supernal

WOTD – 26 December 2009    

English

Etymology

From Old French supernel or Medieval Latin supernālis, from Latin supernus.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /suːˈpɜː.nəl/, /sjuːˈpɜː.nəl/, /sʊˈpɜː.nəl/
• (US) IPA: /suˈpɝ.nəl/, /sʊˈpɝ.nəl/, /səˈpɝ.nəl/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)nəl

Adjective

supernal (comparative more supernal, superlative most supernal)

1. Pertaining to heaven or to the sky; celestial.
   • 1922, James Joyce, Ulysses

     […] and there, after due prayers to the gods who dwell in ether supernal, had taken solemn counsel whereby they might, if so be it might be, bring once more into honour among mortal men the winged speech of the seadivided Gael.

2. Exalted, exquisite, superlative.
   • 1963, Thomas Pynchon, V.

     Pig, not normally reticent in these matters, now acted like a mystic after a vision; unable, maybe unwilling, to put in words this ineffable or supernal talent of Panky’s.

Synonyms

• (pertaining to heaven): celestial, heavenly
• (exalted, exquisite): exalted, exquisite

Antonyms

• (pertaining to heaven): earthly, infernal
• (exalted, exquisite): infernal

Translations

pertaining to heaven or to the sky

• Finnish: taivaallinen (fi)
• French: céleste (fr)
• German: himmlisch (de)
• Italian: celeste (it), celestiale (it)
• Latin: supernus (la)
• Norwegian: hinsides (no), overjordisk (no), som kommer fra det høye, guddommelig (no), himmelsk (no)

• Polish: niebiański (pl)
• Russian: небесный (ru) (nebesnyj), божественный (ru) (božestvennyj), неземной (ru) (nezemnoj)
• Spanish: celestial (es)
• Swedish: himmelsk (sv)

exalted, exquisite, superlative

• Finnish: ylivertainen (fi)
• French: paradisiaque (fr), ravissant (fr), sublime (fr), ineffable (fr), exquis (fr)
• Polish: cudowny (pl)

• Russian: необозримый (ru) (neobozrimyj), необъятный (ru) (neobʺjatnyj), бескрайний (ru) (beskrajnij)
• Spanish: paradisiaco (es), encantador (es), sublime (es), inefable (es), exquisito (es)

Anagrams

• purslane