In article , "Geoff"
wrote:

On Wed, 12 Mar 2003 08:59:54 -0700,
(paghat) wrote:


Our queriant said the holes were several feet straight down. Not that you
ever worry about what people are actually talking about.

--

Now, I've looked in various online dictionaries as well as the Oxford
English Dictionary in my home and I can't find the word "queriant". I
see "querist" for "one who enquires" so I guess you made your word up,
but having said that, I really kinda like your word!! It has a better
lilt about it.

Regards
Geoff

It would be cool if I could make up words that excellent & still so easily
understood, but all I did was use the less common spelling which is more
commonly querient. I'm surprised it's not in more dictionaries as it is
used in British legal documents in lieu of plaintiff (as one meaning).
Plus it is universally used among astrologers, scryers, geomancers,
diviners, & tarot readers -- the subject asking for advice is addressed
never as as querist but always as querent or querient (variations quarant
& queriant are permissible & so cited in the Dictionary of Astrological
and Astronomical Terms, though variant spellings are lacking in the
Dictionary of Tarot).

Broadly it is just a rare but very old synonym for Questioner, hence the
linguist you can contact at (www.linguist.org)
calls the people who use the Ask A Linguist service "querients." But given
its more common modern usage, it would usually be a questioner seeking
mystical rather than practical advice (PERHAPS linquistics qualifies!) so
someone asking whether deep holes in the ground are made by moles would be
more specifically a "querient" only if he was also asking if the moles can
get to the Land of the Dead that way, or was actually seeking the advice
of a melampomancer, one who tells fortunes by means of birthmarks & moles
(that could include doctors: "Your mole is malignant, you're gonna die").


So the word is in just about all occult dictionaries, & also in the Wwftd
Dictionary. Wwftd is pronunced Wifted. It's stands for Worthless Word of
the Day. If you subscribe you'll get yet the history of another just such
worthless word in your e-mail every morning! Go he
http://home.mn.rr.com/wwftd/disclaim.htm .

-paghat the ratgirl

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/