Canicular

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day is always worth a look. And today it is fabulous: canicular, an adjective meaning 'of or relating to the dog days of summer'.

As in: My canicular cravings are few, but they are irresistible: a cold drink, a soft hammock, and a good read.

Here's why:
The Latin word "canicula," meaning "small dog," is the diminutive form of "canis," the word that ultimately gives us the English word "canine." "Canicula" was also the name for Sirius, the star that represents the hound of the hunter Orion in the constellation named for that Roman mythological figure. Because the first visible rising of Sirius occurs during the summer, the hot sultry days that occur from early July to early September came to be called "dies caniculares," or as we know them in English, "the dog days."

I love words.

joella