31.2K Ratings

🗓️ 7 October 2024

⏱️ 3 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 7, 2024 is:

lèse-majesté • \layz-MAJ-uh-stee\  • noun

Lèse-majesté (less commonly spelled lese majesty) can refer to a true crime or offense, or to something likened to a crime or offense. Most often, it’s the latter, with lèse-majesté referring—seriously or playfully—to an act of disrespect that diminishes the dignity or importance of someone or something. In the former use, lèse-majesté refers to a crime (such as treason) that is committed against a sovereign power, or to an offense that violates the dignity of a ruler as the representative of a sovereign power.

// Their less-than-formal attire at the wedding was regarded in jest as lèse-majesté.

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Examples:

"The graphic novelist Posy Simmonds has won the Grand Prix at France's Angoulême International Comics festival—the first time a British artist and author has been awarded the world's most prestigious prize for lifetime achievement in comics. … "I wanted to take the story of Madame Bovary but update it and it would be my story," she said. "When it was published in French, I was rather frightened. I was worried it would be seen as lèse-majesté that I had appropriated this great French classic. But they really liked the book, which was wonderful." — Angelique Chrisafis, The Guardian (London, England), 24 Jan. 2024

Did you know?

Lèse-majesté (or lese majesty, as it is also styled in English publications) came into English by way of Middle French, from the Latin laesa majestas, which literally means "injured majesty." The English term can conceivably cover any offense against a sovereign power or its ruler, from treason to a simple breach of etiquette, but lèse-majesté has also acquired a more lighthearted or ironic meaning, referring to something that insults or shows disrespect, especially to a particularly pompous or self-important person or organization. As such, it may be applied to a relatively inoffensive act that has been exaggeratedly treated as if it were a great affront.



Transcript

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0:00.0

It's the Word of the Word of the Day podcast for October 7th.

0:11.6

Today's word is Lays Majesty, also pronounced Les Majesty, and spelled as two words as they would be in French, L-E-S-E-E-H-M-A-J-E-S-E. E. S E. E. S. E. T. E. T. E.

0:25.0

There's a grave accent rising to the left on the first E of Les or Lays.

0:30.0

And there's an acute accent rising to the right on the last letter of majesty.

0:37.0

Lays majesty can refer to a true crime or offense or to something likened to a crime or offense. Most often it's the latter, with

0:46.7

Lays Majesty referring seriously or playfully to an act of disrespect that diminishes

0:52.0

the dignity or importance of someone or something.

0:55.5

In the former use, Lays Majesty refers to a crime such as treason that is committed against

1:00.9

a sovereign power or to an offense that violates the dignity of a ruler as the representative of a sovereign power.

1:09.0

Here's the word used in a sentence from The Guardian.

1:12.0

The graphic novelist Posey Simmons

1:15.0

has won the Grand Prix at France's Angoulame International Comics Festival.

1:20.0

The first time a British artist and author has been awarded the world's most prestigious prize for lifetime achievement in comics.

1:28.0

I wanted to take the story of Madame Bauverie, but update it and it would be my story, she said.

1:35.5

When it was published in French, I was rather frightened, I was worried it would be seen

1:40.1

as Lay's Majesty that I had appropriated this great French classic, but they really liked the book which was wonderful.

1:47.0

Lays majesty came into English by way of middle French from the Latin phrase Lesa Majestas which literally means

1:55.8

injured majesty. The English term can conceivably cover any offense against a

2:01.8

sovereign power or its ruler from treason to a simple breach of etiquette,

2:06.4

but Lay's majesty has also acquired a more light-hearted or ironic meaning,

2:11.1

referring to something that insults or shows disrespect

2:13.8

especially to a particularly pompous or self-important person or organization.

...

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