Sanction
SANK-shun
1: To make valid or binding
usually by a formal procedure (such as ratification)
2: To give effective or
authoritative approval or consent to
The Latin sancire, meaning
"to make holy," is an ancestor the word.
Vanguard
VAN-gahrd
1: The troops moving at the head
of an army
2: The forefront of an action or
movement
Vanguard and avant-garde both
derive from the Anglo-French word avantgarde, itself from avant, meaning
"before," and garde, meaning "guard." In medieval times,
avantgarde referred to the troops that marched at the head of the army. English
speakers retained that meaning when they adopted vanguard in the 15th century.
Whimsical
WIM-zih-kul
1: Full of, actuated by, or
exhibiting capricious or eccentric and often sudden ideas or turns of the mind:
relating to whims
2 a: Resulting from or
characterized by whim or caprice; especially: lightly fanciful
Whimsical and the related nouns
whim and whimsy all ultimately derive from whim-wham, a noun from the early
16th century that originally referred to an ornamental object or trinket. Later
whim-wham, with its fun sound, came to refer to a fantastic notion or odd
fancy. The word's origin isn't clear, but it's worth noting that the
similar-sounding flimflam had, in its earliest use, a similar meaning referring
to an odd or nonsensical idea or tale