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#176089 - 04/20/08 10:29 AM Re: Spring fling [Re: BranShea]
Faldage Carpal Tunnel Registered: 12/01/00 Posts: 13653	And while nanus maybe related to the nano- of nanomachines it isn't derived from it. Nano- is the SI prefix meaning 10 to the minus 9. It comes from the Greek nanos, 'little old man, dwarf,' which sounds like the Latin came straight from the Greek. That would make nanus and nano- second cousins thrice removed or something like that.
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#176094 - 04/20/08 11:22 AM Re: Spring fling [Re: BranShea]
zmjezhd Carpal Tunnel Registered: 08/13/05 Posts: 3268 Loc: R'lyeh	Tropeolum majus nanus Well, as I understand binomial nomenclature, the Tropaeolum part is the genus, and the species is majus, with a sub-species word thrown in. Tropaeolum majus would mean 'greater tropaeolum' in Latin. The word magnus, -a, -um 'great' is irregular in forming its comparative: major, majus. (In the first citation form the -us ending is for the masculine, the -a for the feminine, and the -um neuter; in the second one, because it belongs to a different declension the ending -or is for masculine and feminine and -us for neuter.) The nanus does mean 'dwarf'. But it isn't an adjective and it isn't neuter like the preceding two words. The word tropaeum in Latin means 'trophy, monument to victory' and is a loan from Greek τροπαιον (tropaion) which is related to τροπη (tropē) 'turning'. The ending -olum may be a diminutive suffix: 'little trophy'. _________________________ Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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#176095 - 04/20/08 11:28 AM Re: Spring fling [Re: Faldage]
zmjezhd Carpal Tunnel Registered: 08/13/05 Posts: 3268 Loc: R'lyeh	Latin gnanus 'dwarf' may be the native word and its variant nanus may have come from or been influenced by the Greek νανος (nanos). English mage and magic come via Latin and Greek from Old Persian maguš which may have been a caste or an ethnonym. In Latin and Greek, magus meant 'sorcerer'. _________________________ Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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#176104 - 04/20/08 01:48 PM Re: Spring fling [Re: zmjezhd]
BranShea Carpal Tunnel Registered: 06/23/06 Posts: 5248 Loc: Netherlands, the Hague	Yes thanks, that makes sense. So twosleepy was on the right track with her 'magic.' It means they are supposed to show a magical amount of magical flowers. And they are low growing. Good!
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#176107 - 04/20/08 05:28 PM Re: Spring fling [Re: The Pook]
BranShea Carpal Tunnel Registered: 06/23/06 Posts: 5248 Loc: Netherlands, the Hague	Some garden tulips for AnnaStrophic, twosleepy and Pook. tulips in pot
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#176108 - 04/20/08 07:36 PM Re: Spring fling [Re: zmjezhd]
The Pook old hand Registered: 02/20/08 Posts: 1067 Loc: Tasmania	Originally Posted By: zmjezhd Latin gnanus 'dwarf' may be the native word and its variant nanus may have come from or been influenced by the Greek νανος (nanos). English mage and magic come via Latin and Greek from Old Persian maguš which may have been a caste or an ethnonym. In Latin and Greek, magus meant 'sorcerer'. It probably was a caste or office. It seems first of all to have applied to a kind of court astrologer/diviner cum wiseman cum counsellor. In the biblical book, Daniel was a magus in the court of the Medo-Persians. In the New Testament the word (in the plural magoi) is applied to the 'wisemen' of the Infancy narrative who come from 'the East' - perhaps suggesting they were connected with the court of Parthia as advisers to the king. It is also used of Simon the Samaritan Sorceror in Acts chapter 8 and Elymas bar-Jesus the Jewish resident court magician of the Roman governor (proconsul) of Cyprus, Sergius Paulus, who was blinded by the Apostle Paul in a power encounter in Acts chapter 13. As can be seen in at least two or possibly three of the examples above, a common denominator in the ancient category of magus seems to be some connection with civil rule. It would be a reasonable deduction to make that the 'magician' started out as a rather more serious version of the medieval court jester (a word which may come from similar roots?). The magus was a character of great wisdom and influence, who used both scientific or natural means acquired through his great learning, and supernatural means to provide sage advice and perhaps predictions of events to secular rulers. These days though, he generally contents himself with party tricks. Edited by The Pook (04/20/08 07:39 PM)
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#176112 - 04/20/08 08:51 PM Re: Spring fling [Re: BranShea]
twosleepy old hand Registered: 02/28/08 Posts: 876 Loc: western NY	Such lovely flowers, Bran! Thanks! :0)
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#176122 - 04/21/08 03:06 AM Re: Spring fling [Re: twosleepy]
Zed Pooh-Bah Registered: 08/27/02 Posts: 2154 Loc: British Columbia, Canada	Sigh! I bought some plants for my window boxes on Friday but thank heavens I didn't get around to planting, it SNOWED on Friday night. Over 2 inches. Cherry trees in full bloom above a white lawn and I didn't have my camera.
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#176141 - 04/21/08 02:33 PM Re: Spring fling [Re: Zed]
BranShea Carpal Tunnel Registered: 06/23/06 Posts: 5248 Loc: Netherlands, the Hague	Hmm!Nice , cherry blossom and icecream!
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#176432 - 04/27/08 05:07 PM Re: Spring fling [Re: Zed]
BranShea Carpal Tunnel Registered: 06/23/06 Posts: 5248 Loc: Netherlands, the Hague	So at last an evening to sit outside and make the first little fire. " And in the Fire of Spring, The Wintergarment of Repentence fling :" Rubáyát of Omar Khayyám fire from scratch
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