SNP’s word of the day: Sodality
Word: Sodality
Meaning: Companionship; a fraternity or society.
Usage: “It was the smile of recognition, or one that anticipates in late afternoon an “evening of shame:” — that is to say, pleasure, or, one of his favorite terms, “sodality.” — Ian McEwan on Christopher Hitchens (RIP) in the New York Times (reprinted in yesterday’s Globe and Mail)
You should know it because: Sodality is one of those cool, forgotten words I would never have told you about if I hadn’t read it in a fancy newspaper. It’s used mostly in a masculine sense, interchangeable with “fraternity” or “boy’s club” or even “mafia,” and even though that’s even more true of the way Hitchens, with his Hemingway-esque crew of very male writers, used it; still, it’s at heart a word for everyone. It’s funny, actually, that Hitchens used it: he is (was) a great atheist, as you know, but the etymology of “sodality” is distinctly Christian. Maybe he felt he was reclaiming it. For sure, I think you can have a spiritual brotherhood or sisterhood without being spiritual yourself; it’s what Anne of Green Gables simply called “kindred,” right?
![](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://fashionmagazine.com/flare/celebrity/snps-word-of-the-day-sodality/&title=SNP’s word of the day: Sodality&picture=https://fashionmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/P1220327.jpg&description=[caption id="attachment_70225" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Illustration by Lewis Mirrett"] [/caption]
Word: Sodality
Meaning: Companionship; a fraternity or society.
Usage: "It was the smile of recognition, or one that anticipates in late afternoon an “evening of shame:” — that is to say, pleasure, or, one of his favorite terms, “sodality.” — Ian McEwan on Christopher Hitchens (RIP) in the New York Times (reprinted in yesterday's Globe and Mail)
You should know it because: Sodality is one of those cool, forgotten words I would never have told you about if I hadn't read it in a fancy newspaper. It's used mostly in a masculine sense, interchangeable with "fraternity" or "boy's club" or even "mafia," and even though that's even more true of the way Hitchens, with his Hemingway-esque crew of very male writers, used it; still, it's at heart a word for everyone. It's funny, actually, that Hitchens used it: he is (was) a great atheist, as you know, but the etymology of "sodality" is distinctly Christian. Maybe he felt he was reclaiming it. For sure, I think you can have a spiritual brotherhood or sisterhood without being spiritual yourself; it's what Anne of Green Gables simply called "kindred," right?){kind=link}