Hypermnesia - plus, a new word family quiz

[Merriam-Webster]( WORD OF THE DAY [May 4, 2019](#none) hypermnesia [Audio pronunciation]( noun | hye-perm-NEE-zhee-uh Definition : abnormally vivid or complete memory or recall of the past Scroll down for more about hypermnesia TRENDING NOW: [snitty]( [abjure]( [surveillance]( [cavalier]( [SEE ALL [>]]( PEOPLE ARE READING # [The Good, The Bad, & The Semantically Imprecise]( # [Digging Up the Latin Roots of 14 Abbreviations]( # [A Case of Nerves: ‘Nervous’ vs. ‘Nervy’]( # [9 Words for Fellowship]( WORD GAMES AND QUIZZES: WEEKLY CHALLENGE [Name that Thing: Flower Edition]( Can you correctly identify these flowers? [PLAY NOW]( Nailed this quiz? We have plenty more to try! [TAKE ME THERE [>]]( Did You Know? Perhaps the most famous individual to exhibit hypermnesia was a Russian man known as "S," whose amazing photographic memory was studied for 30 years by a psychologist in the early part of the 20th century. Hypermnesia sometimes refers to cases like that of "S," but it can also refer to specific instances of heightened memory (such as those brought on by trauma or hypnosis) experienced by people whose memory abilities are unremarkable under ordinary circumstances. The word hypermnesia, which has been with us since about the mid-19th century, was created in New Latin as the combination of hyper- (meaning "beyond" or "super") and -mnesia (patterned after [amnesia](). It ultimately derives from the Greek word mnasthai, meaning "to remember." Examples of HYPERMNESIA "Imagine being able to recall anything you've ever dreamt, tasted or read. That's the reality for a woman with a rare condition which means she can remember virtually every single detail of her life—even being able to recite all the Harry Potter books word-for-word. Rebecca Sharrock is one of just 80 people worldwide who have been identified as having … hypermnesia." — Erin Cardiff, The Mirror, 6 Oct. 2015 "'Qui perd gagne!'…, which is translated as 'Loser Take All,' maintains its interest all the way through and awards the viewer with a nice little twist at the end.… Loriot has hypermnesia…. He remembers with total recall absolutely everything he has ever seen or heard, which could drive him crazy without the medication he must take." — Daniel Neman, The Richmond (Virginia) Times-Dispatch, 2 Apr. 2005 Word Family Quiz What descendant of mnasthai begins with "a" and refers to the granting of pardon (as by a government) to a large number of persons? [VIEW THE ANSWER [>]]( USAGE NOTES Should 'Toothpaste' Be 'Teethpaste'? No. It should be toothpaste, and here's why. [FIND OUT! [>]]( MORE WORD FUN: [WORD GAMES [>]]( [TRENDING NOW [>]]( [WORDS AT PLAY [>]]( FOLLOW US: [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( [Pinterest]( SHARE: [Facebook][Facebook]( [Twitter][Twitter]( [View this email in a web browser]( You are receiving this email because you opted in to receive the Merriam-Webster Word of the Day. [Unsubscribe from Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day]( [Manage your subscription settings]( Merriam-Webster, Inc. 47 Federal Street P.O. Box 281 Springfield, MA 01102 [www.merriam-webster.com](