Soliloquy All words

In the Soliloquy lexicon

vespertine

/ˈves.pə.taɪn/ adjective

Relating to, occurring in, or active during the evening.

Used in a sentence

The vespertine chorus of birds began as the sun dipped below the trees.

Where it comes from

From Latin vespertinus “of the evening,” from vesper “evening, evening star,” ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wes-pero- “evening.”

Its journey

Vespertine was born in Latin as vespertinus, ‘of the evening’, formed from vesper, ‘evening’ or ‘evening star’. It passed into English in the seventeenth century, chiefly as a learned botanical and zoological adjective for creatures or flowers that stir or open at dusk. Its Latin root is ancient, though its deeper Indo-European ancestry is uncertain.

A small story

At the edge of the allotments, the robin began its vespertine song as the last barrow creaked home. Mrs Vale paused by her gate, earth still dark beneath her nails, and listened until the windows opposite gathered their lamps. Then she went inside, leaving the bean-poles to the blue dusk.

Nearby words

Keep vespertine — and watch it become a star.

Soliloquy is a vocabulary practice where every word you collect is placed in your own night sky, and returns to you until it is truly yours. Free on iPhone and Android.