Autumnal – of autumn time
This is probably the least surprising given my love of the season in question but I also love the word itself and how it feels in the mouth when you say it. There is a pleasant, calming hum that suits the meaning perfectly. The word derives from the Latin ‘autumnus’.
Evanescent – fleeting, fading or disappearing quickly
Another word with beautiful form as well as meaning. It makes me think of fireflies, sparks from a fire, memories, dreams, sunsets and that special light at twilight (see below for a favourite synonym!). This word comes from the Latin evanescent- ‘disappearing’, from the verb evanescere.
Evocative – bringing to mind strong emotions
Latinate words feature heavily in my list and I particularly like seeing other words within words to help illuminate the meaning. the ‘vocat-‘ part of the word comes from the Latin vocare meaning ‘to call’, so evocare means ‘to call forth’ so when I read or use the word ‘evocative’ I actually visually emotions or feelings being called forth. I am such an etymology (and Latin) nerd.
Gloaming – twilight
Another word that feels nice to say, this is the only Germanic word on my list (from the Germanic glōm ‘twilight’). I love this time of day, the transition from day to night. I find night more exciting than day so I would always choose the gloaming over dawn.
Incandescent – emitting light; full of strong emotion or passionate
This last work is another one unchanged from the original Latin (although I think this one came to us via French in the late 18th century). It is such a bright word, full of plosives with a satisfying stress on the penultimate syllable.
Notes From My Day 