And Pilate said: "Ecce homo!"
I had a faint recollection of "echo" being derived from mythology, so I looked it up:
http://www.ancientgr.com/archaeonia/religion/mythology/narcissus.htm
A word I learned in Basic Training.
cadre
n.
5Fr, a frame < It quadro < L quadrum, a square: see QUADRATE6
1 basic structure or framework
2 an operational unit, as of staff officers or other key personnel, around which an expanded organization can be built
3 a small, unified group organized to instruct or lead a larger group; nucleus
4 a member of a political, esp. Communist, cadre
We all know what an :ecdysiast" is. In entomology, an ecdysone is a hormone that induces
molting in insects.
The dried rhizome, roots, or other parts of any of three composite herbs used in
folk medicine. (stupid writer did not name the plants.)
rh[zome
n.
5ModL rhizoma < Gr rhizbma < rhizousthai, to take root < rhiza, ROOT16 a creeping stem lying, usually horizontally, at or under the surface of the soil and differing from a root in having scale leaves, bearing leaves or aerial shoots near its tips, and producing roots from its undersurface
rhi[zom$a[tous 73z9m4!t !s, 3zb4m!t38
adj.
A rounded molding forming bell of a Greek Doric capital of a column.
An inprovised shop, often just a few stocked shelves against a wall.
There used to be three subdivisions of schizophrenia. Paranoid, hebephrenic (childlike)
and catatonic (almost rigid, no affect). Some catatonics would repeat examiner's words or motions.
echinus
...should have a root meaning "spiny." There is a whole phylum of lower animals called echinoderms with spiny skins, of which the starfish is the paradigm.
(From Winnie-the-Pooh:
"...And all of the things which an animal likes
Have the wrong sort of flavour or too many spikes..."
but he was talking of thistles. Tiggers don't like thistles. Which, being plants, are not echinoderms, spikes or no.)
Dear wofahulicodoc: that definition was the one given by the Scripps-Howard people
My dictionary gives:
echinus
n.,
pl. e[chi4ni# 73nj#8 5L < Gr echinos < IE *eDhinos, of snakes < base *eDhi3, snake6
1 SEA URCHIN
2 Archit.
a) molding under the abacus of the capital of a Doric column b) any of several similar moldings
And now, what in hell is the "abacus" of the capital? Not a calculating device for sure.
abacus
n.,
pl. ab$a[cus[es 73iz8 or ab$a[ci# 73sj#8
1 a frame with beads or balls that can be slid on wires or in slots, for doing or teaching arithmetic
2 Archit. a slab forming the uppermost part of the capital of a column
Can't fi;gure out why same name used for the two things, They sure don't look alike.
Hey, Faldage: please clear this up.
Abacus is the Latin word for a square board.
Here's a picture of the abacus on top of a column:
http://www.pitt.edu/~medart/image/glossary/abacus.jpgThe calculating
abacus was a square board upon which stones (
calculi) were used to perform arithmetic functions:
http://www.addiator.de/abacus-vom-abacus-zum-computer.jpgWell, sort of square.
Then were those things that looked like small blocks in a row so called
by analogy to the calculating board? Which would you think came first?
...the Japanese call it a "soroban." For what it's worth.
The one I've seen has Two rows of beads above the bar. I think most versions have only one.
For what is probably more information than anyone wants, try
http://www.hellgate.k12.mt.us/bldg1/abacus/page1.htmfor starters.
EDIT: Then again, maybe not. But for instructions on how to use the gizmo, by whichever name, try
http://www.ee.ryerson.ca:8080/~elf/abacus/leeabacus/POST-EDIT EDIT: Do we know the origin of "gizmo" ?
The floor plan for the Japanese abacus (soroban) is one bead above, four beads below. The floor plan for the Chinese abacus (ch'uan pan) is two beads above, five below. The user's manual I had for my soroban said that the fifth bead was "of practical use but abstract convenience." I always suspected that line of having a bit of a typo in it or possibly just a bad translation (the opening line was "Soroban Japanese calculator are very much simply constructed"). The Chinese abacus is normally built on a larger scale than the Japanese.
In the days of four-bangers, I remember reading that skilled abacus operators could compete
rather succesfully with uses of electronic calculators. I'm glad I didn't have to learn abacus. I
never even got really skilled with slipstick.
The floor plan for the Japanese abacus (soroban) is one bead above, four beads below. The floor plan for the Chinese abacus (ch'uan pan) is two beads above, five below.
Um. Well then. I always assumed NEVER ASSUME ANYTHING !! that "abacus" was Chinese word, and that the Japanese "translation" was "soroban." 'Taint so, I see.
Now if the Chinese abacus is a ch'uan pan, and the Japanese abacus is a soroban, then where did the word "abacus," meaning a calculating machine, come from in the first place? Latin, after all?
where did the word "abacus," meaning a calculating machine, come from in the first place? Latin, after all?Hello? Anyone home? Like some pâté?
http://wordsmith.org/board/showthreaded.pl?Cat=&Board=beheadingwords&Number=93253
Yes, I saw that, it's just that the association of board = calculation-device doesn't come across as clearly as calculi(stones) = calculation-device does.
Must be some kind of figure/ground issue.
(edit 1/19/03:
the "figure" is the stones
the "ground" is the board they're on)
the association of board = calculation-device
AHD seems to suggest that the calculation board and the general meaning came into Latin together and the specific meaning of the slab at the top of an architectural column was a derived meaning from the general meaning. They put it back through the Greek abax meaning slab, mathematical table, drawing board covered with dust and originally from the Hebrew 'abhaq, dust.