सहस्रशब्दमंजुषा।

भारतीय परंपरेत १००० ही संख्या अगणित या अर्थानं वापरतात. सहस्ररश्मी (रश्मी = किरण) म्हणजे सूर्य. आता सूर्याला केवळ हजार किरणं असतात का? इथं सहस्र हा अगणित या अर्थानं योजलेला आहे. विष्णुसहस्रनामात देवाच्या हजार नावांची चर्चा आहे. आता देवाला नावं अनंत. पण म्हणायला काहीतरी संख्या हवी म्हणून ‘सहस्र’ म्हणायचं, एवढचं.
प्रचंड इंग्रजी शब्दभांडारातले अर्थवाही, आशयाची अभिव्यक्ती ताकदीनं करणारे, अत्यंत महत्त्वाचे १००० शब्द निवडायचे ठरवले तर ? नॉर्मन शूर (Norman Schure) या शूर-वीर अमेरिकन भाषा-पंडितानं हे काम केलंय. 1000 most important words हे पुस्तक त्यांनी लिहिलंय. ही सहस्रशब्दमंजुषा उघडून, त्यातील काही शब्दांचा आपल्या पद्धतीने अभ्यास करू या आणि शेवटी नॉर्मनरावांनी दिलेल्या पुस्तकातील वाक्यांचा उजळणीखातर आस्वाद घेऊ या.

fecund(फीकन्ड )- fertile; productive
उदा. 1) Thomas Alva Edison had a most fecund mind. He produced over one thousand inventions.
2) Crops grow well in this fecund valley.

juxtapose – (जक्स्टपउझ् )to place side by side or close together, often for contrasting effect.

उदा. 1) Writers produce interesting effects by the juxtaposition of words, that are ordinarily  not found in combination-rosy fingered dawn.
2) In the exhibition abstract paintings are juxtaposed with shocking photographs.

lexicon (लेक्सिकन )-a dictionary ; a list of terms relating to a particular subject.
उदा. 1) 

The legal lexicon is full of technical terms and Latin phrases.

2) This lexicon of computer terms is a useful book.

* avuncular (अव्हँक्यलर )- behaving in a kind and nice way, rather like an uncle.

उदा. 1) Old people are fond of giving avuncular advice, whether or not it is welcome.
2) Life can be pleasent if one is lucky enough to have an avuncular boss.

* moribund(मॉरिबन्ड )- in a very bad condition ; dying.

उदा. 1) Any political party that spends its energy in infighting is in danger of becoming moribund.
2) Students have too little interest in the debating club that it is moribund.

cynosure (सिनझ्युअर )-a person or thing that is the centre of attraction.
उदा. 1) She was never able to attract attention but her mini skirt made her the cynosure of all male eyes
2) 

Surprisingly, the long bearded yogi was the cynosure of all eyes, in the party.

किरकोळ घटना तिखट-मीठ लावून, वाढवून-चढवून सांगणाऱ्या बायकोवर वैतागलेले सहस्रबुद्धे म्हणतात, ‘‘तुला हजार वेळा सांगितलं की अतिशयोक्ती करत जाऊ नकोस.. पण पुन्हा तुझं तेच..’’

॥ नॉर्मन वाक्यम् प्रमाणम्॥
1) Johann Sebastian Bach, with all that massive body of music to his credit, was fecund in more ways than one, he had twenty children.
2) It sometimes happens that certain pieces of furniture look better in juxtaposition than in separate items.
3) In the bright lexicon of youth… there is no such word as – fail.
4) A male teacher’s relationship to his attractive young female student should be strictly avuncular.
5) The manufacturer of men’s hats is a moribund industry.
6) When Marilyn Monroe entered a room she was the cynosure of all eyes.