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The Marmota monax, woodchuck, groundhog (hamburger?), whistle pig, or marmot got me to wondering where the chuck in woodchuck came from. Evidently, from some folk etymologizing on an Algonquian word, (cf. Narraganset ockqutchaun 'woodchuck'). The word in question is not known. (So, say M-W and A-H, at least.) In German, they're called a Murmeltier 'mutter animal' (cf. Mermelvokale 'schwa'. And Murmel is a marble. How about that marmota? Perhaps from OFr marmotter 'to mumble' from murmuro 'mutter, grumble'. Anyway, I enjoyed the movie, but then chacun a son gout.


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Can I go back to the original topic of this thread and ask, why was St Brigid a saint? I didn't see any saintly deeds in her bio.


#121762 02/01/04 03:37 AM
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I thought of troy mentioned that it was a syncretism with a Celtic goddess.


#121763 02/01/04 03:47 AM
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why was St Brigid a saint?

Brigid (or Bridgette or Bride or whoever) was held to be a saint in Ireland long before any canonical, ecclesiastical machinery stamped her as one officially. There are lots of local saints that got their start on the road to stardom in this manner. Among the saintly things she is reputed to have done:

1. She abandoned a life of relative nobility (she was well-born) for a life of cenobitic austerity.
2. She was the founder of a monastery at Kildare; founders of monastic communities are often "sainted" as the merit of their orders is imputed back to them.
3. She is said to have healed a leper woman who asked only for milk.
4. She "converted" a wolf which had been killing livestock and it became the companion dog of a local chieftan.
5. There are other legends.
6. Among her modern miracles are the ability to provide a handsome eligible fellow to an unmarried woman who burns a candle to St Brigid in her window all day and all night on the good saint's day. Not a bad trick, for a nun who never married, eh?




#121764 02/01/04 05:36 PM
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>provide a handsome eligible fellow to an unmarried woman who burns a candle

Sounds like fallacy to me.



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#121765 02/01/04 05:53 PM
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Ernest Hemingway "...That is great fellacy; the wisdom of old men. They didn't grow wise, they grow careful."

"My candle burns at both its ends...."
And I did not introduce the change of an "a" to an "e".


#121766 02/01/04 07:53 PM
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"...That is great fellacy; the wisdom of old men.

which brings us back to where Uncle Jazzbeau pointed..

go read a crock of gold... and learn of the wisdom of old men.. and old women..

(it's great that it is on line, its out of print!)


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The Marmota monax, woodchuck, groundhog (hamburger? [ha!]), whistle pig, or marmot ... don't forget the aardvark, nuncle.


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don't forget the aardvark, nuncle.

Different animal, different languages, same name. The Afrikaans vark is related to German Ferkel 'suckling pig' and Latin porcus. And off the West Coast of Eire, there's some little islands, one of which is Inishshark. It has little to do with sharks, but with MIr orc 'pig', cognate with the others above. I was on Inishbofin 'isle of the white cow' once. A lovely place.


#121769 02/02/04 03:48 PM
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http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintb03.htm

Another version, less scholarly at
http://www.irelandseye.com/irish/people/saints/brigid.shtm
See last graph re connection with word "brides" which I think may be a bit far-fetched. ??
Then there is the aspect of Brigid as a Celtic Goddess at :
http://druidry.org/obod/deities/brigid.html

And while I am on the subject of Patron Saints ----
I believe St. Catherine is patron saint of spinsters as in the poem I learned in grade school :
"Saint Catherine, Saint Catherine,
O lend me thine aid,
And grant that I may never die an Old Maid."
Blessisngs.
Your High Priestess, wow


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