David Tickner's Blog, page 7
June 27, 2024
Marmalade
The word marmalade comes from ancient Greek words for honey and apple.
The Greek word for honey is meli, from the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) root melit (honey). The Greek word for apple is melon. Put these Greek words together and you get melimelon—a concoction made by mixing honey with apples. Latin melimelum comprised honey and an apple-quince mixture.
The word marmalade, a preserve or confection of pulpy consistence made from honey and quince, came to English in the 1530s, from French marmelade and Portuguese marmelada (quince jelly). Quinces were once a very popular fruit; however, because they are very hard and take a lot of time to prepare for eating, they have fallen out of favor.
Marmalade is neither a jam nor a jelly. Today marmalade is made from the juice and peel of citrus fruits boiled in sugar and water. Very briefly, a jam is mainly fruit; a jelly is gelled fruit juice with the fruit pulp and peel removed. A marmalade is gelled fruit juice that contains the fruit pulp and peel, particularly orange peel, which gives it a distinctive bittersweet taste.
Originally, in the 16th century, marmalade was something eaten in the evenings like a dessert or snack. The Scots moved marmalade to the breakfast table and by the 19th century the British had turned to this practice as well. In 1864, the Scottish grocer James Robertson created the popular brand of marmalade that still carries his name.
-o-
Speaking of fruit: Originally, the English word apple was a generic term for any kind of fruit, except berries. For example, dates were known as fingerappla, literally ‘finger apples’. In the 14th century, an appel of paradis was a banana. When pineapples first appeared in England in the late 14th century, they got their name because their shape resembled a pinecone; hence a ‘pinecone fruit’ or ‘pine apple’. This is analogous to the French use of pomme de terre (apple of the earth) meaning potato. It was only in the 18th century that we now know as apples came to be called apples.
Reference: Online Etymological Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/
The Greek word for honey is meli, from the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) root melit (honey). The Greek word for apple is melon. Put these Greek words together and you get melimelon—a concoction made by mixing honey with apples. Latin melimelum comprised honey and an apple-quince mixture.
The word marmalade, a preserve or confection of pulpy consistence made from honey and quince, came to English in the 1530s, from French marmelade and Portuguese marmelada (quince jelly). Quinces were once a very popular fruit; however, because they are very hard and take a lot of time to prepare for eating, they have fallen out of favor.
Marmalade is neither a jam nor a jelly. Today marmalade is made from the juice and peel of citrus fruits boiled in sugar and water. Very briefly, a jam is mainly fruit; a jelly is gelled fruit juice with the fruit pulp and peel removed. A marmalade is gelled fruit juice that contains the fruit pulp and peel, particularly orange peel, which gives it a distinctive bittersweet taste.
Originally, in the 16th century, marmalade was something eaten in the evenings like a dessert or snack. The Scots moved marmalade to the breakfast table and by the 19th century the British had turned to this practice as well. In 1864, the Scottish grocer James Robertson created the popular brand of marmalade that still carries his name.
-o-
Speaking of fruit: Originally, the English word apple was a generic term for any kind of fruit, except berries. For example, dates were known as fingerappla, literally ‘finger apples’. In the 14th century, an appel of paradis was a banana. When pineapples first appeared in England in the late 14th century, they got their name because their shape resembled a pinecone; hence a ‘pinecone fruit’ or ‘pine apple’. This is analogous to the French use of pomme de terre (apple of the earth) meaning potato. It was only in the 18th century that we now know as apples came to be called apples.
Reference: Online Etymological Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/
Elite
The word elite has its origins in words meaning to choose and choice.
The word elite, from 1823, meaning a choice or a selected body or the best part, is from French élite (selection, choice) and Old French eslite (to pick out, to choose). These words have their origin in Latin eligere (to pick out, to select, to choose), also the origin of the word election.
In the late 14th century, the word elite meant a ‘chosen person’; however, this meaning disappeared in the mid-15th century.
Elite as an adjective is from 1852. Elite as a typeface is from 1920.
To be elite is not automatic. To be elite means to be chosen. For example, an elite sports player is someone selected because of their skills to be part of a top-ranked team. Some military units are considered elite because of their special skills. Someone who is elite is the cream of the crop, so to speak.
The word elite is not to be confused with the word elitist.
The adjective elitist, from 1950, means advocating or preferring rule or social domination by an elite element in a system or society. Elitist as a noun is from 1961.
Reference: Online Etymological Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/
The word elite, from 1823, meaning a choice or a selected body or the best part, is from French élite (selection, choice) and Old French eslite (to pick out, to choose). These words have their origin in Latin eligere (to pick out, to select, to choose), also the origin of the word election.
In the late 14th century, the word elite meant a ‘chosen person’; however, this meaning disappeared in the mid-15th century.
Elite as an adjective is from 1852. Elite as a typeface is from 1920.
To be elite is not automatic. To be elite means to be chosen. For example, an elite sports player is someone selected because of their skills to be part of a top-ranked team. Some military units are considered elite because of their special skills. Someone who is elite is the cream of the crop, so to speak.
The word elite is not to be confused with the word elitist.
The adjective elitist, from 1950, means advocating or preferring rule or social domination by an elite element in a system or society. Elitist as a noun is from 1961.
Reference: Online Etymological Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/
June 10, 2024
Knapsack, Packsack, Rucksack, Backpack?
What do you call that bag you carry on your back? Packsack? Rucksack? Knapsack? Backpack? What are the origins of these words?
Sack
Sack is another word that has come to English almost unchanged from its ancient origins; in particular, the Semitic (e.g., Phoenician, Hebrew) word saq (sack, bag, mourning dress; i.e., ‘sack cloth’).
From these sources come Greek sakkos (bag made from goat hair), Latin saccus, Proto-Germanic sakkiz, and Old English sacc. Middle English sak was a large oblong bag. Other related words include Middle Dutch sak, Old High German sac, Old Norse sekkr, Spanish saco, and Italian sacco.
Knapsack
The word knapsack is a 16th century Low German word from knappen (to eat, to creak or snap). In brief, a knapsack is a lunch bag. This word was commonly used as a name for what is now called a rucksack or backpack until the middle of the 20th century, particularly in Canada.
Packsack
The word packsack, a canvas case or bag held on the back by shoulder straps and used to carry gear when travelling on foot, is from 1851.
Rucksack
The word rucksack, a bag carried on the back by walkers, appears in English in 1853 from German Rucksack (ruck meaning back, from German Rucken = ridge, + sack). The word rucksack is mainly used in the UK, US, and other Western military forces.
The sense of a back as a ridge is perhaps from Proto-Germanic hruggin (the source of German Rucken ) or from Proto-Indo-European (PIE) kreuk (to turn, to bend). Related words include Old English hrycg (back of a man or beast) and Old Norse hryggr (back, ridge).
Backpack
The word backpack was coined in the US during the 1910s. A backpack a bag with shoulder straps that allow it to be carried on a person’s back. By 1916, the verb ‘to backpack’ meant to hike while carrying supplies in a backpack.
Reference: Online Etymological Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backpack
https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/knapsack
Sack
Sack is another word that has come to English almost unchanged from its ancient origins; in particular, the Semitic (e.g., Phoenician, Hebrew) word saq (sack, bag, mourning dress; i.e., ‘sack cloth’).
From these sources come Greek sakkos (bag made from goat hair), Latin saccus, Proto-Germanic sakkiz, and Old English sacc. Middle English sak was a large oblong bag. Other related words include Middle Dutch sak, Old High German sac, Old Norse sekkr, Spanish saco, and Italian sacco.
Knapsack
The word knapsack is a 16th century Low German word from knappen (to eat, to creak or snap). In brief, a knapsack is a lunch bag. This word was commonly used as a name for what is now called a rucksack or backpack until the middle of the 20th century, particularly in Canada.
Packsack
The word packsack, a canvas case or bag held on the back by shoulder straps and used to carry gear when travelling on foot, is from 1851.
Rucksack
The word rucksack, a bag carried on the back by walkers, appears in English in 1853 from German Rucksack (ruck meaning back, from German Rucken = ridge, + sack). The word rucksack is mainly used in the UK, US, and other Western military forces.
The sense of a back as a ridge is perhaps from Proto-Germanic hruggin (the source of German Rucken ) or from Proto-Indo-European (PIE) kreuk (to turn, to bend). Related words include Old English hrycg (back of a man or beast) and Old Norse hryggr (back, ridge).
Backpack
The word backpack was coined in the US during the 1910s. A backpack a bag with shoulder straps that allow it to be carried on a person’s back. By 1916, the verb ‘to backpack’ meant to hike while carrying supplies in a backpack.
Reference: Online Etymological Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backpack
https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/knapsack
May 27, 2024
Racialize
What does it mean to say that someone or something is ‘racialized’?
The Canadian Encyclopedia states,
“People seen as belonging to racialized minorities are people who could be perceived as being socially different from, for example, the racial or ethnic majority. In Canada, the term “racialized minority” usually refers to non-white people. The word “racialized” stresses the fact that race is neither biological nor objective but is a concept which is societal in origin. Categorizations other than “racialized” include “people of colour” or BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour)” [Italics mine].
“While the term “racialized minority” is increasingly being used, there is no consensus in this regard. It is used by some anti-racist groups to denounce the systematic racism experienced by non-whites. However, others find that being described as racialized automatically depicts them as victims. Still others go so far as to say that the term “racialized” shows an exaggerated political correctness which limits debate, and that using the term “racialized” stifles discussion by taking an ideological shortcut that appeals to a specific group”
Generally speaking, the terms ‘racialized minority’ and ‘visible minority’ are considered synonyms. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/racialized-minorities
The word racialization, meaning the act of being seen as someone belonging to a particular race, suggests that all people could be considered racialized regardless of their particular race. https://www.aclrc.com/racialization
What do words such as race, racial, racialization, racialist, racialism, and racist mean? When did such words appear in English?
To begin, the origins of the word race are uncertain. However, the Online Etymological Dictionary suggests that the word may derive from Arabic ra’s (head, beginning, origin) and Hebrew rosh.
The original uses of the word race in English include meanings such as a group of people with common occupation (~1500), wines with a characteristic flavor (1520), and a generation of people (1540s). The use of the word race referring to a ‘tribe, nation, or people regarded as of common stock’ or to ‘an ethnical stock, one of the great divisions of mankind having in common certain physical peculiarities’ is from 1774; however, “even among anthropologists there never has been an accepted classification of these [definitions]” (Online Etymological Dictionary).
The adjective racial, meaning relating or pertaining to characteristics of an ethnic race or race generally, is from 1862.
Racialization as the process of making or becoming a racialist is from 1874. The use of the term racialist to describe a person who is a racist, an advocate of racial theory, or a believer in the superiority of a particular race is from 1910. Racialist as an adjective is from 1917.
The word racialism, meaning a political system advocating superiority and exclusive rights based on race, is from 1890.
The words racism and racist, relatively recent terms, appear respectively in 1928 and 1932. These words replaced the earlier terms racialism and racialist.
So, what does it mean today to ‘racialize’ something or someone? Why have these terms re-appeared after one hundred years?
The first known use of the verb ‘to racialize’ as used in such ways is from around 1900. Merriam-Webster defines the verb ‘to racialize’ as “giving a racial character to, or to categorize, marginalize, or regard according to race … [for example] racializing poverty helps distract from the systematic factors at the foundation of both racial and economic inequality” (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/racialize).
In brief, race is not simply an inherent characteristic of an individual. Racialization is the social construction of the various ways in which relationships among people of different ‘races’ are described.
Reference: Online Etymological Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/
https://www.lib.sfu.ca/about/branches-depts/slc/writing/inclusive-antiracist-writing/bipoc#overview-
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/racialized-minorities
The Canadian Encyclopedia states,
“People seen as belonging to racialized minorities are people who could be perceived as being socially different from, for example, the racial or ethnic majority. In Canada, the term “racialized minority” usually refers to non-white people. The word “racialized” stresses the fact that race is neither biological nor objective but is a concept which is societal in origin. Categorizations other than “racialized” include “people of colour” or BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour)” [Italics mine].
“While the term “racialized minority” is increasingly being used, there is no consensus in this regard. It is used by some anti-racist groups to denounce the systematic racism experienced by non-whites. However, others find that being described as racialized automatically depicts them as victims. Still others go so far as to say that the term “racialized” shows an exaggerated political correctness which limits debate, and that using the term “racialized” stifles discussion by taking an ideological shortcut that appeals to a specific group”
Generally speaking, the terms ‘racialized minority’ and ‘visible minority’ are considered synonyms. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/racialized-minorities
The word racialization, meaning the act of being seen as someone belonging to a particular race, suggests that all people could be considered racialized regardless of their particular race. https://www.aclrc.com/racialization
What do words such as race, racial, racialization, racialist, racialism, and racist mean? When did such words appear in English?
To begin, the origins of the word race are uncertain. However, the Online Etymological Dictionary suggests that the word may derive from Arabic ra’s (head, beginning, origin) and Hebrew rosh.
The original uses of the word race in English include meanings such as a group of people with common occupation (~1500), wines with a characteristic flavor (1520), and a generation of people (1540s). The use of the word race referring to a ‘tribe, nation, or people regarded as of common stock’ or to ‘an ethnical stock, one of the great divisions of mankind having in common certain physical peculiarities’ is from 1774; however, “even among anthropologists there never has been an accepted classification of these [definitions]” (Online Etymological Dictionary).
The adjective racial, meaning relating or pertaining to characteristics of an ethnic race or race generally, is from 1862.
Racialization as the process of making or becoming a racialist is from 1874. The use of the term racialist to describe a person who is a racist, an advocate of racial theory, or a believer in the superiority of a particular race is from 1910. Racialist as an adjective is from 1917.
The word racialism, meaning a political system advocating superiority and exclusive rights based on race, is from 1890.
The words racism and racist, relatively recent terms, appear respectively in 1928 and 1932. These words replaced the earlier terms racialism and racialist.
So, what does it mean today to ‘racialize’ something or someone? Why have these terms re-appeared after one hundred years?
The first known use of the verb ‘to racialize’ as used in such ways is from around 1900. Merriam-Webster defines the verb ‘to racialize’ as “giving a racial character to, or to categorize, marginalize, or regard according to race … [for example] racializing poverty helps distract from the systematic factors at the foundation of both racial and economic inequality” (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/racialize).
In brief, race is not simply an inherent characteristic of an individual. Racialization is the social construction of the various ways in which relationships among people of different ‘races’ are described.
Reference: Online Etymological Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/
https://www.lib.sfu.ca/about/branches-depts/slc/writing/inclusive-antiracist-writing/bipoc#overview-
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/racialized-minorities
May 10, 2024
Creek or Stream?
What’s the difference between a creek and a stream? Is there one?
Creek
The word creek appears in English in the mid-15th century as creke or kryk from Old Norse kriki (corner, nook), words which generally meant something that was full of bends and turns. The words creke or kryk are related to the word crook which originally meant a bent or hooked tool.
By the 1570s, the word creek referred specifically to an inlet or short arm of a river. In the 1620s, the American English version of creek (often pronounced ‘crick’) referred to a small stream or brook. Later, early explorers of North America, Australia, and New Zealand used the term creek to mean any branch of a main river “without knowing [that these creeks] often were extensive rivers of their own” (Online Etymological Dictionary).
The phrase ‘up the creek’, from the early 1940s, from the earlier phrase ‘up shit creek’ meant to be in trouble (especially if pregnant). In armed forces slang the term meant ‘lost while on patrol’.
Stream
The noun stream meaning “anything issuing from a source and flowing continuously” appears before the 12th century in Old English as stream (Online Etymological Dictionary). Old English stream is related to Old High German stroum (stream) and Greek rhein (to flow).
In Middle English, a strem referred to a course of water, the current of a stream, or a body of water flowing in a natural channel. In the late 14th century, stream also referred to the steady current in the sea or in a river.
The English words stream or strem have their origins in Proto-Germanic strauma, and Proto-Indo-European (PIE) sreu (to flow). PIE sreu is also the source of the words diarrhea, hemorrhoids, maelstrom, rheostat, rheumatism, rhythm, and others.
-o-
In brief, the word stream refers to the general flow of something; e.g., a liquid or gas. The word creek refers to a specific flow of water normally smaller than a river. In British English a creek is also a small inlet or bay extending farther inland than a cove.
Reference: Online Etymological Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/
Creek
The word creek appears in English in the mid-15th century as creke or kryk from Old Norse kriki (corner, nook), words which generally meant something that was full of bends and turns. The words creke or kryk are related to the word crook which originally meant a bent or hooked tool.
By the 1570s, the word creek referred specifically to an inlet or short arm of a river. In the 1620s, the American English version of creek (often pronounced ‘crick’) referred to a small stream or brook. Later, early explorers of North America, Australia, and New Zealand used the term creek to mean any branch of a main river “without knowing [that these creeks] often were extensive rivers of their own” (Online Etymological Dictionary).
The phrase ‘up the creek’, from the early 1940s, from the earlier phrase ‘up shit creek’ meant to be in trouble (especially if pregnant). In armed forces slang the term meant ‘lost while on patrol’.
Stream
The noun stream meaning “anything issuing from a source and flowing continuously” appears before the 12th century in Old English as stream (Online Etymological Dictionary). Old English stream is related to Old High German stroum (stream) and Greek rhein (to flow).
In Middle English, a strem referred to a course of water, the current of a stream, or a body of water flowing in a natural channel. In the late 14th century, stream also referred to the steady current in the sea or in a river.
The English words stream or strem have their origins in Proto-Germanic strauma, and Proto-Indo-European (PIE) sreu (to flow). PIE sreu is also the source of the words diarrhea, hemorrhoids, maelstrom, rheostat, rheumatism, rhythm, and others.
-o-
In brief, the word stream refers to the general flow of something; e.g., a liquid or gas. The word creek refers to a specific flow of water normally smaller than a river. In British English a creek is also a small inlet or bay extending farther inland than a cove.
Reference: Online Etymological Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/
May 4, 2024
T & S Syndrome
Here are a couple of words related to teacher diseases from the pre-Covid19 world. Hopefully, we may not see them as often now as we move into the virtual classrooms and remote learning environments of the ‘new normal’ post-Covid world. Perhaps these new environments will generate their own teacher diseases.
Nevertheless, tachydidaxy and stentordidaxy, the so-called ‘teacher diseases’, may still be seen in classrooms. Sometimes, under the stresses and strains of teaching, a teacher may fall ill with one or both. In short, the teacher suffers from T & S Syndrome. In many situations, a teacher with T & S often infects their students with ennui morbidus. In serious situations, many students succumb to tonusus or even cursus quittus abruptus.
Tachydidaxy
Tachydidaxy breaks out when a teacher becomes overwhelmed by the amount of information which needs to be delivered during a course. The teacher becomes ill with tachydidaxy when, failing to find ways to effectively manage this information, they simply try to deliver it all. This situation is not helped when an institution reduces the length of the course or limits the resources available to the teacher. Sometimes a new or inexperienced teacher will succumb to tachydidaxy as they get to the end of a course and realize that there are still several chapters of the text left to cover.
Tachy- is a Greek prefix meaning fast (e.g., the tachometer of a car). Didaxy and the related word didactics come from the Greek didaktikos (teaching). Quite simply, tachydidaxy arises as a teacher talks faster and faster during lessons in an attempt to deliver all the information or to cover the text before the end of the course. Sometimes, tachydidaxy and stentordidaxy are concurrent.
Stentordidaxy
Stentordidaxy is not the result of external conditions (as is tachydidaxy) but is more related to a teacher’s loss of self-confidence or loss of control in the classroom. Stentordidaxy is often seen in situations of ineffective classroom management.
In Greek legends of the Trojan War, Stentor was a Greek herald described as having the voice of fifty men. Didaxy and didactics, as described above, mean teaching. Quite simply, stentordidaxy arises as a teacher talks louder and louder while teaching or trying to teach.
-o-
In short, a teacher suffering from T & S Syndrome talks faster and faster, louder and louder, in valiant but often futile attempts to cover course material or manage other problematic classroom situations.
Nevertheless, tachydidaxy and stentordidaxy, the so-called ‘teacher diseases’, may still be seen in classrooms. Sometimes, under the stresses and strains of teaching, a teacher may fall ill with one or both. In short, the teacher suffers from T & S Syndrome. In many situations, a teacher with T & S often infects their students with ennui morbidus. In serious situations, many students succumb to tonusus or even cursus quittus abruptus.
Tachydidaxy
Tachydidaxy breaks out when a teacher becomes overwhelmed by the amount of information which needs to be delivered during a course. The teacher becomes ill with tachydidaxy when, failing to find ways to effectively manage this information, they simply try to deliver it all. This situation is not helped when an institution reduces the length of the course or limits the resources available to the teacher. Sometimes a new or inexperienced teacher will succumb to tachydidaxy as they get to the end of a course and realize that there are still several chapters of the text left to cover.
Tachy- is a Greek prefix meaning fast (e.g., the tachometer of a car). Didaxy and the related word didactics come from the Greek didaktikos (teaching). Quite simply, tachydidaxy arises as a teacher talks faster and faster during lessons in an attempt to deliver all the information or to cover the text before the end of the course. Sometimes, tachydidaxy and stentordidaxy are concurrent.
Stentordidaxy
Stentordidaxy is not the result of external conditions (as is tachydidaxy) but is more related to a teacher’s loss of self-confidence or loss of control in the classroom. Stentordidaxy is often seen in situations of ineffective classroom management.
In Greek legends of the Trojan War, Stentor was a Greek herald described as having the voice of fifty men. Didaxy and didactics, as described above, mean teaching. Quite simply, stentordidaxy arises as a teacher talks louder and louder while teaching or trying to teach.
-o-
In short, a teacher suffering from T & S Syndrome talks faster and faster, louder and louder, in valiant but often futile attempts to cover course material or manage other problematic classroom situations.
May 1, 2024
Rubric
Once upon a time, long long ago in a galaxy far away, I was a server in the Anglican Church that I attended with my family. As a server, I got to use the same prayer book as the priest, the one with the rubrics or directions for conducting the service (i.e., what to do and when). These rubrics, printed in red ink, were set in the margin beside the black ink of the rest of the prayer book. The prayer book used by the congregation did not have these rubrics.
The word rubric has its origins in Latin rubrica terra (red earth; red ochre) and the PIE root reudh (red), a referring to the use of red earth or ochre to mark or signify something of importance. Sort of like the ancient version of a red pen or pencil. From these Latin sources came 13th century Old French rebrique (rubric, title) and, by around 1300, the word rubric (directions in religious services, often in red writing) is first seen in English.
Many years later, as a teacher I developed and used rubrics when assessing and evaluating learner achievement and performance in my courses. In this context, a rubric is a set of directions or guidelines for an assessment activity. A rubric usually consists of a fixed scale and a list of characteristics describing the performance expected for each of the points on the scale. A rubric is more complex than a Checklist or a Rating Scale and, as such, allows for a greater degree of fine-tuning in assessment.
In contrast to the rubrics in my church prayer book, the rubrics in my training manuals were not in red ink and everyone got to see them at the beginning of a course. No surprises.
Reference: Online Etymological Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/
The word rubric has its origins in Latin rubrica terra (red earth; red ochre) and the PIE root reudh (red), a referring to the use of red earth or ochre to mark or signify something of importance. Sort of like the ancient version of a red pen or pencil. From these Latin sources came 13th century Old French rebrique (rubric, title) and, by around 1300, the word rubric (directions in religious services, often in red writing) is first seen in English.
Many years later, as a teacher I developed and used rubrics when assessing and evaluating learner achievement and performance in my courses. In this context, a rubric is a set of directions or guidelines for an assessment activity. A rubric usually consists of a fixed scale and a list of characteristics describing the performance expected for each of the points on the scale. A rubric is more complex than a Checklist or a Rating Scale and, as such, allows for a greater degree of fine-tuning in assessment.
In contrast to the rubrics in my church prayer book, the rubrics in my training manuals were not in red ink and everyone got to see them at the beginning of a course. No surprises.
Reference: Online Etymological Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/
April 29, 2024
Theory
Aha now I see
Theatres of ideas
What a miracle
What is your view of theory?! Would you say that nothing is as practical as a good theory? Or would you call on the old proverb: Action will remove the doubt that theory cannot solve.
Do you like going to the theatre to see a movie or a play? You might be surprised to learn that the words theatre and theory have the same origins.
The word theory, from the PIE root dhau (to see), is the source of Greek theatron (to see or to view), theatrum (theatre), and the English word theatre, a place where we go to ‘see’ something in order to learn or to be entertained.
Greek theatron is also the source of the Greek words theoros (spectator) and theoria (contemplation, speculation, theory). A person (i.e., a theoros) who looked thoughtfully or with intention at some thing or some experience would in turn learn or understand (theoria).
Theoria passed unchanged into Latin, came to Old French as theorie, and in the 1590s came to English as theory (conception, mental scheme). By the 1610s, theory meant the principles of a science or art; e.g., music theory in contrast to music performance.
By the 1630s, theory also meant an intelligible explanation for something which is based on observation and reasoning, a plausible explanation or belief about something.
In brief, a theory is a principle that has been formed as an attempt to explain things that have already been substantiated by data. The rigors of experimentation and control are designed to ensure that a theory is more likely to be understood as true than is a hypothesis or conjecture.1
There is another connection to PIE dhau (to see). Not only is dhau the source of the word theory, it is also the source of Greek thauma (a wonder or a miracle). Sometimes understanding and learning something can seem miraculous, an unexpected “Aha! I see. Now I get it!”
1 What is the difference between a theory and a hypothesis? In contrast to a theory, a hypothesis is usually a tentative assumption or suggestion offered for investigation or analysis of a set of facts in relation to one another. Greek hypo (under) suggests that a hypothesis is the groundwork or foundation for a thesis.
And, in contrast to a theory or a hypothesis, a conjecture is an unproved assumption which, presumably may or may not be the basis for a hypothesis.
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Theory. In www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2022, May 29 from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/theory
Theatres of ideas
What a miracle
What is your view of theory?! Would you say that nothing is as practical as a good theory? Or would you call on the old proverb: Action will remove the doubt that theory cannot solve.
Do you like going to the theatre to see a movie or a play? You might be surprised to learn that the words theatre and theory have the same origins.
The word theory, from the PIE root dhau (to see), is the source of Greek theatron (to see or to view), theatrum (theatre), and the English word theatre, a place where we go to ‘see’ something in order to learn or to be entertained.
Greek theatron is also the source of the Greek words theoros (spectator) and theoria (contemplation, speculation, theory). A person (i.e., a theoros) who looked thoughtfully or with intention at some thing or some experience would in turn learn or understand (theoria).
Theoria passed unchanged into Latin, came to Old French as theorie, and in the 1590s came to English as theory (conception, mental scheme). By the 1610s, theory meant the principles of a science or art; e.g., music theory in contrast to music performance.
By the 1630s, theory also meant an intelligible explanation for something which is based on observation and reasoning, a plausible explanation or belief about something.
In brief, a theory is a principle that has been formed as an attempt to explain things that have already been substantiated by data. The rigors of experimentation and control are designed to ensure that a theory is more likely to be understood as true than is a hypothesis or conjecture.1
There is another connection to PIE dhau (to see). Not only is dhau the source of the word theory, it is also the source of Greek thauma (a wonder or a miracle). Sometimes understanding and learning something can seem miraculous, an unexpected “Aha! I see. Now I get it!”
1 What is the difference between a theory and a hypothesis? In contrast to a theory, a hypothesis is usually a tentative assumption or suggestion offered for investigation or analysis of a set of facts in relation to one another. Greek hypo (under) suggests that a hypothesis is the groundwork or foundation for a thesis.
And, in contrast to a theory or a hypothesis, a conjecture is an unproved assumption which, presumably may or may not be the basis for a hypothesis.
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Theory. In www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2022, May 29 from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/theory
April 27, 2024
Conversation
There once was a man so perverse
He would never stop talking for better or verse
Unlike a worm
That can wriggle and squirm
He didn’t know how to converse.
The word conversation has its origins in the PIE root wer-2 (to bend, to turn)1 and Latin vertere (to turn) and versus (a verse, a turning).
In ancient Latin, versus meant how the verses in a poem turned in relation to one another.2 In particular, in the epic poems of antiquity, verses reflected the natural rhythms of the language, indicating where one person stopped talking and another person began, or when one action or description ended and another began. The way in which a poet or speaker versed (or spoke) the poem helped the listeners to hear the story.
When two poets or two people talked, they had a comvertere (a turning together, a conversation); from Latin com (together) + vertere (to turn).3 Sometimes, when people talked or conversed, a person could change their mind about something. A conversation could result in a convertere (a conversion).
Also, in classical Latin, the word conversen meant to live with, to keep company with; that is, people’s lives ‘turned around’ each other. Latin conversari meant to live, to dwell. Latin conversationem meant frequent use, frequent abode in a place, intercourse, and conversation.
From these Latin sources came Old French conversation, medieval English conversacioun, and, in the mid-14th century, the English word conversation appears. At that time, the word conversation could mean the place where one dwelt, or a general course of actions or habits, or a manner of conducting oneself in the world. These uses of the word are now obsolete.
However, traces of these old meanings can be seen in later terms such as ‘criminal conversation’ (a legal term for adultery) from the 18th century. Before that, from at least the 14th century, the word conversation was a synonym for sexual intercourse.4
The term ‘conversation piece’ (a painting representing a group of figures arranged as if in conversation) is from 1712. ‘Conversation piece’ meaning a topic for conversation from 1784.
The current use of the word conversation to mean an informal interchange of thoughts and sentiments by spoken words is from the 1570s.
To conclude, what makes a good conversation? Have you ever been talking with someone and had the impression that the person is just waiting for you to stop talking so that they can get on with whatever it is that they wanted to say? Have you ever been talking with a group of people who interrupt each other in order to go off on completely different topics? Have you ever been in a social situation in which the social chit chat seems simply a string of disconnected bits of information? Such talking together can function as social glue and may interesting and useful. But is it conversation?
Perhaps, when considering the origins of the word conversation, it would seem that a good conversation is one in which each person builds upon what the other has just said. The conversation turns back and forth between (or among) them. It could be said that good conversation is when the conversation begins to have a life of its own. A good conversation is as much about listening as it is about talking. And, let us not forget that talking, real talking, can sometimes be as intimate as touching.
In brief, the words conversation, dialogue, and discussion often tend to be used synonyms for the activity of people talking with one another. However, to differentiate these words: conversation is usually an informal or casual turning back and forth of talk among people, dialogue tends to be a more formal or process-oriented exchange of ideas, and discussion is more like a debate or an argument.
1 PIE wer-2 is also the source of the words worm and vermin. The Old English word wyrm, meaning dragon, is also from this PIE source.
2 Today the word versus (abbreviated vs or simply v.) means something set against something else; e.g., one team vs another; one point of view vs another point of view, Brown v. Smith.
3 Related words include adverse, averse, inverse, obverse, perverse, reverse, transverse, traverse, universe.
4 I can see a cartoon. A person is talking with their obviously angry and upset partner. “But we were just talking,” says the person.
Merriam-Webster tells us that the word intercourse is from Latin intercursus (the act of running between) and intercurrere (to run between). And, wouldn’t you know, currere is the source of the word curriculum. I can see another cartoon, this one for the scholarly journals: “But we were just working on our curriculum.”
He would never stop talking for better or verse
Unlike a worm
That can wriggle and squirm
He didn’t know how to converse.
The word conversation has its origins in the PIE root wer-2 (to bend, to turn)1 and Latin vertere (to turn) and versus (a verse, a turning).
In ancient Latin, versus meant how the verses in a poem turned in relation to one another.2 In particular, in the epic poems of antiquity, verses reflected the natural rhythms of the language, indicating where one person stopped talking and another person began, or when one action or description ended and another began. The way in which a poet or speaker versed (or spoke) the poem helped the listeners to hear the story.
When two poets or two people talked, they had a comvertere (a turning together, a conversation); from Latin com (together) + vertere (to turn).3 Sometimes, when people talked or conversed, a person could change their mind about something. A conversation could result in a convertere (a conversion).
Also, in classical Latin, the word conversen meant to live with, to keep company with; that is, people’s lives ‘turned around’ each other. Latin conversari meant to live, to dwell. Latin conversationem meant frequent use, frequent abode in a place, intercourse, and conversation.
From these Latin sources came Old French conversation, medieval English conversacioun, and, in the mid-14th century, the English word conversation appears. At that time, the word conversation could mean the place where one dwelt, or a general course of actions or habits, or a manner of conducting oneself in the world. These uses of the word are now obsolete.
However, traces of these old meanings can be seen in later terms such as ‘criminal conversation’ (a legal term for adultery) from the 18th century. Before that, from at least the 14th century, the word conversation was a synonym for sexual intercourse.4
The term ‘conversation piece’ (a painting representing a group of figures arranged as if in conversation) is from 1712. ‘Conversation piece’ meaning a topic for conversation from 1784.
The current use of the word conversation to mean an informal interchange of thoughts and sentiments by spoken words is from the 1570s.
To conclude, what makes a good conversation? Have you ever been talking with someone and had the impression that the person is just waiting for you to stop talking so that they can get on with whatever it is that they wanted to say? Have you ever been talking with a group of people who interrupt each other in order to go off on completely different topics? Have you ever been in a social situation in which the social chit chat seems simply a string of disconnected bits of information? Such talking together can function as social glue and may interesting and useful. But is it conversation?
Perhaps, when considering the origins of the word conversation, it would seem that a good conversation is one in which each person builds upon what the other has just said. The conversation turns back and forth between (or among) them. It could be said that good conversation is when the conversation begins to have a life of its own. A good conversation is as much about listening as it is about talking. And, let us not forget that talking, real talking, can sometimes be as intimate as touching.
In brief, the words conversation, dialogue, and discussion often tend to be used synonyms for the activity of people talking with one another. However, to differentiate these words: conversation is usually an informal or casual turning back and forth of talk among people, dialogue tends to be a more formal or process-oriented exchange of ideas, and discussion is more like a debate or an argument.
1 PIE wer-2 is also the source of the words worm and vermin. The Old English word wyrm, meaning dragon, is also from this PIE source.
2 Today the word versus (abbreviated vs or simply v.) means something set against something else; e.g., one team vs another; one point of view vs another point of view, Brown v. Smith.
3 Related words include adverse, averse, inverse, obverse, perverse, reverse, transverse, traverse, universe.
4 I can see a cartoon. A person is talking with their obviously angry and upset partner. “But we were just talking,” says the person.
Merriam-Webster tells us that the word intercourse is from Latin intercursus (the act of running between) and intercurrere (to run between). And, wouldn’t you know, currere is the source of the word curriculum. I can see another cartoon, this one for the scholarly journals: “But we were just working on our curriculum.”
Academy
Once upon a time a powerful king and queen ruled Sparta, a powerful city state in ancient Greece. The king and queen, Tyndareus and Leda, had four children—two daughters, Helen and Clytemnestra, and twin boys, Castor and Pollux. However, the paternity of two of the children was questionable. According to rumour, the god Zeus (in the guise of a swan!) had had an affair with Leda and was purportedly the father of Helen and Pollux.
So, you may ask, how can someone be the father of only one of a set of twins?! Apparently, many ancient peoples had a superstition that twins were somehow ill-omened. if you could find a way of explaining that perhaps one of the twins was of divine origin, then maybe things wouldn’t work out too badly after all. As it happened, Clytemnestra turned out to be the child doomed to a life of tragedy. But that’s another story, an aspect of which involves the origins of the word tantalize.
The first daughter, Helen, was renowned for her beauty. When she was ten years old, she was abducted by Theseus, the king of Athens. Outraged, her twin brothers set off to find and bring her home. They achieved this with the connivance of an Athenian warrior and hero, Akademos, who led them to where Helen was hidden, helped rescue her, and so saved her from an undesirable marriage to Theseus. Several years later, when married, Helen would be abducted yet again, this time by Paris, son of the Trojan king. This act of passion caused the Trojan War. Helen became known as “the face that launched a thousand ships”.
But back to Akademos. As a reward for his help in rescuing Helen from Theseus, the Spartans rewarded him with an olive grove on the outskirts of Athens. This grove became a public park known as the Grove of Akademos.
About eight hundred years later, a philosopher and teacher named Plato lived next to this park where, in 387 BCE, he established a school which became known as the Academia.1 When Plato died, he was buried in this park.
From these origins we get the words academe, academia, academic, and academy.
The word ‘academy’ is first seen in English in the mid-1400s.
1 Aristotle, one of Plato’s students, established his own school in 335 BCE in a park near a temple called Apollon Lykeios which was dedicated to the god Apollo. Aristotle’s school became known as the Grove of Lykeios, a name which has come down to us as the Lyceum. Today, in France, the high school system which prepares students for university is known as the Lycée.
So, you may ask, how can someone be the father of only one of a set of twins?! Apparently, many ancient peoples had a superstition that twins were somehow ill-omened. if you could find a way of explaining that perhaps one of the twins was of divine origin, then maybe things wouldn’t work out too badly after all. As it happened, Clytemnestra turned out to be the child doomed to a life of tragedy. But that’s another story, an aspect of which involves the origins of the word tantalize.
The first daughter, Helen, was renowned for her beauty. When she was ten years old, she was abducted by Theseus, the king of Athens. Outraged, her twin brothers set off to find and bring her home. They achieved this with the connivance of an Athenian warrior and hero, Akademos, who led them to where Helen was hidden, helped rescue her, and so saved her from an undesirable marriage to Theseus. Several years later, when married, Helen would be abducted yet again, this time by Paris, son of the Trojan king. This act of passion caused the Trojan War. Helen became known as “the face that launched a thousand ships”.
But back to Akademos. As a reward for his help in rescuing Helen from Theseus, the Spartans rewarded him with an olive grove on the outskirts of Athens. This grove became a public park known as the Grove of Akademos.
About eight hundred years later, a philosopher and teacher named Plato lived next to this park where, in 387 BCE, he established a school which became known as the Academia.1 When Plato died, he was buried in this park.
From these origins we get the words academe, academia, academic, and academy.
The word ‘academy’ is first seen in English in the mid-1400s.
1 Aristotle, one of Plato’s students, established his own school in 335 BCE in a park near a temple called Apollon Lykeios which was dedicated to the god Apollo. Aristotle’s school became known as the Grove of Lykeios, a name which has come down to us as the Lyceum. Today, in France, the high school system which prepares students for university is known as the Lycée.
