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#80003 - 09/08/02 06:30 PM tribulation
wwh Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 01/18/01
Posts: 13858
We have had several words about mechanical treatment of products of agriculture and
animal husbandry. Thresh,tease, scutcher, heckle, triturate,and now "tribulation"
tribulation
n.
ME tribulacion < OFr < LL(Ec) tribulatio < tribulare, to afflict, oppress < L, to press < tribulum, threshing platform with sharp studs, akin to terere, to rub: for IE base see THROW6
1 great misery or distress, as from oppression; deep sorrow
2 something that causes suffering or distress; affliction; trial
—SYN AFFLICTION
The Latin word refers to separating wheat from stems of stalks by striiking
them against upright studs on a platform.

And after this would come the separation of the wheat from the chaff by
winnow
vt.
ME winewen < OE windwian, to winnow < wind, WIND26
1 a) to blow the chaff from (grain) by wind or a forced current of air b) to blow off (chaff) in this manner
2 to blow away; scatter
3 to analyze or examine carefully in order to separate the various elements; sift
4 a) to separate out or eliminate (the poor or useless parts) b) to sort out or extract (the good or useful parts)
5 [Now Rare] to fan with or as with the wings
vi.
to winnow grain
n.
1 the act of winnowing
2 an apparatus for winnowing
win4now[er
n.



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#80004 - 09/08/02 07:28 PM Re: tribulation
Wordwind Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 09/30/01
Posts: 6296
Loc: Piedmont Region of Virginia, U...
Wish I weren't so tired because I'd like to winnow my mental wings about all you've posted here, wwh.

However, before leaving here, I do want to thank you for providing the etymology of tribulation. And I wish to see some drawings of wheat being tribulated!

Beat regards,
WordWinnower


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