Ten Beautiful Words

I keep an antique book at my bedside entitled 1000 Beautiful Things, by Marjorie Barrows. It contains short excerpts and poetry and is perfect for a two minute pick-me-up. As a word lover, I found the following entry fascinating:

"Wilfred J. Funk, poet, lexicographer and president of Funk & Wagnalls, once listed what he considered the ten most beautiful words in the English language~ 'Beautiful in meaning and in the musical arrangement of their letters.'

His list, compiled after a 'thorough sifting of thousands of words,' is~ dawn, hush, lullaby, murmuring, tranquil, mist, luminous, chimes, golden, and melody."

I haven't sifted thousands of words, but I've been keeping a list of words that I think are beautiful. Here is my own list:

• soothe
• enthusiasm (en=in theos=God)
• serendipity
• cherish
• verdant
• melodious
• jaunty
• exhilarate
• lithe
• exotic
• delight
  

Which words would you include on such a list?