Word of the Day

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5

Milieu

[meel-YOO]Part of speech: noun

Origin: french, late 18th century

• A surrounding culture and environment
• The atmosphere or ambiance

Examples of Milieu in a sentence

• The mark of a good sci-fi novel is an elaborate milieu for the characters to inhabit. 
• The milieu of the neighborhood changed after the mega grocery store opened up. 

About Milieu

With its French inspiration, milieu appears to be quite a sophisticated word. Its original usage was to describe one’s place in society — were you a member of the upper-crust milieu or were you working class? The definition has expanded to describe the general neighborhood and environmental surroundings, not just social standing.

Did you Know?

Milieu is a loan word, or a word taken from another language with no modification. In French, milieu means middle, or, just like in English, the setting or environment. There’s also a French phrase, “au milieu de,” which means “in the middle of.”

Comments

[pfrye.livejournal.com]

Illya Kuryakin first became enamored of jazz clubs while attending university in Paris. It was one of the few places he had been able to escape and visit without his GRU handlers. A few hours on his own that fed his soul, enabling him to feel a tantalizing brief sensation of freedom. His first ever as a Soviet citizen.

The jazz clubs in New York didn't have the same milieu as they did in Paris, but Illya still found the dark, smoky, crowded establishments soul satisfying and enjoyable.