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Date: Sat, 22 Dec 2001 02:00:00 -0800 (PST)
From: word@m-w.com
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Subject: ineluctable: M-W's Word of the Day
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The Word of the Day for December 23 is:

ineluctable   \ih-nih-LUK-tuh-bul\   (adjective)
     : not to be avoided, changed, or resisted : inevitable

Example sentence:
     In classical Greek tragedy, the hero's flaw leads him to a
disastrous and ineluctable fate.

Did you know?
     Like drama, wrestling was popular in ancient Greece and
Rome. "Wrestler," in Latin, is "luctator," and "to wrestle" is
"luctari." "Luctari" also has extended senses -- "to struggle,"
"to strive," or "to contend." "Eluctari" joined "e-" ("ex-")
with "luctari," forming a verb meaning "to struggle clear of."
"Ineluctabilis" brought in the negative prefix "in-" to form an
adjective describing that which cannot be escaped or avoided.
English speakers borrowed the word as "ineluctable" around 1623.
Another word that has its roots in "luctari" is "reluctant."
"Reluctari" means "to struggle against" -- hence someone who is
"reluctant" resists or holds back.

Please Note: The Word of the Day will not be e-mailed on
December 24, 25, or 26.  The full text for each day's word will
be available at: http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/mwwod.pl

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