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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread "Quintessence" origin #170712 10/18/2007 6:57 PM Joined: Oct 2007 Posts: 1 Jeanne Cavelos stranger Jeanne Cavelos stranger Joined: Oct 2007 Posts: 1 Hi. I read the Wordsmith newsletter piece on "quintessence" from 4/4/03. I'm a writer, and I'm writing a quirky story in which the main character is the word "quintessence." In the story, I'd like the word to describe where she came from. Right now, I've written this: "She had burst full-blown from the head of Aristotle, had spread through the world, sported with Milton and Franklin, danced on the winds of intelligent discourse, carried man's greatest dreams, articulated the most profound truths." But is it accurate to say that she came from Aristotle? Was he the first to use the term that is the ancient Greek equivalent of "quintessence"? Thanks for your help. Best, Jeanne Cavelos jcavelos@sff.net http://www.jeannecavelos.com Copy Link to Clipboard Re: "Quintessence" origin Jeanne Cavelos #170716 10/18/2007 11:03 PM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel Faldage Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Googling pempte-ousia aristotle I could only find that Aristotle called it ether (aither in Greek) and that it was also called pempte-ousia which the Romans translated as quinta essentia Copy Link to Clipboard Re: "Quintessence" origin Jeanne Cavelos #170719 10/19/2007 1:22 AM Joined: May 2002 Posts: 1,529 Aladamnbama the most watered s... themilum veteran themilum veteran Joined: May 2002 Posts: 1,529 Aladamnbama the most watered s... Hello Jeannie Cavelos, I think the answer depends on the quirkiness of your story. Do you seek an etymological relationship for the word, or a historical linkage for the concept? The concept is historically documented in the writings of Plato. In fact the quintessence of the Socratic method is a semantical search for essence. But hey, Aristotle in his exuberance would most likely be the one who would "burst forth [an idea] full blown". Best of luck on your book. Last edited by themilum; 10/19/2007 1:22 AM. Copy Link to Clipboard Re: "Quintessence" origin themilum #170771 10/22/2007 3:31 AM Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 3 aibohphobia stranger aibohphobia stranger Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 3 i think it may come from the Timaeus Copy Link to Clipboard Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary

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