Why are certain words so appealing?

J.R.R. Tolkien wrote, “Most English-speaking people…will admit that ‘cellar door’ is ‘beautiful’, especially if dissociated from its sense (and from its spelling). More beautiful than, say, sky, and far more beautiful than beautiful.”

What makes up your enjoyment of a word? Is it the meaning and associations, or the sound? What are some of your favorite words and why?

I like “transient,” “estuary,” “golden,” and “somnambulist,” so for me I think it’s mostly about meaning. Those words aren’t especially pretty sounding, but I like the meanings.