20090903Word of the Day

junli

abecedarian

\ay-bee-see-DAIR-ee-uhn\ , noun:
1.One who is learning the alphabet; hence, a beginner.
2.One engaged in teaching the alphabet.
adjective: 1.Pertaining to the letters of the alphabet.
2.Arranged alphabetically.3.Rudimentary; elementary.
名词 n.
1.初学者;启蒙老师
形容词 a.
1.照ABC次序的;初步的

Quotes:
Columba's poem is fittingly 'abecedarian', each stanza starts with a subsequent letter of the alphabet -- a harbinger of the Scottish appetite for cataloguing, and delight in craft.
~WN Herbert, "A rhyme and a prayer", Scotland on Sunday, December 10, 2000
While much of the work resembled abecedarian attempts of a novice choreographer, "Duet," sensitively danced by Jennifer A. Cooper and William Petroni, is surprisingly sophisticated in its careful deployment of formal thematic manipulations in the service of emotional expression.
~Lisa Jo Sagolla, "Open 24 Hours Dance Company", Back Stage, September 1, 1998
The approach may seem abecedarian today, but his was among the first endeavors of the sort.
~Jennifer Liese, "May 1973", ArtForum, May 2003

Origin:
Abecedarian derives from Latin abecedarius, from the first four letters of the alphabet.