Favonian
fəˈvəʊnɪən
NOUN
Pertaining to the west wind.
Mild, gentle
EXAMPLE SENTENCES
“The bright morning promised favonian weather for the rest of our trip.”
“The flight from Los Angeles to New York was helped along by favonian tailwinds.”
“My older, favonian dog is teaching the puppy how to be more gentle when he plays.”
WORD ORIGIN
Latin, mid-17th century
WHY THIS WORD?
“Favonian” is based on the Latin “Favōnius,” the god of the west wind. In ancient Rome, Favōnius was the bringer of spring, and by extension, all things pleasant and good. The adjective “favonian” can refer to a west wind in a literal sense, but figuratively it has a gentle and pleasing connotation. The words “favorable,” “favorite,” and “favored” all share a root in the Latin “Favōnius.”