Looks like my use of "irenic" today sent some folks to the dictionary. "Irenic" means "tending to promote peace," and is a terrific term; almost onomatopoeic* in texture, gliding serenely from start to finish. Shame it's not better known. I think I learned it from avid-crossword puzzle fan Mike Tomasky, but I could've learned it from Dictionary.com's "Word of the Day" e-mail list, which is really quite awesome. Yesterday, for instance, I learned the word "syncretic."
*Is there a word for what I'm getting at here? Onomatopoeic is too imitative -- "moo," or "arf." I'm looking for words that, in their construction and pronunciation, embody what they denote. "Irenic", or "serene," or "refresh," or (not to break the rhythm) "vomit." Those words feel like what they mean, without actually replicating a sound from it. Is there a word for that?
