Reviving respair

We all know the word despair. But how many of us know its long forgotten offspring, respair?

I came across this beautiful word today on a favourite podcast, A Way with Words, hosted by Grant Barrett and Martha Barnette (‘Sock it to me’, 16 November 2020). Respair is both a noun and a verb, and, like despair, comes from the Latin sperare meaning, to hope.

(n) the return of hope after a period of despair; (v) to have hope again

It’s the ideal description for how I feel as Melbourne emerges from its second lockdown, as though an influx of light has poured forth, lifting me out of a stupor.

I’ve found my brain foggy and thoughts muddled this year. I can’t stand feeling inarticulate, yet so often I’ve been aware of not expressing myself as I desire to, compounded by inept attempts at finding clarity; most frustrating.

But now, respair has come over me. How welcome it is!

As Martha shares in the podcast episode, respair is included in a new book by Paul Anthony Jones called The Cabinet of Calm: Soothing Words for Troubled Times, which she describes as ‘a browsing book of words chosen to provide comfort and inspiration and peace of mind’. Sounds right up my alley. 

May respair find you, and land on your Scrabble board and in your vocabulary if you like it, too.