J'accuse

Animadversion is the noun form of the intransitive verb animadvert (which sounds like a nickname the British would give to an animated advertisement). Animadvert means criticize adversely. The noun form came first (1590 as opposed to 1630) from the Latin word animadversionem (No kidding!). The Latin word came from the combining of animum (mind) and advertere (to turn to) and had a sense of finding fault or blaming. At times it was used in Latin as a euphemism for the death penalty. What's interesting is that in English it originally meant just notice or attention, without a fault being involved. By the time of the development of animadvert in the 1630s it still meant to notice or give attention to. But within 30 years (by 1660) it had developed a meaning of to censure or blame. And yes, the word advertise comes from advertere.

Delation, is the noun form of the verb transitive delate. It is primarily a Scottish word meaning to accuse or inform against, a more formal meaning than animadvert. It comes from the Latin delatus, which is the past participle of deferre, from which we get defer. Deferre means to bring down.

Execrate is derived from the Latin execratus, which is the past participle of execrare, which meant to curse. It comes from ex and sacrare; ex meaning out from and sacrare is a form of the Latin word from which we get sacred. So execrate comes from a meaning of cursing, or bringing out of a sacred position. It still means to curse, along with calling evil down upon, and speaking abusively about or contemptuously of, or denouncing scathingly. It could also mean simply to loath or abhor or hate. Not a nice thing, at any rate.

So, whether you are the subject or object of animadversion, delation, or execration, it's not a good thing. Maybe one of these days we will look at words for compliment.

J'accuse (today's title) is, of course, a reference to the letter Emile Zola published in the newspaper L'Aurore in 1998 criticizing the handling of the Dreyfus affair.