|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Thanks FF. But since I had posted to it last night, it did not seem possible
that it should have dropped to the bottom since there were so few posts
in that forum. I did not intend this to seem llike an ego trip, just hoping
to have something for newcomers to read, so they would not decide
the site was dead. Thanks again, Bill
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692
Pooh-Bah
|
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692 |
Just catching up a little here!
Abeyance really means something gaped after (French, bayer, to gape).
Interesting, wwh, that when a hound "bays" that is shown as originating with the French word "aboyer" - to bark at. I haven't followed the etymology further back, but I guess the two words are related.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Caduceus (4 syl.). A white wand carried by Roman officers when they went to treat for peace. The
Egyptians adorned the rod with a male and female serpent twisted about it, and kissing each other. From
this use of the rod, it became the symbol of eloquence and also of office. In mythology, a caduceus with
wings is placed in the hands of Mercury, the herald of the gods; and the poets feign that he could
therewith give sleep to whomsoever he chose; wherefore Milton styles it “his opiate rod” in Paradise
Lost, xi. 133.
I have read that the US Army Medical Corps errs in using as its symbol a caduceus with two snakes.
The caduceus of Aesclapius the god of healing had only one snake, and is the symbol used by the
British military medical officers. I'm sure they prized the authenticity of their insignia, vs. poor
scholarship behind selection of the American one.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692
Pooh-Bah
|
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692 |
"auto da fé"
Dear wwh,
Still catching up!
Like you I had not seen a definition before, although familiar with it as the act of punishment/burning/torture. As I recall it is from the Portuguese rather than Spanish and means "act of the faith". Wasn't aware of the special day set aside for the purpose - wonder what the "punishers"
were doing in their spare time.
dxb
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Calamity The beating down of standing corn by wind or storm. The word is derived from the Latin
calamus (a stalk of corn). Hence, Cicero calls a storm Calamitosa tempestas (a corn-levelling tempest).
“Another ill accident is drought, and the spoiling of the corn; inasmuch as the word `calamity'
was first derived from calamus (stalk), when the corn could not get out of the ear.”- Bacon.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692
Pooh-Bah
|
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692 |
Adroit properly means "to the right" (French, à droite).
Dear wwh,
Thinking over what you've written it occurred to me that we also use "dextrous" in the sense of adroit, from the Latin "dexter" = right, but I can't think of a derivative of "sinister" = left being used in the same way as "gauche".
dxb
Ooops - reading on in my catching up, I see that MG more or less raised this point already - sorry MG.
dxb
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Calceos mutavit He has changed his shoes, that is, has become a senator. Roman senators were
distinguished by their shoes, which were sandalled across the instep and up the ankles.
I am surprised that I don't know of any English words derived from "calceos". And I get the impression
that "sandalled" as used here refers to the crossing straps that held the foootware in place. I have
never seen this verb before.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Dear dxb: Thanks for posting. I feel like a lone puppy baying at the moon.
Caledonia Scotland. A corruption of Celyddon, a Celtic word meaning “a dweller in woods and
forests.” The word Celt is itself a contraction of the same word (Celyd), and means the same thing.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
“Onward Arthur paced, with hand
On Caliburn's resistless brand.”
Scott: Bridal of Triermain.
I remember reading that when Lancelot finally threw King Arthur's sword into
the lake, a hand rose out of the water, caught it, and "brandished" it,
then disappeard with it below the water.
I wonder if "brand" for sword is etymological source of "brandish".
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692
Pooh-Bah
|
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692 |
Bolero A Spanish dance
Also, if I remember my mother's wardrobe correctly, a ladies short jacket. But what the heck is the connection with the dance? Did the original inventor wear a bolero jacket? Or did they dance on the jacket, the way the Mexicans dance on their hats?
dxb
|
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,328
Members9,182
| |
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
|
0 members (),
756
guests, and
0
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
