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

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

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.

i think it may come from the Timaeus