Are you a friend to whom I can relate,
or could you be the foe who seals my fate?
Well it would seem that either one can fit,
for some words also mean their opposite;
a fact which can cause consternation great,
but either way it seems you're my copesmate.
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Author Notes
Today's word: copesmate (n.) adversary; or, a partner or associate.
Copesmate began life as a word meaning an adversary, in the mid 1500s, but by the time Shakespeare wrote The Rape of Lucrece, in 1594, it could mean any two bonded or codependent things:
"Misshapen Time, copesmate of ugly Night"
Its most recent meaning is to indicate a partnership or friendship.
Words like copesmate, which can be their own opposite, are known as contronyms. Other examples include:
consult: give advice, or, take advice;
custom: a common practice, or, a special treatment;
left: departed, or, remaining.
My much-treasured Christmas present for 2017 is a book by Paul Anthony Jones: "The cabinet of linguistic curiosities". Each page contains a descriptive story about some obscure or archaic word. It occurred to me it would be a fun exercise to try and write, each day, a poem featuring the "word of the day" from the book.
Thanks for reading.
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