Notes: Don't confuse apologist with apologizer. Today's Word is the personal noun from the abstract noun apologia, not apology. An apology is an expression of regret for a wrong. An apologia is a written or verbal defense or justification for something. You may use apology in the same sense as apologia—and apologize has the same two meanings. But we advise that you keep the main senses of these two words discrete: apologist with apologia, and apologizer with apology.

In Play: An apologia can be simply an explanation: "Dutch Masters is a staunch apologist for the commercial sale of marijuana." It can also be a defense against criticism of something: "Nick O'Lodian has to be the world's foremost apologist for accordion music."

Word History: Today's word is based on Latin apologia, from Greek apologia, comprising apo "(away) from" + logos "word, discourse, thought" + -ia, a noun suffix. Apo was a Proto-Indo-European preposition that meant "(away) from, off (of)". Greek apo retains all the original sounds and meaning, but Latin ab "(away) from" shows some erosion of the original. English polished it even more to produce of and off. Logos goes back to PIE log-/leg- "to gather, to speak". In Greek logos meant "word, discourse, thought". It underlies a group of Greek words English helped itself to, including logic, analogy, today's word, and the names of all our sciences, such as biology, enology, and pathology.

http://www.alphadictionary.com/goodword/word/apologist

☁Kanji of the Day☁

GO, mamo(ru), hù

Jōyō Kanji : 5th Grade

RADICAL 149

Strokes 20-7-13

Frequency 570

COMPOUNDS

❶　[original meaning] protect, safeguard, shield, defend

護衛　goei guard, escort

護憲　goken safeguarding the constitution

護送　gosō safeguard, convoy, escort

護身術　goshinjutsu art of self-defense

護符　gofu charm, amulet

守護　shugo protection, guard, defense, safeguard

保護する　hogo suru protect, safeguard, preserve, look after

援護　engo support, protection; covering

弁護する　bengo suru defend, speak in defense of (another)

弁護人　bengonin justifier, vindicator, apologist

apologist

擁護する　yōgo suru protect, defend, support, safeguard

❷　used phonetically for go

護摩　goma homa, Buddhist rite of cedar-stick burning

KUN

【mamo(ru) 護る】　[now usu. 守る] protect, defend, guard, watch over

身お護る　mi o mamoru defend oneself

SYNONYMS

❶　protect

PROTECT

SHU, SU, mamo(ru), mamao(ri), mori, -mori, kami, shŏu

GUARD

EI, E, wèi

GUARD AGAINST

KEI, imashi(meru), jǐng

defend

BŌ, fuse(ru), fáng

WATCH

BAN, tsuga(i), fān, pān

PRESERVE

HO, HŌ, tamo(tsu), bǎo

CARE FOR

KAN, mi(ru), kàn, kān

ART RELATION

*˚✶˚*

Conférence “dada à Paris”, Tristan Tzara

We all, at times become apologists, weather we want to or not.