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OP This weeks words are not what they seem.The word 'firmament' struck me as real odd.What's firm about the firmament?
In the comic strips "Asterix and Obelix" by Goscinny the little tribe in Gaule that is invincible thanks to the magic potion of their druid has only one fear: that heaven will fall on their heads.
Looking up the word in both Webster and Etymology Dictionary I found that our ancestors understood the firmament as a solid sphere on which sun moon and stars were projected.
Did they think the flat disc that the earth was supposed to be was supporting this sphere? They must have been afraid then it might collaps one day. We use "universe" now and know the firmament is not solid at all. Yet we still use that word. Words do not outdate easy, even when thay are incorrect?
The hippopotamus, my favorite animal because of his very cute ears in is called " Nilehorse" in Dutch. Absolute nonsense because they live in many other rivers exept the Nile. Yet no one ever proposed to give him, ears and all a better name.
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