Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
#79202 08/29/02 04:30 PM
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
W
wwh Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
From an e-mail I just got:
you know?
"Let the Queen know of our gests," Antony instructs his men after a hard-won
victory on the battlefield in Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. Great
deeds and heroic acts have been the stuff of gests since medieval days; in
fact, the word is more often associated with knights and heroes of old than
with modern adventurers. We may not be hearing about many 21st century
"gests," but we do frequently encounter other relatives of the word. "Gest"
traces to Latin "gestus," the past participle of the verb "gerere," which
means "to wage," "to accomplish," or "to act," among other things. That
Latin verb gave us stoutly enduring words like "gesture," "ingest," "jest,"
"register," and "suggest."

I've always spelled it as in "Beau Geste", story about French Foreign Legion
I so much enjoyed as a teen-ager.


wwh #196135 01/13/11 05:07 PM
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1
D
stranger
Offline
stranger
D
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1
Wouldn't you think that this word gest is etymologically linked to gist ( the gist of the gest!). But no, my Webster's tells me that gist comes from L. jacere, to build, to found....
Hunches don't always work.

Dundasian #196137 01/13/11 05:15 PM
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 677
addict
Offline
addict
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 677
It is a positive shame that they don't frown
Welcome Dundasian, to our humble abode...OK is another word with which hunches don't work...free has a most interesting etymology as well...


----The next sentence is true. The previous sentence is false----
bexter #196140 01/13/11 06:42 PM
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,915
Likes: 2
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,915
Likes: 2


WELCOME DUNDASIAN

You certainly found an old post to begin with.


----please, draw me a sheep----
LukeJavan8 #197020 02/05/11 04:46 AM
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 963
old hand
Offline
old hand
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 963
Many of us, before embarking on a new gest, like to practice our (s)wordsmanship by hewing an old post.

Peter

Dundasian #197021 02/05/11 06:52 AM
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Like I thought of the word quest which is also not related to gest but just like it is associated with heroic deeds by knighs and heroes of old.
Quest and question both coming from quærere "seek, gain, ask.

BranShea #197038 02/05/11 04:07 PM
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,915
Likes: 2
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,915
Likes: 2

The search for the Grail, and the Knights of Old.
Wonderful stories.


----please, draw me a sheep----

Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,912
Posts229,271
Members9,179
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members
TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV, Heather_Turey, Standy
9,179 Registered Users
Who's Online Now
1 members (A C Bowden), 285 guests, and 4 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
tsuwm 10,542
wofahulicodoc 10,502
LukeJavan8 9,915
AnnaStrophic 6,511
Wordwind 6,296
of troy 5,400
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5